Principal Data Engineer - CoreAI

CoreAI is Microsoft’s central organization building the foundational platforms and tools to power AI experiences across products including GitHub Copilot, Azure AI Foundry, and Copilot Studio. The team is expanding rapidly and is establishing a world-class data analytics platform to support data-driven decision-making and enhance growth strategies. 

We are looking for a Principal Data Engineer - CoreAI to join our team. Your work will be at the heart of transforming data into actionable intelligence and fueling AI-driven innovation. This highly strategic role places you as both a technical leader and a collaborator, where your architectural insight and hands-on expertise will enable product teams to turn complex datasets into breakthrough business value. 

As a Principal Data Engineer - CoreAI, you will play a pivotal role in advancing Microsoft’s AI growth engine by enhancing the quality, accessibility, and strategic value of data across CoreAI and the Foundry platform. Your contributions will empower data-driven decision-making at every level—from executive strategy to product development and customer insights—while fostering a culture of inclusion, creativity, and technical excellence that reflects Microsoft’s core values. You will also help accelerate the adoption of responsible AI by ensuring data is managed ethically, securely, and transparently.

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. 

In alignment with our Microsoft values, we are committed to cultivating an inclusive work environment for all employees to positively impact our culture every day.

Required Qualifications: 

• Master's Degree in Computer Science, Math, Software Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field AND 4+ years experience in business analytics, data science, software development, data modeling, or data engineering
  • OR Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, Math, Software Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field AND 6+ years experience in business analytics, data science, software development, data modeling, or data engineering
    • OR equivalent experience.
• 4+ years of experience designing, implementing, and optimizing data pipelines and distributed data systems (e.g., Azure Data Lake, Spark, Synapse, SQL/NoSQL databases). 
• 4+ years of experience with modern data engineering languages and frameworks (e.g., Python, Scala, SQL, dbt). 
• 4+ years of experience with data governance, privacy, lineage, and security best practices, especially within highly regulated or enterprise environments. 

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:

• 8+ years of experience designing, implementing, and optimizing data pipelines and distributed data systems (e.g., Azure Data Lake, Spark, Synapse, SQL/NoSQL databases). 
• 8+ years of experience with modern data engineering languages and frameworks (e.g., Python, Scala, SQL, dbt). 
• 8+ years of experience with data governance, privacy, lineage, and security best practices, especially within highly regulated or enterprise environments. 
• Demonstrated ability to architect solutions that support both real-time and batch analytics workloads. 
• Experience collaborating in cross-functional teams, influencing without authority, and building consensus among stakeholders with diverse backgrounds (engineering, analytics, product, business). 
• Excellent communication skills to convey complex technical concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences. 
• Track record of driving innovation in data engineering, including experience leading technical projects and mentoring others. 

Data 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

Microsoft posts positions for a minimum of 5 days, with applications accepted on an ongoing basis until the position is filled. 

#CoreAI

• Data Architecture & Engineering: Design, build, and optimize large-scale, robust data pipelines and architectures that support CoreAI’s analytics initiatives. Develop scalable ETL/ELT workflows, ensuring reliable ingestion, transformation, and storage of high-volume, high-velocity data from diverse sources. 
• Data Governance & Trust: Establish and evangelize best practices for data quality, lineage, security, and compliance. Collaborate with stakeholders to define trustworthy data sets and implement rigorous data validation protocols, ensuring CoreAI’s analytics are both accurate and auditable. 
• Analytics Enablement: Partner with data scientists, analysts, and business leaders to translate business needs into technical solutions. Enable self-service analytics and empower teams by building data models, semantic layers, and tools that streamline access to trusted information. 
• AI & Product Development Support: Architect data solutions that drive growth analytics and product feature innovation for the Foundry platform. Your engineered data assets will directly accelerate experimentation, model development, and user-facing AI experiences. 
• Technical Leadership & Mentorship: Guide and mentor fellow engineers, championing engineering excellence, code quality, and innovative thinking. Lead architectural reviews, technical deep dives, and foster a culture of shared learning. 
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work closely with product managers, software engineers, AI researchers, and business stakeholders to align data solutions with business goals. Translate ambitious vision into actionable roadmaps and measurable outcomes. 

Other 

• Embody our culture and values