Principal Software Engineer/ Architect

Microsoft • Redmond, WA

11d • $142,800 - $304,200

About The Position

Microsoft Security is hiring a technical leader to define the future of its Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) platform. The platform supports the full lifecycle of public and private certificates for Microsoft’s first-party services and external customers, enabling secure authentication, encryption, code signing, workload identity, and emerging cryptographic scenarios at global scale.

The role will shape the architecture and evolution of a highly secure, resilient, and globally distributed platform. Its focus includes cryptographic agility and adoption of modern standards, preparation for post-quantum cryptography, and embedding security, compliance, and least-privilege principles throughout the platform. The engineer will also help make secure certificate management and trust straightforward for developers and service teams, while advancing automation, reliability, and operational efficiency.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or a related technical field and 6+ years of technical engineering experience coding in languages such as C, C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, or Python, or equivalent experience.
• Ability to meet Microsoft, customer, and/or government security screening requirements, including passing the Microsoft Cloud Background Check upon hire or transfer and every two years thereafter.

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree in Computer Science or a related technical field and 8+ years of technical engineering experience coding in languages such as C, C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, or Python; or a bachelor’s degree in a related field and 12+ years of such experience; or equivalent experience.
• Proficiency in programming languages such as C#, Rust, Go, Java, or C++.
• Demonstrated ability to write clean, maintainable, and efficient code.
• Experience with cloud platforms such as Azure, AWS, or Google Cloud and understanding of cloud infrastructure and services.
• Strong problem-solving and analytical skills, including diagnosing issues, identifying root causes, and implementing effective solutions.
• Proven experience building scalable and reliable software solutions.
• 6+ years architecting distributed systems.

Responsibilities

• Define and drive the technical vision for Microsoft’s PKI platform, partnering with engineering, product management, and security teams to modernize and secure public and private certificate lifecycle management.
• Architect and build resilient, highly scalable, low-latency services that establish trust boundaries, secure access to online resources, and enable cryptographic agility across Microsoft’s first- and third-party ecosystems.
• Design secure, reliable, observable, and reusable platform capabilities, using telemetry and data to guide architectural decisions.
• Champion engineering excellence through system design, design and code reviews, automation, testing, and operational best practices.
• Write clean, maintainable, high-quality code while improving reliability, test coverage, diagnosability, and service health.
• Collaborate across Microsoft to deliver secure-by-default solutions that simplify adoption, strengthen customer trust, and empower engineers to build on the identity and authorization platform.
• Embody Microsoft’s Culture and Values.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Principal