Principal Software Engineer - Engineering Systems

At Microsoft, we are building the next generation of intelligent communication and collaboration experiences that power Microsoft Teams, Azure Communication Services, and other Microsoft 365 products used by hundreds of millions of people worldwide.

Behind these experiences is a complex engineering ecosystem where thousands of developers build, test, deploy, and operate services at massive scale.

The IC3 Engineering Systems & Services (ESS) team is at the heart of this ecosystem. Our mission is to make software engineering faster, simpler, and more reliable. We build platforms, infrastructure, and tools that improve developer productivity across the entire software development lifecycle, from building and testing code to production validation, diagnostics, and troubleshooting.

Our work spans large-scale cloud infrastructure, distributed systems, developer experience, and increasingly, AI-powered engineering. We are rethinking how software is developed, using automation, intelligent tooling, and AI agents to remove friction and enable engineers to focus on what matters most.

We are looking for a Principal Software Engineer who is passionate about solving complex engineering challenges and creating solutions that multiply the productivity of others.

In this role, you will drive technical direction, architect and deliver scalable engineering platforms, and influence engineering practices across teams and organizations. You will work with talented engineers and leaders to identify opportunities, challenge existing approaches, and turn ambitious ideas into practical solutions.

This is an opportunity to have an impact far beyond a single product or service, helping shape how engineering is done at Microsoft.

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

• Drive technical vision and architecture for large-scale engineering platforms and services, ensuring scalability, reliability, security, and long-term sustainability.

• Lead complex, cross-team engineering initiatives, navigating ambiguity, identifying opportunities, and translating technical challenges into clear strategies and actionable solutions.

• Build and evolve developer productivity solutions across the software development lifecycle, including build infrastructure, automated testing, continuous integration, production validation, and diagnostics.

• Pioneer AI-powered engineering capabilities, exploring and applying AI agents, intelligent automation, and emerging technologies to transform developer workflows and improve engineering efficiency.

• Deliver high-quality software and services, maintaining hands-on technical involvement while setting engineering standards for architecture, design, implementation, and operational excellence.

• Collaborate across organizational boundaries, partnering with engineering teams, architects, product managers, and platform organizations to align technical direction and drive adoption of shared solutions.

• Champion engineering excellence, continuously improving reliability, performance, security, observability, and operational efficiency through modern engineering practices and data-driven decisions.

• Multiply the impact of others, mentoring engineers, sharing technical expertise, driving architectural discussions, and fostering a culture of innovation, collaboration, and continuous learning.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science or related technical field AND solid 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 extensive 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 extensive technical engineering experience with coding in languages including, but not limited to, C, C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, or Python
  • OR equivalent experience.
• Proven experience architecting and delivering large-scale distributed systems, cloud services, or engineering platforms.
• Solid software design and coding skills in languages such as C#, C++, Java, Python, or equivalent modern programming languages.
• Experience with cloud technologies, preferably Microsoft Azure, including distributed architectures, microservices, containers, and cloud-native development.
• Experience with developer infrastructure, CI/CD systems, build and test automation, developer tooling, or software engineering productivity platforms.
• Familiarity with AI-assisted development, LLMs, agentic workflows, or intelligent automation, with an interest in applying emerging technologies to real engineering challenges.
• Demonstrated ability to lead technically complex initiatives, influence architectural decisions, and drive results across multiple teams without direct authority.
• Solid analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to navigate ambiguity, make architectural trade-offs, and balance short-term delivery with long-term technical investments.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with a passion for mentoring engineers, sharing knowledge, and driving engineering excellence.

Software Engineering IC5 - The typical base pay range for this role across Estonia is € 70,600.00 - € 129,200.00 per year. Certain roles may be eligible for benefits and other compensation.

Find additional benefits and pay information here:

https://careers.microsoft.com/v2/global/en/corporate-pay/estonia-corporate-pay.html

Software Engineering IC5 - The typical base pay range for this role across Czechia is Kč 1,983,000.00 - Kč 3,553,000.00 per year. Certain roles may be eligible for benefits and other compensation.

Find additional benefits and pay information here:

https://careers.microsoft.com/v2/global/en/corporate-pay/czech-republic-corporate-pay.html

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.