We are seeking a Principal Software Development Engineer to lead the design and development of the Search & AI Platform at Microsoft Bing. As the core platforms underpinning web-index serving, big data processing, AI inference, and LLM grounding, the system interacts with hundreds of millions of users worldwide every day. We are looking for a passionate and experienced platform engineer to work with us to build the new generative search engine for Bing, leveraging heterogenous hardware, hybrid retrieval, and agentic workflow.
In this role, you will:
- Architect and implement scalable distributed systems foundational for Search & AI platform.
- Innovate the modern search retrieval system with cutting edge vector index engine
- Lead technical vision and execution for building generative search that acts autonomously within a large-scale infrastructure.
- Optimize data access patterns, compute workflows, and storage strategies to meet rigorous SLA requirements across offline and online workloads.
- Work closely with cross-functional teams (AI, infra, product) to translate research advances into production-grade systems.
- Mentor and grow a high-performing engineering team focused on long-term platform evolution.
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.
Starting January 26, 2026, Microsoft AI (MAI) employees who live within a 50- mile commute of a designated Microsoft office in the U.S. or 25-mile commute of a non-U.S., country-specific location are expected to work from the office at least four days per week. This expectation is subject to local law and may vary by jurisdiction.
Responsibilities
- Architect, design, and implement high-performance solutions to enhance Search & AI platform.
- Technically lead the development and scaling of our distributed services, ensuring robustness, performance, and reliability.
- Collaborate with various teams to transform user requirements into actionable designs and systems.
- Provide technical leadership and mentorship to engineering teams, fostering a culture of excellence and innovation.
- Engage in the full software development lifecycle from conception to deployment, ensuring solutions meet high standards of quality and performance.
- Stay abreast of industry trends and apply best practices in software development and new technologies to drive improvements
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.
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.
- 3+ years of technical leadership experience of designing, coding, debugging and delivering large projects.
- Hands on experience in indexing technology and end to end search stack
- Expertise in Approximate-nearest-neighbor search is a plus
- Expertise in performance optimization and system architecture, particularly within large-scale processing environments is plus.
- Proven track record in designing and deploying scalable, distributed systems.
- Effective collaborator and communicator.
#MicrosoftAI #Bing #SearchAIPlatform #SearchFundamental
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 a related technical field, or equivalent experience
- 6+ years of technical engineering experience with coding in C, C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, Python, or similar languages
- Master's degree in Computer Science or a related technical field and 8+ years of technical engineering experience, or bachelor's degree and 12+ years, or equivalent experience
- 3+ years of technical leadership experience designing, coding, debugging, and delivering large projects
- Hands-on experience with indexing technology and the end-to-end search stack
- Expertise in approximate-nearest-neighbor search
- Expertise in performance optimization and system architecture in large-scale processing environments
- Proven track record designing and deploying scalable distributed systems
- Effective collaboration and communication skills
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.
