Principal Software Engineer

Microsoft • Redmond, WA

1d

About The Position

Microsoft is at the forefront of a new era in productivity, and Microsoft 365 Copilot is redefining how we build and deliver AI experiences. We are a small, focused team within MSAI Office of the CTO (OCTO) committed to driving Copilot Agility — accelerating how we innovate, build, and scale the Copilot platform across Microsoft. We are looking for a Principal Software Engineer who combine deep technical experience in backend, data, and ML systems with a passion for agility and impact. In this role, you will design and lead the development of scalable systems and tools that accelerate Copilot engineering velocity across Entertainment and Devices (E+D) (M365 Core, OPG, GXP, etc). You’ll work closely with partners across product, data, and infrastructure to drive high-impact projects such as the Copilot Data Platform, while mentoring engineers and influencing technical direction across teams.

The qualified candidate is highly technical, independent, and hands-on — someone who thrives in complex environments, ramps up quickly, and consistently delivers results. You’ll play a key role in helping teams adopt agile development practices and accelerate AI-driven initiatives that power the next generation of Copilot experiences.

If you’re excited about improving how AI systems are built and delivered, and you want to make a visible impact on Microsoft’s Copilot platform, this is the right role for you.
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.

Requirements

• 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.
• 2+ years experience designing and leading large-scale, distributed backend, data, or ML systems in production environments.
• Demonstrated ability to set technical direction, influence architecture, and mentor engineers to deliver scalable, maintainable, and high-quality systems.
• Experience driving cross-team engineering initiatives, balancing hands-on contributions with strategic technical leadership.
• Ability to meet Microsoft, customer and/or government security screening requirements are required for this role. These requirements include but are not limited to the following specialized security screenings: Microsoft Cloud Background Check: This position will be required to pass the Microsoft Cloud background check upon hire/transfer and every two years thereafter.

Nice To Haves

• Experience working with State-OF-The-Art (SOTA) AI tooling to accelerate software development lifecycle.
• Experience in data platforms or ML pipelines supporting AI-driven applications.
• Experience defining and tracking engineering metrics — including performance, reliability, observability, and agility.
• Reliable understanding of developer productivity tooling and practices that reduce cycle time and increase development velocity.
• Passion for continuous improvement, technical innovation, and enabling teams to build better software faster.

Responsibilities

• Lead architectural design and discussions for core systems and platforms that improve the agility, performance, reliability, and efficiency of Copilot development.
• Drive identification of dependencies and development of technical design documents across products, applications, and services to ensure coherence and scalability of Copilot platform solutions.
• Define and implement quality strategies — mentoring others in test planning, validation, and success criteria to ensure resilient and high-quality software and service delivery.
• Establish and apply engineering metrics to drive quality, stability, and maintainability, while promoting best practices and reusable design patterns.
• Lead the creation and improvement of internal tools and frameworks that enhance developer velocity, automation, and overall system effectiveness.
• Collaborate closely with engineers, TPMs, and partner teams across product, infrastructure, and research to deliver enterprise-grade solutions adopted at scale across E+D and Microsoft.
• Embody our culture and values.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Principal
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees