Principal Software Engineer

Required Qualifications: 

• 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 of experience delivering AI/ML-based systems at production scale, ideally including LLMs, transformers, RAG pipelines, or similar architectures.
• Demonstrated experience leading engineering teams or cross-functional initiatives involving AI systems in cloud environments. 

Other Requirements: 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. 
  
  

Preferred Qualifications: 

• 8+ years of hands-on software engineering experience with deep expertise in languages such as C#, Python, Java, or equivalent.
• Proven track record of designing and deploying AI-first applications at scale, with deep understanding of performance, privacy, compliance, and operational constraints in enterprise SaaS.
• Expertise in MLOps/LLMOps, including model versioning, retraining pipelines, A/B testing, monitoring, and rollout strategies.
• Deep knowledge of cloud platforms (preferably Azure) and experience deploying containerized AI services using Kubernetes, Docker, or similar.
• Hands-on experience integrating models from Azure AI, OpenAI, HuggingFace, or custom-trained models into scalable application pipelines.
• Strong architectural and systems thinking—capable of making trade-offs between performance, cost, simplicity, and maintainability.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills with the ability to influence across roles and levels.
• Experience working in highly regulated or secure environments, including Zero Trust, privacy, and compliance practices.
• Prior experience working with or building solutions for customer service, CRM, or enterprise productivity scenarios is a strong plus.
   

#BICJobs

Software Engineering IC5 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $142,800 - $274,800 per year. There is a different range applicable to specific work locations, within the San Francisco Bay area and New York City metropolitan area, and the base pay range for this role in those locations is USD $188,000 - $304,200 per year.

Certain roles may be eligible for benefits and other compensation. Find additional benefits and pay information here:
https://careers.microsoft.com/us/en/us-corporate-pay

This position will be open for a minimum of 5 days, with applications accepted on an ongoing basis until the position is filled.

Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, citizenship, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, immigration status, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran or military status, race, ethnicity, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable local laws, regulations and ordinances. If you need assistance with religious accommodations and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application process, read more about requesting accommodations.