Principal Software Engineer

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.

Other Requirements: 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. 

Preferred qualification:

• 9+ years of experience designing, building, and shipping large-scale software products, client platforms, or cloud-connected services with strong customer impact.
• 8+ years of object-oriented development experience with deep proficiency in one or more languages such as C++, C#, or Java, including experience building performant and reliable production systems.
• Proven expertise designing and developing high-performance client applications or distributed systems that operate reliably at scale and integrate with cloud services.
• Strong software architecture and systems design skills, with the ability to break down complex problems, evaluate trade-offs, and drive technically sound solutions across multiple components and teams.
• Experience building or contributing to remote computing, desktop virtualization, or VDI platforms, including areas such as remote display protocols, connectivity resilience, client performance optimization, or session reliability.
• Demonstrated ability to lead technical direction across multiple engineers or teams, influencing architecture, engineering standards, and long-term technical investments.
• Passion for mentoring and growing engineers, raising the technical bar through design reviews, code reviews, and knowledge sharing.
• Ability to create clarity in ambiguous technical spaces, defining direction and driving progress when requirements or solutions are not fully defined.
• Self-motivated and results-oriented, with the ability to quickly ramp up on complex systems, navigate large codebases, and drive impactful solutions across multiple product areas.
• Expertise in Windows platform development, including technologies such as COM, WinRT, Windows Services (NT Services), and core Windows OS APIs, with experience integrating applications closely with operating system capabilities.
• Experience building hybrid desktop applications that combine native and web technologies (e.g., WinUI, WebView2, or similar frameworks) to deliver rich, responsive user interfaces.
• Familiarity with telemetry-driven development, experimentation frameworks, and data-informed engineering practices to continuously improve product quality and user experience.
• Experience working with large-scale enterprise products that serve millions of users, with emphasis on reliability, security, and performance.

#W+DJOBS

#Windows365

#WindowsAppEngineeringJobs

#WCX

Software Engineering IC5 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $139,900 - $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.