Principal Software Engineer (Microsoft Advertising)

Quick Facts

• Role: Principal Software Engineer (mission-critical real-time bidding platform)

Description

Own core architectural and technical evolution of Microsoft Ads’ high-throughput, low-latency real-time bidding (RTB) platform. Lead scalable, high-performance backend design and implementation under strict latency and reliability requirements, driving modernization, observability, experimentation capabilities, and operational excellence. Provide technical leadership and mentorship while partnering with engineering, data science, experimentation, product, and infrastructure teams.

Responsibilities

• Own technical direction and execution for core components of the latency-sensitive RTB service.
• Lead design and implementation of scalable, high-performance backend systems.
• Drive platform modernization to improve code quality, maintainability, and operational safety.
• Ensure performance, scalability, and stability as traffic and data volume grow.
• Define and evolve instrumentation, observability, and experimentation capabilities for safe production changes.
• Collaborate cross-functionally to align technical solutions with business goals.
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to influence architecture decisions and engineering best practices.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or related technical field AND 6+ years of technical engineering experience coding in C, C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, or Python (or equivalent experience).
• Experience working on high-throughput production systems where scalability, latency, and stability are critical.
• Experience with performance and system optimization/tuning.
• Demonstrated ability to design, evolve, and maintain complex systems over time.
• Experience collaborating with cross-functional teams to deliver solutions aligned with business needs.
• Solid problem-solving skills for performance/reliability issues in production environments.

Benefits

Competitive base pay range in the U.S. (location-dependent) and eligibility for benefits and other compensation.