Principal Software Engineer - Microsoft Advertising
About The Position
At the core of Microsoft Ads is a mission-critical, high-throughput real-time bidding (RTB) platform that processes millions of auction requests per second, executes complex auction logic under strict latency constraints, and directly impacts revenue, win rate, partner satisfaction, and platform reliability. The Principal Software Engineer owns the platform’s core architectural and technical evolution, with a focus on modernization, performance, scalability, experimentation infrastructure, and operational excellence. The role calls for deep expertise in low-latency distributed systems and leadership in large-scale refactoring and platform modernization. The engineer drives initiatives with company-level impact and collaborates with engineering, data science, experimentation, product, infrastructure, and business stakeholders to help the platform scale and support future Microsoft Ads growth. Microsoft’s mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. Employees bring a growth mindset, innovate to empower others, and collaborate toward shared goals. Microsoft emphasizes respect, integrity, accountability, and an inclusive culture. AI Experiences employees who live within a 50-mile commute of a designated Microsoft Hub in the U.S. are expected to work from the office at least four days per week, subject to local law and jurisdiction.
Requirements
- Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science or a related technical field and 6+ years of technical engineering experience coding in languages including C, C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, or Python, or equivalent experience.
- Experience working on high-throughput production systems where scalability, latency, and stability are critical.
- Experience with performance and system optimization or tuning.
- Demonstrated ability to design, evolve, and maintain complex systems over time.
- Experience collaborating with cross-functional teams to deliver solutions aligned with business needs.
- Solid problem-solving skills and ability to analyze and address performance or reliability issues in production environments.
Nice To Haves
- Master's Degree in Computer Science or a related technical field and 8+ years of technical engineering experience coding in languages including C, C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, or Python; or a Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science or a related technical field and 12+ years of such experience; or equivalent experience.
- Experience with real-time bidding systems, ad tech, or high-frequency decision systems.
- Experience working with ML-driven decision systems or integrating models into production pipelines.
- Exposure to large-scale data processing or feature pipelines.
- Experience with cloud environments and modern deployment practices.
Responsibilities
- Own technical direction and execution for core components of a high-scale, latency-sensitive real-time bidding service at the heart of Microsoft Ads.
- Lead the design and implementation of scalable, high-performance backend systems operating under strict latency and reliability requirements.
- Drive platform modernization and long-term sustainability of critical services, improving code quality, maintainability, and operational safety.
- Ensure the service’s performance, scalability, and stability as traffic, data volume, and business requirements grow.
- Define and evolve instrumentation, observability, and experimentation capabilities to support data-driven decisions and safe production changes.
- Collaborate with engineering, data science, experimentation, product, and infrastructure partners to align technical solutions with business goals.
- Provide technical leadership and mentorship, influencing architecture decisions and engineering best practices across teams.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Principal
