Principal Software Engineer

Microsoft•Redmond, WA

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

We are seeking a Principal Software Development Engineer to lead the design and development of the Search & AI Platform at Microsoft Bing. As the core platforms underpinning web-index serving, big data processing, AI inference, and LLM grounding, the system interacts with hundreds of millions of users worldwide every day. We are looking for a passionate and experienced platform engineer to work with us to build the new generative search engine for Bing, leveraging heterogenous hardware, hybrid retrieval, and agentic workflow. In this role, you will: Architect and implement scalable distributed systems foundational for Search & AI platform. Innovate the modern search retrieval system with cutting edge vector index engine Lead technical vision and execution for building generative search that acts autonomously within a large-scale infrastructure. Optimize data access patterns, compute workflows, and storage strategies to meet rigorous SLA requirements across offline and online workloads. Work closely with cross-functional teams (AI, infra, product) to translate research advances into production-grade systems. Mentor and grow a high-performing engineering team focused on long-term platform evolution. 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. Starting January 26, 2026, Microsoft AI (MAI) employees who live within a 50- mile commute of a designated Microsoft office in the U.S. or 25-mile commute of a non-U.S., country-specific location are expected to work from the office at least four days per week. This expectation is subject to local law and may vary by jurisdiction.

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.

Nice To Haves

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.
3+ years of technical leadership experience of designing, coding, debugging and delivering large projects.
Hands on experience in indexing technology and end to end search stack
Expertise in Approximate-nearest-neighbor search is a plus
Expertise in performance optimization and system architecture, particularly within large-scale processing environments is plus.
Proven track record in designing and deploying scalable, distributed systems.
Effective collaborator and communicator.

Responsibilities

Architect, design, and implement high-performance solutions to enhance Search & AI platform.
Technically lead the development and scaling of our distributed services, ensuring robustness, performance, and reliability.
Collaborate with various teams to transform user requirements into actionable designs and systems.
Provide technical leadership and mentorship to engineering teams, fostering a culture of excellence and innovation.
Engage in the full software development lifecycle from conception to deployment, ensuring solutions meet high standards of quality and performance.
Stay abreast of industry trends and apply best practices in software development and new technologies to drive improvements