AI-Native Systems, Storage & Data Platform Architecture
We are seeking a highly technical Principal Software Engineer to drive the next generation of AI-native architecture across critical storage, database, and distributed system components. This role will lead the modernization and transformation of foundational platform technologies that power large-scale cloud services and AI workloads.
The ideal candidate possesses deep expertise in systems programming, storage architecture, distributed databases, and high-performance service design. They combine strong critical thinking with an AI-native mindset, leveraging AI not only as a productivity tool, but as a catalyst to fundamentally rethink system architecture, engineering workflows, performance optimization, reliability, and operational excellence.
This role requires both hands-on technical depth and strategic influence, shaping technologies that operate at hyperscale while delivering industry-leading reliability, scalability, efficiency, and latency characteristics.
Microsoft’s mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. As employees we come together with 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.
Responsibilities
Lead the architecture, design, and evolution of large-scale distributed storage, database, and data platform systems.
Drive modernization of critical platform components to support next-generation AI and Copilot workloads.
Re-architect legacy services and infrastructure using AI-native design principles.
Define long-term technical strategy and architectural direction across multiple services and teams.
Identify and eliminate architectural bottlenecks impacting scalability, reliability, performance, and operational efficiency.
Design and implement highly efficient systems-level software in languages such as C++, Rust, C#, Go, or similar.
Drive end-to-end performance optimization across storage engines, networking, caching, concurrency control, and data access layers.
Solve complex challenges involving high concurrency, low latency, throughput optimization, and resource efficiency.
Lead root-cause analysis and resolution of difficult production issues involving distributed systems and storage infrastructure.
Establish engineering standards and best practices for performance-critical software development.
Design and optimize storage engines, database architectures, replication technologies, indexing systems, and data management frameworks.
Lead innovation in areas such as:
High availability and disaster recovery
Data durability and consistency
Replication and synchronization
Metadata management
Query optimization
Storage efficiency and cost optimization
Intelligent caching and tiering
Drive architectural improvements that enable large-scale AI and retrieval-driven workloads.
Champion AI-native engineering practices across architecture, development, testing, and operations.
Apply AI-assisted approaches to system design, performance analysis, reliability engineering, and operational automation.
Identify opportunities to redesign products and platforms around emerging AI capabilities instead of incrementally enhancing legacy models.
Build frameworks and workflows that integrate AI into engineering decision-making and operational management.
Influence the organization's AI transformation strategy through thought leadership and technical innovation.
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, or Python or equivalent experience.
- Extensive industry experience building large-scale cloud services, distributed systems, storage platforms, or database systems.
- Solid understanding of operating systems, memory management, threading, synchronization, networking, and I/O subsystems.
- Expert knowledge of distributed system design and architecture.
- Proven experience designing or operating large-scale storage and database platforms.
- Solid understanding of storage engines, database internals, replication mechanisms, transaction processing, consistency models, fault tolerance, high availability architectures, and data durability strategies.
- Experience with large-scale data platforms supporting mission-critical workloads.
- Demonstrated success building systems that operate at hyperscale.
- Experience designing and supporting high-concurrency architectures, low-latency services, and high-throughput systems, with expertise in service resiliency, performance tuning, capacity management, and production operations.
- Ability to diagnose and resolve problems across complex distributed environments.
- Solid interest and demonstrated experience applying AI to engineering workflows and product architectures.
- Ability to critically evaluate emerging AI technologies and identify transformational opportunities.
- Experience using AI-assisted development, design, diagnostics, automation, or operational workflows.
- Passion for reimagining platforms and engineering systems through AI-driven innovation.
- Exceptional analytical and problem-solving skills.
- Ability to navigate ambiguity and drive clarity in highly complex technical domains.
- Solid architecture review and design evaluation skills.
- Proven influence across organizations without direct authority.
- Excellent communication and collaboration skills with engineers, architects, product leaders, and executives.
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:
- 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 building storage or database systems supporting AI, search, retrieval, vector, or large-scale analytics workloads.
- Expertise in cloud-scale platforms such as Azure, AWS, or Google Cloud.
- Experience with modern database technologies (distributed SQL, NoSQL, vector databases, or analytical engines).
- Deep familiarity with observability, telemetry, reliability engineering, and automated operations.
- Contributions to open-source systems, storage technologies, databases, or distributed computing frameworks.
- Track record of leading major platform transformations with significant business impact.
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 field AND 6+ years technical engineering experience with coding (C, C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, Python)
- Extensive industry experience building large-scale cloud services, distributed systems, storage platforms, or database systems
- Solid understanding of operating systems, memory management, threading, synchronization, networking, and I/O subsystems
- Expert knowledge of distributed system design and architecture
- Proven experience designing or operating large-scale storage and database platforms
- Solid understanding of storage engines, database internals, replication mechanisms, transaction processing, consistency models, fault tolerance, high availability architectures, and data durability strategies
- Experience with large-scale data platforms supporting mission-critical workloads and hyperscale systems
- Experience designing and supporting high-concurrency, low-latency, high-throughput services; service resiliency, performance tuning, capacity management, and production operations
- Ability to diagnose and resolve problems across complex distributed environments
- Demonstrated experience applying AI to engineering workflows, product architectures, and using AI-assisted development or operational workflows
- Exceptional analytical and problem-solving skills; ability to navigate ambiguity and drive clarity in complex technical domains
- Solid architecture review and design evaluation skills and proven influence across organizations without direct authority
- Excellent communication and collaboration skills with engineers, architects, product leaders, and executives
- Ability to meet Microsoft Cloud background check and other customer/government security screening requirements
- Master's degree in Computer Science and/or 8+ years experience OR Bachelor's with 12+ years experience (or equivalent)
- Experience building storage or database systems for AI, search, retrieval, vector, or large-scale analytics workloads
- Expertise with cloud-scale platforms such as Azure, AWS, or Google Cloud
- Experience with modern database technologies (distributed SQL, NoSQL, vector databases, analytical engines)
- Deep familiarity with observability, telemetry, reliability engineering, and automated operations
- Contributions to open-source systems, storage technologies, databases, or distributed computing frameworks
- Track record of leading major platform transformations with significant business impact
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
