Principal Software Engineer - CoreAI at Microsoft

Redmond, Washington, United States -

Full Time

Start Date

Immediate

Expiry Date

18 Feb, 26

Salary

0.0

Posted On

20 Nov, 25

Experience

10 year(s) or above

Remote Job

Yes

Telecommute

Yes

Sponsor Visa

Skills

Software Engineering, AI Development, System Design, Architecture, Cloud Platforms, Distributed Systems, Generative AI, Incident Response, Automation, Coding, Collaboration, Debugging, Optimization, Product Strategy, Cross-Team Alignment, Developer Tools

Industry

Software Development

Description

We're looking for a Principal Software Engineer - CoreAI who is passionate about building new products in a fast-paced AI-driven world while managing a globally distributed service. The ideal candidate delivers high-quality solutions independently and thrives in a collaborative, diverse team. Versatility, quick learning, and adaptability are essential. In this role, you'll design and deliver the next generation of services, features, and developer tools that shape how AI applications are built and operated. You'll work across open-source and platform components in multiple programming languages. Lead System Design & Architecture: Drive architecture discussions, author design documents, and ensure systems meet security, compliance, and scalability requirements while balancing long-term sustainability with short-term delivery. Deliver High-Quality Code: Write extensible, maintainable, and performant code; debug and optimize complex systems; and uphold engineering standards through rigorous code reviews. Drive Implementation & Deployment: Lead project planning and experimentation, validate the impact of changes, and ensure safe, reliable deployments across distributed environments. Ensure Reliability & Operational Excellence: Maintain live site health, develop incident response playbooks, lead root cause analyses (RCAs), and implement systemic improvements to reduce incident volume and improve SLAs. Advance Engineering Tools & Practices: Identify and build developer tools, apply automation in production workflows, and stay current with emerging technologies and industry trends. Shape Product Strategy: Influence the product roadmap by aligning technical direction with business goals, leveraging customer feedback, data insights, and competitive analysis. Foster Cross-Team Alignment: Collaborate with partner teams to deliver cohesive end-to-end experiences and ensure shared ownership of technical direction. Build Core Capabilities: Design and develop foundational platform components and reusable building blocks that accelerate innovation and team velocity. Other: Embody our culture and values 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 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. 6+ years of experience designing, building, and operating production-grade software and services at scale, with a proven track record of delivering high-impact solutions. 1+ year of experience developing in AI-enhanced environments using tools like GitHub Copilot or similar. Experience in designing and building distributed systems and cloud-based services. Deep understanding of cloud platforms such as Azure, AWS, or GCP. Hands-on experience with generative AI API platforms such as Azure AI Foundry, OpenAI, Claude, or similar. Familiarity with agentic protocols such as MCP or A2A is a plus.

Responsibilities

The Principal Software Engineer will design and deliver next-generation services and developer tools for AI applications while ensuring system reliability and operational excellence. This role involves leading architecture discussions, writing high-quality code, and collaborating with cross-functional teams to align technical direction with business goals.