Principal Software Engineer, Minecraft Creator - Minecraft
Confirmed on the employer's own hiring board on Oct 7, 2026. First seen by Alion on Sep 17, 2026. Microsoft scores B on the Alion truth index.
At Mojang Studios, the creators of Minecraft, we are on a mission to build a better world through the power of play.
Why play? Well, play is at the heart of everything we do. It’s the blocky backbone of our games, the core of our development philosophy, and even the origin of our name. From the relentless experimentation of our endlessly inspiring community to the classrooms where Minecraft has become an essential teaching tool, play is the bedrock of our existence.
We enable millions to create and play together, connect people across the globe, and foster a community that is among the most active and passionate in the world. Our community is global and incredibly diverse. When we are developing anything within our franchise, we keep this in mind. We want everyone to not only feel included in Minecraft, but also to see themselves in what we make. Our goal is for the Mojang Studios team to be as diverse as our community.
We are looking for a Principal Software Engineer to serve as the technical lead for the Minecraft mobile app experience. You will partner with product, design, and engineering leaders to define the technical strategy, architecture, and roadmap for products that bring Minecraft to customers in new ways. Using your expertise in iOS development and experience shipping consumer mobile applications, you will lead technical decisions and contribute directly to the design and implementation of the product.
You will guide engineers through early exploration, development, launch, and live operation while partnering with cloud service teams to deliver a coherent end-to-end experience. You will create clarity in an evolving space and establish the technical foundations needed to deliver a secure, reliable, accessible, and high-quality experience at Minecraft scale.
Responsibilities
- Define and communicate the technical vision, architecture, and engineering roadmap for Minecraft mobile apps
- Lead the design and implementation of foundational application systems, development patterns, and customer-facing features while remaining a hands-on contributor to the codebase.
- Partner with product, design, and cloud service teams to turn customer needs into coherent end-to-end experiences and durable client-service contracts.
- Raise the engineering bar through technical mentorship, design and code reviews, thoughtful experimentation, and clear standards for quality, security, privacy, accessibility, performance, and maintainability.
- Guide the app from early exploration through launch and live operation, using telemetry, customer signals, and operational learning to improve the product and its technical foundations.
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.
- 4+ years people management experience.
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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.