The Azure Software Load Balancer (SLB) Host Agent team is responsible for building and operating the host networking platform that powers Azure's global cloud infrastructure. The team owns critical components that enable connectivity, load balancing, network isolation, and traffic management across millions of virtual machines and services worldwide.
We are looking for a highly motivated Senior Software Engineer to design, build, and operate large-scale distributed systems that sit at the intersection of networking, operating systems, cloud infrastructure, and platform engineering. This role offers a unique opportunity to work on next-generation host networking technologies, dual-NIC architectures, SmartNIC integration, appliances, and network virtualization platforms that directly impact Azure reliability, scalability, and performance.
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
- Design and develop highly scalable distributed systems that support Azure networking and host infrastructure.
- Build and enhance host agent services responsible for network configuration, connectivity management, and traffic orchestration.
- Drive architecture and implementation of next-generation networking capabilities
- Develop software that enables reliable operation across hundreds of thousands of hosts and millions of customer workloads.
- Improve system reliability, observability, fault isolation, deployment safety, and operational excellence.
- Lead root cause analysis and resolution of complex production incidents impacting large-scale cloud services.
- Influence technical direction through architectural reviews, design documents, and engineering best practices.
- Mentor engineers and contribute to building a high-performing engineering culture.
Qualifications
Required Qualifications:
- Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science or related technical field AND 4+ years technical engineering experience with coding in languages including, but not limited to, C++, C#, Go, Rust, Java, or similar systems-level languages
- OR equivalent experience.
- 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.
- Master'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.
- 1+ year(s) experience with cloud infrastructure platforms such as Azure, AWS, or Google Cloud.
- 1+ year(s) experience working on networking systems, SDN, host networking, hypervisor networking, or virtualization platforms.
- 1+ year(s) experience building highly available services at hyperscale.
- 1+ year(s) experience leading complex technical projects spanning multiple engineering teams.
- 1+ year(s) experience designing and operating distributed systems in production environments.
- Understanding of networking fundamentals including: TCP/IP, Routing and switching, DHCP/DNS, ARP/NDP, NAT/SNAT, Load balancing
- Debugging complex production issues across software and infrastructure layers.
#azurecorejobs
Software Engineering IC4 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $119,800 - $234,700 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 $160,200 - $261,000 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 AND 4+ years technical engineering experience with coding in languages including C++, C#, Go, Rust, Java, or similar systems-level languages (or equivalent experience)
- Ability to meet Microsoft, customer and/or government security screening requirements including passing the Microsoft Cloud Background Check
- Master's Degree in Computer Science or related technical field AND 6+ years technical engineering experience (or equivalent experience)
- 1+ year experience with cloud infrastructure platforms such as Azure, AWS, or Google Cloud
- 1+ year experience working on networking systems, SDN, host networking, hypervisor networking, or virtualization platforms
- 1+ year experience building highly available services at hyperscale
- 1+ year experience leading complex technical projects spanning multiple engineering teams
- 1+ year experience designing and operating distributed systems in production environments
- Understanding of networking fundamentals including TCP/IP, routing and switching, DHCP/DNS, ARP/NDP, NAT/SNAT, and load balancing
- Ability to debug complex production issues across software and infrastructure layers
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.
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