Principal Software Engineer
- Pay
- $142,800 – $274,800 per year
- Location
- United States
- Job type
- Full-time
- Level
- Executive
- Experience
- 6+ years
- Education
- Bachelor's degree
- Listed
- 28 days ago
Skills & highlights for this role
- C
- C++
- C#
- Java
- Python
- large-scale distributed systems
Also useful
- automation tooling
- on-call incident response
- root cause analysis
Overview
Designs, develops, tests, and operates software services and platforms that deliver customer and business value at scale. Works independently on complex engineering problems while collaborating across teams to build reliable, secure, and high-performing solutions.
As a Principal Software Engineer in the Azure networking team, you will be involved in designing, building, testing and deploying the automation tools and agents needed for control and data plane software in a variety of new platforms targeted at Azure compute and networking use-cases.
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
- Design and implement scalable, maintainable, and secure software systems.
- Acts as a Designated Responsible Individual (DRI) and guides other engineers by developing and following the playbook, working on call to monitor system/product/service for degradation, downtime, or interruptions,
- Troubleshoot and resolve complex production issues and drive root cause analysis.
- Collaborate with product managers, architects, and partner teams to define technical requirements and solutions.
- Drive improvements in system reliability, performance, availability, and cost efficiency.
Participate in design reviews, code reviews, and architecture discussions.
- Mentor engineers and contribute to team engineering excellence.
- Champion security, privacy, compliance, and operational excellence requirements.
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 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.
#azurecorejobs
Pay and benefits
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:
This position will be open for a minimum of 5 days, with applications accepted on an ongoing basis until the position is filled.
Equal opportunity and legal notices
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.
From Microsoft's careers page, first listed on Rolev.ai on October 11, 2026. Rolev.ai is not the employer.
How Rolev.ai helps with this application
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Common questions
What is the salary for the Principal Software Engineer role at Microsoft?
The Principal Software Engineer posting at Microsoft states compensation of $142,800 – $274,800 per year. It is listed as a full-time position. Final pay may depend on location, experience, and interview evaluation on Microsoft's official career site.
Where is the Principal Software Engineer job at Microsoft located?
This Principal Software Engineer position at Microsoft is located in United States. Always check Microsoft's application page for specific state eligibility or relocation policies.
What qualifications are required for Principal Software Engineer at Microsoft?
For the Principal Software Engineer role, Microsoft highlights 6+ years of relevant experience; a bachelor's degree; experience with C, C++, C#, Java, Python, large-scale distributed systems. Rolev.ai can score your existing resume against these requirements and show any skill gaps before you apply.
How do I apply for the Principal Software Engineer position at Microsoft?
This listing links directly to Microsoft's application page. You can apply directly on Microsoft's site, or use Rolev.ai to check your resume fit, generate a zero-hallucination tailored resume and cover letter for this posting, and autofill the application form in 1 click with the Rolev.ai Chrome extension. You always review the form and press Submit yourself.