Principal Software Engineer

Overview: We are inviting you to join the Copilot Team, where we are redefining the future of AI-powered experiences. The Copilot Team is at the forefront of innovation, building intelligent solutions that empower users across devices with seamless connections to Windows, M365, and Azure. From AI-driven mobile applications to advanced cross-device capabilities, we are delivering transformative experiences. Microsoft’s mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. As employees, we embrace 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. #CopilotTeam

Qualifications: Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or related technical field AND 10+ years of technical engineering experience, including hands-on coding in languages such as C#, C++, Python, Go, Rust, or Java OR equivalent practical experience in building distributed systems and core platforms. 8+ years of experience designing and building scalable services on public cloud platforms such as Azure, AWS, or GCP. Deep experience with distributed systems, large-scale infrastructure, and end-to-end systems architecture, including networking, containers, and data pipelines. Demonstrated technical influence across teams, with a proven ability to define strategy, make critical design tradeoffs, and drive alignment in complex, multi-stakeholder environments. Shape Preferred Qualifications Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science or related field AND 12+ years technical engineering experience, including leading architecture or large-scale systems initiatives. Hands-on experience with AI platform components, such as LLM orchestration, model hosting, vector storage, or retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) pipelines. Experience using and deploying machine learning models or integrating AI frameworks into large-scale systems. Strong understanding of performance tuning, security, and reliability at scale. Ability to analyze and resolve complex system issues across infrastructure and application layers. Demonstrated ability to lead technical reviews, influence product direction, and make key decisions based on data and long-term impact. Excellent communication skills, capable of explaining complex systems and architectural decisions to both technical and non-technical stakeholders. Passion for building high-quality platforms and mentoring others to raise the technical bar.

Responsibilities: Architect, build, and optimize secure and performant AI platform services that power Microsoft Copilot and other next-generation AI scenarios. Provide technical leadership across teams to define long-term architectural direction and drive engineering excellence. Collaborate with infrastructure, platform, product, and research teams to design and deliver scalable, production-grade AI services. Write high-quality, well-tested, secure, and maintainable code and promote high standards across the team. Tackle technically ambiguous or cross-boundary problems, remove roadblocks, and drive delivery across multiple teams or organizations. Lead technical design discussions, mentor senior engineers, and foster a strong engineering culture within the team. Embody Microsoft’s Culture and Values, and help shape the direction of the engineering team and broader organization.

Benefits: Industry leading healthcare