Microsoft

Principal Software Engineer

Microsoft$165K — $296K *
Information Technology
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science or related field.
  • 8+ years of experience in technical engineering roles.
  • Proficiency in programming languages such as C, C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, or Python.
  • Experience in architecture strategy and platform modernization across large-scale distributed systems.
  • Familiarity with AI-native engineering practices.
  • Background in delivering large-scale online services.
  • Experience mentoring junior engineers and architects.

Responsibilities

  • Define long-term architectural strategy for Partner Center and partner ecosystem.
  • Lead decisions on Cloud Subscription migration and platform modernization.
  • Act as the architectural liaison with Commerce Core, influencing platform roadmaps.
  • Promote AI-native engineering practices throughout the software lifecycle.
  • Maintain a comprehensive architectural view of Microsoft’s partner ecosystem.
  • Drive data architecture and integration strategies for cross-platform data sharing.
  • Lead architecture reviews and discussions, focusing on scalability and security.

Benefits

  • Comprehensive health coverage.
  • Work-life balance initiatives.
  • Professional development opportunities.
  • Collaborative team environment.
  • Innovative workplace culture.
Full Job Description
Overview

As a Principal Software Engineer, you will define and drive the long-term architecture for Partner Center and the broader Microsoft partner ecosystem. You will lead the technical vision for platform modernization, Cloud Subscription migration, AI-native engineering, and ecosystem-wide data and integration strategies. This role requires deep architectural leadership across multiple organizations, balancing near-term delivery with long-term platform evolution while ensuring Partner Center, Commerce Core, and adjacent partner platforms operate as a cohesive, scalable, and future-ready ecosystem. You will influence platform roadmaps, establish architectural standards and patterns, and drive technical decisions that improve interoperability, resiliency, efficiency, and reusability across the commercial platform landscape.

Responsibilities
  • Define and drive the long-term architectural strategy for Partner Center and the broader partner ecosystem, ensuring alignment with business priorities, platform evolution, and organizational objectives.
  • Lead architecture decisions for Cloud Subscription migration, platform modernization, and large-scale engineering investments, establishing scalable, resilient, secure, and maintainable platform foundations.
  • Serve as the primary architectural liaison with Commerce Core (CoCo), representing Partner Center requirements in platform strategy and architecture forums, influencing platform roadmaps, and ensuring Partner Center can leverage future platform capabilities and designs.
  • Champion AI-native engineering practices across the organization, driving adoption of AI-powered development, operational excellence, and responsible AI patterns throughout the software development lifecycle.
  • Develop and maintain a holistic architectural view of the Microsoft partner ecosystem, spanning Partner Center, partner-facing services, business systems, and data platforms to drive consistency, interoperability, and platform reuse.
  • Drive ecosystem-wide data architecture and integration strategies, ensuring partner data can be effectively shared, governed, and consumed across platforms including Partner Center, MSXI, Partner 360, Know Me, and other partner intelligence solutions.
  • Lead architecture reviews and technical design discussions across multiple teams, providing guidance on scalability, performance, resiliency, security, compliance, and platform evolution.
  • Identify opportunities to reduce platform duplication, simplify system interactions, and consolidate capabilities through shared services, common data models, and strategic platform investments.
  • Influence technical direction across multiple engineering organizations, partnering with architects, engineering leaders, product leaders, and platform teams to align on long-term architectural strategy and execution.
  • Mentor engineers and architects, raising the technical bar through architectural leadership, design reviews, and engineering best practices.


Qualifications

Required/minimum qualifications

Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science or related technical field AND 8+ years technical engineering experience with coding in languages including, but not limited to, C, C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, or Python OR equivalent experience.

Preferred Qualifications
  • Experience leading architecture strategy and platform modernization efforts across multiple engineering organizations and large-scale distributed systems.
  • Experience in Native AI Engineering.
  • Experience delivering large scale on line services.
  • Technical background and hands on experience.
  • Experience mentoring other Software Engineers.


#CEAIjobs

Software Engineering IC6 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $165,600 - $296,400 per year. There is a different range applicable to specific work locations, within the San Francisco Bay area and New York City metropolitan area, and the base pay range for this role in those locations is USD $220,800 - $331,200 per year.

Certain roles may be eligible for benefits and other compensation. Find additional benefits and pay information here:
https://careers.microsoft.com/us/en/us-corporate-pay

This position will be open for a minimum of 5 days, with applications accepted on an ongoing basis until the position is filled.

About Microsoft

Microsoft is an American multinational corporation that develops, manufactures, licenses, supports, and sells a range of software products and services. Microsoft’s devices and consumer (D&C) licensing segment licenses the Windows operating system and related software, Microsoft Office for consumers, and the Windows Phone operating system. The company’s computing and gaming hardware segment provides Xbox gaming and entertainment consoles and accessories, second-party and third-party video games, and Xbox Live subscriptions; surface devices and accessories; and Microsoft PC accessories. Its phone hardware segment offers Lumia smartphones and other non-Lumia phones. Its D&C segment provides Windows Store, Xbox Live transactions, and Windows phone store; search advertising; display advertising; Office 365 Home and Office 365 Personal; first-party video games; and other consumer products and services as well as operating retail stores. Microsoft’s commercial licensing segments license server products, including Windows Server, Microsoft SQL Server, Visual Studio, System Center, and related Client Access Licenses (CALs); Windows Embedded; Windows operating system; Microsoft Office for business, including Office, Exchange, SharePoint, Lync, and related CALs; Microsoft Dynamics business solutions; and Skype. Its commercial segment offers enterprise services, including premier support services and Microsoft consulting services; commercial cloud comprising Office 365 Commercial, other Microsoft Office online offerings, Dynamics CRM Online, and Microsoft Azure; and other commercial products and online services. The company markets and distributes its products through original equipment manufacturers, distributors, and resellers, as well as online.

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Learn more about Microsoft
Size
181,000 employees
Market Cap
$1,762.4 billion
Industry
Net Income
$51.3 billion
Founded
1975
5 Year Trend
+15.5%
Revenue
$153.2 billion
NASDAQ

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