Microsoft

Microsoft

Posted via Microsoft Careers

Principal Software Engineer

Posted Aug 6, 2026

Role at a glance

Job function
Software Engineering & IT Software Engineering
Salary
$142.8K – $274.8K/yr
Location
Multiple Locations, United States United States
Work arrangement
On-site
Employment
Full-time
Experience
6+ years technical engineering experience
Education
Bachelor's, Master's

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Role Summary

AI-generated

The Substrate Deployment Team builds and operates a deployment platform for rolling changes across hundreds of thousands of servers in Microsoft datacenters. The Principal Software Engineer will lead engineering work that uses automation and AI-driven approaches to improve deployment efficiency, reliability, and operational excellence for M365 services.

What You'll Do

  • Work with engineers, product managers, and partner teams on overall design and architecture.
  • Provide mentorship and coaching to engineers within and beyond the team.
  • Own features across design, architecture, implementation, testing, debugging, shipping, and servicing.
  • Drive automation and AI-powered solutions to improve deployment intelligence, operational efficiency, and service reliability.
  • Ensure delivery of code emphasizing quality, performance, simplicity, durability, scalability, and maintainability.

Generated from the employer's posting. Verify important details before applying.

View full posting

Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or a related technical field and 6+ years of technical engineering experience with coding in languages including C, C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, or Python, or equivalent experience.

Required

  • Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science or related technical field
  • 6+ years technical engineering experience
  • Coding in C, C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, or Python
  • Equivalent experience

Preferred

  • Master's Degree in Computer Science or related technical field
  • 8+ years technical engineering experience
  • 12+ years technical engineering experience with a bachelor's degree
  • Proficiency in AI-native development, including Agent Harnesses, Markdown specs/ADRs, YAML configs, multi-step Agentic workflows, and...
  • Fundamentals in data structures, algorithms, object-oriented design, and scalable systems
  • Experience building, testing, debugging, and maintaining production-quality software
  • Experience with cloud platforms and distributed/service-oriented architecture
  • Experience with reliability, monitoring, and performance optimization practices

Original job description

Content provided by the employer

Overview

Are you interested in leading a team to build a world-class deployment system to manage hyperscale environments? Do you want to revolutionize application and infrastructure deployment with simplification? Are you looking to use AI at scale to transform and optimize deployment at scale? Do you want to have direct and immediate impact on a large number of M365 services used by millions of people across the world, hundreds of thousands of commercial organizations, and government agencies? Do you want to be part of a fun and inclusive work environment?

 

We are looking for a Principal Software Engineer to join our team. On the Substrate Deployment Team, we are responsible for deploying changes to hundreds of thousands of servers across all our datacenters. Our team builds the platform that not only provides a scalable, efficient, and cost-effective deployment solution for high-scale services, but also leverages AI-driven innovation to improve deployment reliability, automation, and operational excellence. We manage infrastructure throughout the application lifecycle to make the experience seamless for our customers.

 

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.



Responsibilities
  • Work with engineers, product managers, and partner teams to deliver experiences with the right overall design and architecture, leveraging AI where it can meaningfully improve deployment efficiency, reliability, and customer outcomes.

  • Provide mentorship and coaching to engineers both in, and beyond, your team, including the adoption of modern AI-powered development practices and tools.

  • Own and deliver complete features across the development lifecycle, including design, architecture, implementation, testability, debugging, shipping, and servicing.

  • Drive innovation through automation and AI-powered solutions to improve deployment intelligence, operational efficiency, and service reliability at hyperscale.

  • Ensure your team delivers clean, well-thought-out code with an emphasis on quality, performance, simplicity, durability, scalability, maintainability, and effective use of AI-assisted engineering practices.



Qualifications

Required Qualifications:

  • Bachelor'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 equivalent experience.
 
 
Preferred Qualifications:
  • Master'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 Bachelor'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 equivalent experience. 
  • Proficiency in AI-native development — working within Agent Harnesses (GitHub Copilot CLI, Coding Agents), authoring Markdown specs/ADRs and YAML configs as Agent-consumable inputs, orchestrating multi-step Agentic workflows across the SDLC, and reviewing Agent-generated code and PRs with production-grade rigor.
  • Fundamentals in data structures, algorithms, object-oriented design, and scalable systems.
  • Experience building, testing, debugging, and maintaining production-quality software, following established engineering practices as well as leveraging large language models (LLMs).
  • Problem-solving and technical judgment skills, with the ability to design scoped solutions, debug complex issues, and improve service performance.
  • Experience with cloud platforms and distributed/service-oriented architecture.
  • Experience with reliability, monitoring, and performance optimization practices.
  • Experience in driving AI (LLM/ML) based engineering solution.


Software Engineering IC5 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $142,800 - $274,800 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 $188,000 - $304,200 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.



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.

Microsoft

About the company

Microsoft

Large Enterprise

Microsoft is a global technology leader that empowers individuals and organizations to achieve more through innovative software, services, and devices. Founded in 1975, the company is best known for its flagship products like the Windows operating system and Microsoft Office suite. In addition to personal computing, Microsoft is a leader in cloud computing with its Azure platform, providing a range of solutions for businesses to enhance productivity and efficiency. With a strong commitment to sustainability and accessibility, Microsoft continues to drive technological advancements that shape the future of work and learning.