Principal Software Engineer

Microsoft • Redmond, WA

3d

About The Position

Microsoft Security works to protect customers from digital threats and help secure technology platforms, devices, and cloud environments. Microsoft Entra ID is a core Microsoft cloud service that provides authentication, authorization, and directory services to millions of tenants and billions of identities. Its backend directory store supports billions of requests per day. The team is evolving the directory store platform for future needs, offering the opportunity to work with storage technologies and distributed systems and develop solutions for problems involving scale and performance.

The Principal Software Engineer will design and develop large-scale distributed software services and solutions, strengthen engineering practices, and improve service quality, reliability, security, and operational readiness. The role collaborates across teams and focuses on cohesive end-to-end experiences and customer and partner needs. It also involves troubleshooting and optimizing automation, reliability, and monitoring for Live Site.

Requirements

• Bachelor’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 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 12+ years of technical engineering experience coding in languages such as C, C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, or Python, or a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or a related technical field and 15+ years of such experience, or equivalent experience.
• 5+ years of experience designing, building, and operating scalable, highly available cloud services or distributed systems on platforms such as Azure, AWS, GCP, or comparable cloud environments, including production ownership and CI/CD pipeline integration.
• 3+ years of experience building systems with emphasis on reliability, durability, and operational efficiency, including live site operations, incident response, and performance optimization.
• Experience leading projects from conception to delivery, including design, code review, and delivery.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop large-scale distributed software services and solutions.
• Drive modern software engineering practices through design and code reviews.
• Perform system design with well-defined interfaces across multiple components, using data and telemetry to inform decisions.
• Develop high-quality engineering for services, ensuring components are modular, secure, reliable, diagnosable, actively monitored, and reusable.
• Improve test coverage, organize and implement integration tests, and resolve problem areas.
• Prioritize testability, portability, monitoring, reliability, and maintainability, and determine when code is ready to be shared and delivered.
• Develop an understanding of Microsoft businesses and collaborate with mentors and leaders to contribute to cohesive, end-to-end user experiences centered on customer and partner needs and a data-driven approach.
• Troubleshoot and optimize automation, reliability, and monitoring for Live Site.
• Embody Microsoft’s culture and values.

Benefits

• The posting notes that certain roles may be eligible for benefits and other compensation; specific benefits are not listed.

What This Job Offers

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