The Windows + Devices Fundamentals team is responsible for the reliability, compatibility, performance, battery life, and sustainability of Windows devices. Our work spans hardware and OEM partners, the operating system, and application layers – helping protect, manage, and enhance the fundamentals of the Windows ecosystem.
We are seeking a self-driven Software Engineer II to develop the next generation of Windows device optimizations. As advances in AI, silicon, and software create new opportunities, you will deliver solutions that help make exceptional device fundamentals a defining feature of Windows PCs.
This role is ideal for an engineer who enjoys investigating complex systems, growing their technical expertise, and independently delivering innovations that improve how people live, work, and play
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
- Analyze telemetry and trace data to characterize software and hardware behavior, identify patterns, and assess impact on individual devices and at scale.
- Diagnose system issues using low-level debugging and performance-analysis tools, collaborating with experienced engineers on the most complex investigations.
- Identify optimization opportunities and own the design and implementation of well-scoped improvements.
- Deliver robust, high-quality solutions while considering performance, reliability, maintainability, and consistency with the broader architecture.
- Use data to evaluate tradeoffs, prioritize work, and make sound decisions in partially defined problem spaces.
- Collaborate with internal teams, OEMs, and hardware partners to deliver improvements, resolve dependencies, and share technical findings across the Windows ecosystem.
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++, C#, Java, JavaScript, or Python.
- OR equivalent experience.
- 1+ years of experience in systems analysis, debugging, performance engineering, or related systems-development work.
- Experience diagnosing software or system issues and contributing to performance or reliability improvements.
- Experience developing, testing, and delivering reliable production software.
- Solid programming, debugging, and problem-solving skills.
- Ability to work independently on well-scoped problems, navigate ambiguity, and use data to guide technical decisions.
- Experience or substantial project work involving operating systems, system-level development, or performance engineering.
- Knowledge of Windows internals, performance analysis, reliability engineering, or power optimization.
- Experience investigating issues across hardware, firmware, operating-system, or application boundaries.
- Experience with telemetry, statistical analysis, experimentation, or cloud data platforms such as Azure.
- Experience contributing to technical designs, conducting code reviews, and collaborating effectively across teams.
#W+DJOBS #WDJOBS #WSSIJOBS
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, plus 4+ years of technical engineering experience involving coding; equivalent experience may substitute.
- 1+ years of experience in systems analysis, debugging, performance engineering, or related systems-development work.
- Experience diagnosing software or system issues and contributing to performance or reliability improvements.
- Experience developing, testing, and delivering reliable production software.
- Solid programming, debugging, and problem-solving skills.
- Ability to work independently on well-scoped problems, navigate ambiguity, and use data to guide technical decisions.
- Experience or substantial project work involving operating systems, system-level development, or performance engineering.
- Knowledge of Windows internals, performance analysis, reliability engineering, or power optimization.
- Experience investigating issues across hardware, firmware, operating-system, or application boundaries.
- Experience with telemetry, statistical analysis, experimentation, or cloud data platforms such as Azure.
- Experience contributing to technical designs, conducting code reviews, and collaborating across teams.
- Ability to pass the Microsoft Cloud Background Check and applicable Microsoft, customer, or government security screening requirements.
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
Similar Jobs
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.









