Core AI is at the forefront of Microsoft’s mission to redefine how software is built and experienced. We are responsible for building the foundational platforms, services, programming models, and developer experiences that power the next generation of applications using Generative AI. Our work enables developers and enterprises to harness the full potential of AI to create intelligent, adaptive, and transformative software.
The Observability group is focused on developing solutions to monitor, evaluate, and optimize AI agent performance. We are seeking a Principal Software Engineer to join the team and help build the core services that power Observability in Foundry.
Responsibilities
- Lead the design and implementation of AI services to support product offerings for large-scale agent observability
- Collaborate closely with product management and partner teams to align technical direction with business goals
- Take end-to-end responsibility for the development lifecycle and production readiness of the services you build and drive the team’s DevOps culture
- Engage with customers to gather feedback and resolve complex issues
- Understand Microsoft businesses and collaborate with stakeholders towards cohesive, end-to-end experiences for Microsoft customers
- Innovate on technical solutions, and patterns that will improve the availability, reliability, efficiency, observability, and performance of products
- Embody our culture and values
Qualifications
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, Python, or equivalent experience
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
- Bachelor'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#, Go, Java, Python, or equivalent experience
- 8+ years technical engineering experience designing and delivering highly available, large-scale cloud services and distributed systems
- 2+ years of technical engineering experience with machine learning or Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems
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.
Skills Required
- Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science or related technical field
- 6+ years technical engineering experience with coding in languages including C, C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, Python (or equivalent experience)
- Ability to meet Microsoft, customer and/or government security screening requirements, including passing Microsoft Cloud background check upon hire and every two years
- 8+ years technical engineering experience with coding in languages including C++, C#, Go, Java, Python (preferred)
- 8+ years experience designing and delivering highly available, large-scale cloud services and distributed systems (preferred)
- 2+ years experience with machine learning or Artificial Intelligence systems (preferred)
Microsoft Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Microsoft and has not been reviewed or approved by Microsoft.
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Fair & Transparent Compensation — Pay is presented as broadly competitive overall, with clear role/level/location variation and an emphasis on using posted ranges and band information for apples-to-apples comparisons.
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Retirement Support — Retirement benefits are described as a standout, highlighted by a strong 401(k) match structure and immediate vesting, plus additional plan features for tax-advantaged saving.
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Parental & Family Support — Family-oriented benefits are portrayed as a meaningful strength, with substantial paid parental leave and added supports like back-up care and adoption/surrogacy assistance.
Microsoft Insights
What We Do
At Microsoft, our mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. Our mission is grounded in both the world in which we live and the future we strive to create. Today, we live in a mobile-first, cloud-first world, and the transformation we are driving across our businesses is designed to enable Microsoft and our customers to thrive in this world.
