Microsoft

Principal Software Engineer

Microsoft • $165K — $296K *
Redmond, WA 98052In-Person
Enterprise Technology
8 - 10 years of experience
Today
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Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science or related field AND 8+ years of technical engineering experience with coding in C, C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, or Python (or equivalent experience).
  • Master's Degree in Computer Science or related field AND 12+ years of technical engineering experience (or equivalent), or a Bachelor's Degree AND 15+ years experience.
  • Depth in performance analysis and debugging, including profiling and telemetry.
  • 3+ years of technical leadership across multiple engineering teams.
  • Experience in shipping and operating reliable production systems, including incident response.
  • Familiarity with workload management or resource-control systems.
  • Knowledge of modern distributed-systems and cloud-architecture patterns.

Responsibilities

  • Set the multi-year technical strategy for workload management and infrastructure efficiency.
  • Design and operate distributed capabilities for resource governance and scheduling.
  • Lead development of algorithms improving utilization while ensuring latency and availability.
  • Build performance-engineering systems with telemetry and anomaly detection.
  • Translate telemetry signals into prioritized engineering actions with measurable goals.
  • Own critical technical decisions across teams, resolving architectural conflicts.
  • Operate built systems, defining objectives and leading incident response.

Benefits

  • Comprehensive healthcare package including medical, dental, and vision coverage.
  • Generous paid time off with annual vacation and sick days.
  • Retirement savings plan with company match.
  • Opportunities for professional development and continuous learning.
  • Flexible work arrangements and a collaborative work environment.
Full Job Description
Responsibilities

  • Set the multi-year technical strategy and architecture for workload management, performance, and infrastructure efficiency across shared Agent 365 Foundation services.
  • Design, build, and operate distributed control-plane and data-plane capabilities for admission control, resource governance, scheduling, load balancing, throttling, capacity allocation, autoscaling, and graceful degradation.
  • Lead the development of algorithms and feedback systems that improve utilization and fairness while protecting customer latency, availability, tenant isolation, and service-level objectives.
  • Build a rigorous performance-engineering system: representative benchmarks, profiling and tracing, production telemetry, anomaly detection, attribution, experimentation, and automated regression prevention.
  • Translate large-scale telemetry and cost signals into prioritized engineering action; establish measurable goals and prove improvements through controlled rollout, shadow-mode validation, fault injection, and production results
  • Own critical technical decisions across teams and platforms. Identify dependencies early, resolve architectural conflicts, and create designs that can be adopted incrementally without compromising safety or operability.
  • Operate what you build as a Designated Responsible Individual. Define service-level objectives, participate in on-call, lead complex incident response, and drive root-cause and systemic repair work to closure.
  • Apply Microsoft's Secure Development Lifecycle, Secure by Design, and Secure by Default practices, including threat modeling, least privilege, credential hygiene, safe deployment, and supply-chain integrity.
  • Use AI-assisted and agentic engineering practices to accelerate development, performance analysis, incident triage, and optimization while establishing evaluation, reliability, safety, and cost guardrails.
  • Raise the engineering bar through architecture reviews, code reviews, technical writing, mentoring, and direct collaboration with senior and principal engineers across Agent 365, Power Platform, Dynamics 365, Dataverse, and Azure.
  • Embody Microsoft's Culture and Values.


Qualifications
Required 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.


Other Requirements:

Ability to meet Microsoft, customer and/or government security screening requirements are required for this role. These requirements include but are not limited to the following specialized security screenings:
  • Microsoft Cloud Background Check: This position will be required to pass the Microsoft Cloud background check upon hire/transfer and every two years thereafter.

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Master's Degree in Computer Science or related technical field AND 12+ years technical engineering experience with coding in languages including, but not limited to, C, C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, or Python
    • OR Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science or related technical field AND 15+ years technical engineering experience with coding in languages including, but not limited to, C, C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, or Python
    • OR equivalent experience.
  • Demonstrated depth in performance analysis and debugging, including profiling, benchmarking, telemetry, capacity analysis, and diagnosing complex behavior across service and infrastructure boundaries.
  • 3+ years of experience providing technical leadership across multiple engineering teams, including driving architecture, resolving ambiguous cross-team problems, and communicating decisions to multidisciplinary stakeholders.
  • Experience shipping and operating reliable production systems, including live-site ownership, safe deployment, incident response, and post-incident improvement.
  • Experience with workload management or resource-control systems, including scheduling, admission control, quota and throttling, load balancing, autoscaling, fairness, or overload protection.
  • Experience optimizing high-scale, multi-tenant cloud services and shared infrastructure, including capacity planning, cost attribution, infrastructure efficiency, and cost-of-goods reduction.
  • Deep knowledge of modern distributed-systems and cloud-architecture patterns, including microservices, containers, Kubernetes or Azure Kubernetes Service, Service Fabric, caching, messaging, consistency, and failure isolation.
  • Experience building performance, profiling, observability, or analytics platforms using production telemetry, distributed tracing, large-scale data pipelines, or systems such as Azure Data Explorer/Kusto.
  • Experience designing algorithms, control loops, or data-driven optimization systems and validating their safety and effectiveness in production.
  • Hands-on experience applying large language models, agents, or AI-native engineering practices to diagnostics, operations, optimization, test generation, or the software-development lifecycle.
  • Proven technical communication and influence skills, with a record of creating clarity, aligning teams, mentoring experienced engineers, and driving durable decisions without relying on formal authority.

#CAP #Agent365 #A365

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.

Microsoft Careers

Join Microsoft today and be part of a company that values innovation, leadership, and diversity in its workforce. As a global leader in technology and digital transformation, Microsoft offers unparalleled job opportunities that propel your career to new heights.

Explore Career Opportunities at Microsoft

Whether you're a seasoned professional looking for your next challenge or a recent graduate eager to start your career, Microsoft has a position that suits your skills and ambitions. We are committed to fostering a culture of growth and learning, where every team member is supported in expanding their horizons.

Internship Programs

Kickstart your career with a Microsoft internship. Our internships provide invaluable workplace experience and networking opportunities in a supportive and dynamic environment. You'll work on real projects, learn from industry leaders, and gain the skills necessary for a successful career in technology.

Employment Benefits

Choosing a career at Microsoft means more than just a job. Our employees enjoy a range of benefits designed to empower them both professionally and personally. These include comprehensive health benefits, flexible working conditions, and opportunities for career advancement through professional development and diversity training.

Inclusive Culture and Diversity

At Microsoft, we believe that innovation comes from diversity of thought and inclusion. We are committed to a workplace where everyone feels valued and inspired. Our leadership is dedicated to fostering an environment where diverse perspectives lead to breakthrough innovations and a competitive edge.

Grow with Us

Career growth at Microsoft is about more than climbing the corporate ladder; it's about continuous learning, expanding your skills, and improving your capabilities. With access to various leadership and training programs, you can evolve as a professional and make a significant impact within the company and on the global stage.

Hiring Process

Our hiring process is designed to identify true potential. Starting with a review of your resume, followed by interviews that assess your problem-solving abilities and cultural fit, we ensure that all candidates have a fair chance to demonstrate their strengths and potential to contribute to our team.

Networking and Professional Development

Microsoft is a place where you can build a professional network that spans the globe. Our employees benefit from connections with top-tier professionals and industry leaders, which opens doors to innovative projects and collaborative opportunities that are second to none.

Join Our Team

If you're ready to take on exciting challenges and make a difference in the world of technology, explore the job opportunities at Microsoft. Search for open positions that match your skills and interests, and prepare to embark on a rewarding career path filled with innovation and opportunities for personal and professional growth.

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At Microsoft, your future is limitless. Join us in our mission to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. Your journey with Microsoft starts here.
Learn more about Microsoft
Size
181,000 employees
Market Cap
$1,762.4 billion
Industry
Enterprise Technology
Net Income
$51.3 billion
Founded
1975
5 Year Trend
+15.5%
Revenue
$153.2 billion
NASDAQ
MSFT
* Ladders Estimates

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