Key skills
Distributed systemsHigh-performance backend engineeringModel inferenceC programmingPythonJavaC++C#JavaScriptMentoringCollaborationProblem-solvingCommunicationCAIGenAILLMOpenAIAzureSDLC
About this role
Microsoft is a company where passionate innovators come together to collaborate, envision new possibilities, and advance their careers. As a Principal Software Engineer, you will lead the development of global, enterprise-scale systems for LLM hosting and inference orchestration, ensuring AI systems are safe and reliable while mentoring teams in best coding practices.
Responsibilities:
- Own and lead the architecture for complex, high-availability AI services, ensuring scalability, resiliency, and low-latency performance
- Improve AI tools and practices across the SDLC, incorporating Responsible AI controls into the system backbone
- Lead the integration of new AI services with existing platforms such as Microsoft Foundry, Azure AI Content Safety, and Azure OpenAI Service
- Mentor teams in producing extensible, secure, and maintainable code. Identify best practices in GenAI coding patterns and drive high-quality validation strategies
- Identify and manage upstream/downstream dependencies, collaborating with partner teams to ensure seamless end-to-end testing and live site coverage
- Act as a lead for security-by-design, ensuring AI safety features are implemented and regulatory audit trails are maintained
Requirements:
- 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
- Ability to meet Microsoft, customer and/or government security screening requirements are required for this role
- Microsoft Cloud Background Check: This position will be required to pass the Microsoft Cloud background check upon hire/transfer and every two years thereafter
- 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
- 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
- Proven experience in building high-scale distributed systems and high-availability services
- Deep understanding of the AI lifecycle, specifically regarding model inference and system-level optimization