Principal Software Engineer

Microsoft • Redmond, WA

1d • Hybrid

About The Position

As Microsoft continues to redefine the future of AI, they are seeking passionate engineers to tackle complex and impactful challenges. The vision is to build intelligent systems that deeply understand users and adapt across agents, applications, services, and infrastructure. This role specifically focuses on building distributed data systems and APIs to power adaptive, context-aware experiences across Microsoft AI, aiming to make Copilot responsive to user preferences, workflows, and goals while preserving privacy, security, performance, and scale. The Principal Software Engineer will lead the design and development of distributed data infrastructure, APIs, and personalization pipelines for Copilot’s intelligence, working across Microsoft AI and Copilot teams. The ideal candidate will have a methodical approach to problem-solving, proficiency in backend technologies, familiarity with applied AI challenges, and the ability to architect robust solutions. They should be hands-on, enjoy building world-class consumer experiences in a fast-paced environment, and possess good judgment for risk vs. velocity and value decisions. Microsoft's mission is to empower every person and organization to achieve more, fostering a culture of inclusion, respect, integrity, and accountability.

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.
• 6+ years' experience building scalable services, including securing applications and infrastructure on top of cloud infrastructure like Azure, AWS, or GCP.

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.
• Experience with large scale data systems.
• Experience working with AI platforms, frameworks, and APIs.
• Experience using Machine Learning frameworks, including experience using, deploying, and scaling language learning models, either personally or professionally.
• Ability to identify, analyze, and resolve complex technical issues, ensuring optimal performance, scalability, and user experience.
• Demonstrated interpersonal skills and ability to work closely with cross-functional teams, including product managers, designers, and other engineers.
• Passion for learning new technologies and staying up to date with industry trends, best practices, and emerging technologies in web, data systems and AI.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment, manage multiple priorities, and adapt to changing requirements and deadlines.
• Proven ability to collaborate and contribute to a positive, inclusive work environment, fostering knowledge sharing and growth within the team.

Responsibilities

• Architect scalable, low-latency systems for ingesting, processing, and serving personalized signals.
• Design data models and APIs that enable Copilot to reason about user context, preferences, and history
• Build real-time and batch personalization engines that adapt Copilot’s behavior.
• Collaborate with privacy, security, and responsible AI teams to ensure personalization is safe, transparent, and user-controlled
• Optimize for performance, reliability, and cost across diverse workloads and geographies.
• Ship high-quality, well-tested, secure, and maintainable code.
• Find a path to get things done despite roadblocks to get your work into the hands of users quickly and iteratively.
• Enjoy working in a fast-paced, design-driven, product development cycle.
• Embody our Culture and Values.

What This Job Offers

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