Microsoft is a company where passionate innovators come to collaborate, envision what can be and take their careers further. This is a world of more possibilities, more innovation, more openness, and the sky is the limit thinking in a cloud-enabled world. Now more than ever, we live in an age where AI and Cloud Services are empowering people around the world to achieve more. Behind these innovative services exists a critical infrastructure that is bringing them to life. The Search & AI Platform is building that foundation which makes Bing and Copilot possible on a global scale. Our product is impacting individual's lives in scenarios such as Web Search, AI chat, AI grounding, and local deal finding.

We're hiring a Principal Software Engineer to help us push the boundaries of what’s possible again. In this role, you’ll reinvent how analytics engines process data. We build services that enable big data developers to create mission-critical applications with strong Service Level Agreements (SLAs).

As part of our team, you will lead the transformation of analytics in the modern data ecosystem and build a big data platform designed for the age of AI. You’ll work with and extend open-source technologies such as Apache Hadoop, Spark, Delta Lake, Flink, and Kubernetes, along with proprietary Microsoft services. You’ll collaborate with a team of talented engineers to advance what’s possible in data analytics and distributed systems, exploring the frontier of innovation in performance and scale.

Microsoft’s mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. As employees we come together with a growth mindset, innovate to empower others, and collaborate to realize our shared goals. Each day we build on our values of respect, integrity, and accountability to create a culture of inclusion where everyone can thrive at work and beyond.

Starting January 26, 2026, Microsoft AI (MAI) employees who live within a 50- mile commute of a designated Microsoft office in the U.S. or 25-mile commute of a non-U.S., country-specific location are expected to work from the office at least four days per week. This expectation is subject to local law and may vary by jurisdiction.

• Design and develop large-scale distributed software services and solutions following modern software engineering practices through design and code reviews.
• Collaborate with appropriate stakeholders to determine user requirements for a scenario, drive identification of dependencies and the development of design documents for a product, application, service, or platform.
• Perform system design with well-defined interfaces across multiple components, leveraging data/telemetry to inform decisions.
• Develop best-in-class engineering for our services, ensuring components are modular, secure, reliable, testable, diagnosable, maintainable, actively monitored, and reusable.
• Improve test coverage, organize and implement integration tests, and resolve problem areas.
• Troubleshoot and optimize automation, reliability, and monitoring for Live Site.
• Embody our culture and values.

• Master's Degree in Computer Science or related technical field AND 6+ 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 8+ years technical engineering experience with coding in languages including, but not limited to, C, C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, or Python OR equivalent experience.
• Experience in large scale system architecture, design, development, testing, and release, including but not limited to web applications, microservices in layers, database design, API design, performance tuning, telemetry design and analysis.
• Proficient analytical skills with systematic and structured approaches to software design.
• Demonstrated strength to quickly get up-to-speed and be productive on new technical domains and are comfortable in dealing with ambiguity.
• Ability to drive for results and influence for impact, ability to drive clarity, communicate goals to key stakeholders, and motivate them to execute on time and at a high quality. Proactively identifies problems, proposes solutions, with demonstrated ability to navigate ambiguity.

#MicrosoftAI

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

Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, citizenship, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, immigration status, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran or military status, race, ethnicity, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable local laws, regulations and ordinances. If you need assistance with religious accommodations and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application process, read more about requesting accommodations.