M

Microsoft

Builds workplace software, PCs and cloud services

Principal Software Engineer

Full-TimeUpdated on 10/23/2026
$142.8k - $304.2k/yr
Expert
Bachelor's, Master's
Washington, DC, USA+4 moreMore locations: Annapolis Junction, MD, USA | Redmond, WA, USA | Reston, VA, USA | Atlanta, GA, USA
In Person
Software Engineering
No H1B Sponsorship
US Citizenship, US Top Secret Clearance Required

About the job

Requirements
  • A bachelor's degree in Computer Science or a related technical field, plus at least 6 years of technical engineering experience coding in languages including C, C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, or Python, or equivalent experience.
  • Must have an active TS/SCI clearance and be willing and eligible to upgrade to TS/SCI with polygraph; must maintain the required clearance.
  • Must meet Microsoft, customer, and/or government security screening requirements before offer and after hire.
  • Must provide clearance verification information before an offer of employment.
  • Must pass the Microsoft Cloud background check upon hire or transfer and every two years thereafter.
  • U.S. citizenship is required and will be verified due to citizenship-based legal restrictions.
Responsibilities
  • Partner with appropriate stakeholders to determine user requirements for a set of scenarios.
  • Lead identification of dependencies and development of design documents for a product, application, service, or platform.
  • Lead by example and mentor others to produce extensible and maintainable code used across products.
  • Use cross-product feature expertise with appropriate stakeholders, such as project managers, to drive multiple groups' project plans, release plans, and work items.
  • Serve as a Designated Responsible Individual, mentor engineers across products and solutions, and work on-call to monitor systems, products, or services for degradation, downtime, or interruptions.
  • Seek new knowledge and adapt to trends, technical solutions, and patterns that improve product availability, reliability, efficiency, observability, and performance; drive consistency in monitoring and operations at scale and share knowledge with other engineers.
Desired Qualifications
  • A master's degree in Computer Science or a related technical field and at least 8 years of technical engineering experience coding in C, C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, or Python, or equivalent experience.
  • A bachelor's degree in Computer Science or a related technical field and at least 12 years of technical engineering experience coding in C, C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, or Python, or equivalent experience.

About the company

Microsoft builds workplace software, operating systems and cloud infrastructure for consumers, businesses and government agencies, from small organizations to global enterprises. Microsoft 365 combines Word and Excel with Teams communication and Copilot AI features, while Windows runs PCs and Surface supplies the company's own computers. Azure rents computing capacity, storage and databases to build and run web applications. Microsoft also sells Xbox consoles and games, collecting revenue through software licenses, subscriptions, usage charges and product sales. Founded in 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen, Microsoft is headquartered in Redmond, Washington.

Company Size

10,001+

Company Stage

IPO

Headquarters

Redmond, Washington

Founded

1975

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Simplify Jobs

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • US corporate staff receive education support: eligible, approved graduate coursework qualifies for up to $10,000 annually.
  • Cloud demand expands: July 2026 results showed Azure and other cloud services revenue grew 43% year-over-year in fiscal Q4.
  • Investment has an earnings cushion: July 2026 results reported $155.2 billion consolidated operating profit for fiscal 2026.

What critics are saying

  • Performance reviews include security: every Microsoft employee must discuss their security contribution with their manager.
  • Office flexibility depends on the role: Microsoft's postings specify requirements ranging from fully remote to fully on-site.
  • Cloud capacity faces local limits: Microsoft describes power-grid delays and water constraints affecting US datacenter expansion.

What makes Microsoft unique

  • Hybrid customers stay within reach: Azure Arc manages servers across customer datacenters and competing clouds.
  • Developer reach extends beyond Azure: Microsoft's GitHub hosts code collaboration alongside AI coding tools.
  • Professional data widens its business: Microsoft owns LinkedIn's recruiting, advertising and workplace-learning network.

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Benefits

  • Health Insurance
  • Dental Insurance
  • Vision Insurance
  • 401(k) Company Match
  • Professional Development Budget
  • Conference Attendance Budget
  • Flexible Work Hours
  • Remote Work Options

Growth & Insights and Company News

6 month growth

1%

1 year growth

0%

2 year growth

0%
CNBC
Oct 26th, 2026
Microsoft offers buyouts to around 60,000 employees across four countries

Around 60,000 Microsoft employees across four countries are eligible for a new buyout program, a person familiar with the matter said. The company announced the programme on Monday. Victoria Greene, chief investment officer at G Squared Private Wealth, joined "The Exchange" to discuss Microsoft stock in light of the news.

Fortune
Oct 26th, 2026
Xbox's new pay-as-you-go cloud gaming, from $4 for 10 hours, angers gamers over rising costs

Xbox has launched Cloud Playtime, a pay-as-you-go option that lets Game Pass subscribers buy extra cloud gaming hours once they hit their cap. Ten extra monthly hours cost $4, 25 hours cost $8, and 50 hours cost $12. Game Pass subscribers already pay between $10 and $23 a month for five to 15 hours of cloud gaming. Xbox introduced the cap in September; the service had been unlimited when it launched in 2020 as a cheaper alternative to buying games. Some gamers have criticised the change. YouTuber Yong Yea said the extra fees undermine cloud gaming's affordability argument. The move comes as Xbox cut 20% of its workforce, about 3,200 roles, amid slumping revenue from falling hardware sales and Game Pass subscription losses.

Yahoo Finance
Oct 26th, 2026
Meta falls 7% as $34.9B capex tops cash flow; investors punish AI spending cuts and hikes

Meta shares fell 7% on October 22 even though third-quarter sales rose 26% and beat estimates. Capital expenditure of $34.9 billion topped operating cash flow as AI spending outran the company's cash generation. MetLife's Drew Matus says investors punish both capex cuts and hikes. "I don't actually really know what people want from these people," he said. Microsoft and Alphabet report Wednesday, followed by Amazon and Intel on Thursday. The four make up about 15% of the Nasdaq 100, which has fallen roughly 7% this month. The Federal Reserve decides on rates Wednesday afternoon, hours before Microsoft and Alphabet report. Matus expects it to skip a move and revisit policy in December.

Yahoo Finance
Oct 25th, 2026
Amazon and Microsoft's $395B AI spending is already paying off through cloud growth

AI spending could pass $1.3 trillion in 2027, according to S&P Global, and investors doubt much of it will pay off. Amazon and Microsoft are already seeing returns on their cloud and AI investments. Amazon raised its capital expenditures to $220 billion this year, mostly for AI. Its cloud arm, Amazon Web Services (AWS), holds 28% of the market, per Synergy Research Group, and has an annualized revenue run rate of $169 billion. AWS posted $16.6 billion in operating income, a margin above 39%. Microsoft is spending $175 billion. Its Azure cloud service holds 21% of the market, with an annualized run rate of $100 billion, up 41% year on year. Management says demand exceeds available capacity. The author favours Microsoft, citing more than 30 million paid Copilot seats, up 50% in several months.

Yahoo Finance
Oct 23rd, 2026
Meta, Barclays, Block cut thousands of jobs as firms shift spending to AI

Companies are cutting jobs and shifting money from staff to artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure, as the cost of meeting booming AI demand reshapes budgets. Meta will lay off about 8,000 workers, or 10% of its workforce, and leave about 6,000 jobs unfilled. It expects 2026 expenses to reach as much as $169 billion, driven by infrastructure and AI talent. Block is cutting more than 4,000 of its 10,000-plus employees; its shares are up 19% this year. Kroger will lay off 3,000 corporate staff over three years, and Barclays plans to cut 5,000 jobs, about 5% of its workforce. Snap is eliminating about 16% of staff, or 1,000 jobs. Coinbase is cutting about 14%, and Microsoft is offering buyouts to about 8,750 US employees.