Principal Software Engineer

Are you interested in building intelligent, scalable systems that power next-generation AI experiences? The Microsoft Copilot Studio team within the Business Industry Copilot (BIC) organization is at the forefront of enabling makers and developers to build, publish, and manage copilots that extend across Microsoft 365 and beyond.

We are looking for a Principal Software Engineer to join our team and lead the design and development of core capabilities in the Data Plane as part of hosting and running millions of agents. In this role, you will ensure these agents operate with speed and reliability, delivering performance and dependable experiences at scale.

As a Principal Software Engineer, you will play a role in shaping the architecture and execution of important services that enable agents to run on a large scale. You’ll work closely with product, design, and partner teams across Microsoft to deliver high-impact features that empower users and scale across millions of tenants.

We are looking for a Principal Software Engineer to join our team! 

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.

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.
• 5+ years of experience as a developer working with cloud-based platforms or AI-driven systems.

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:

• Experience creating AI-centric software and services, and familiarity with AI-based orchestration and agent capabilities.
• Experience building scalable applications and services on Azure or other scalable cloud platforms with robust reliability, resliency, security, and performance.
• Understanding of identity, access control, and secure service design.
• Communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to influence across teams and disciplines.

Software 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 will accept applications for the role until September 1, 2025.

#BICJOBS

• Lead architecture, design, and implementation of scalable, reliable, and secure services in the Copilot Studio Runtime.
• Develop and implement technical strategy to maximize SLA for users interacting with agents
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to define and deliver end-to-end scenarios that span Azure, M365, and Power Platform ecosystems.
• Mentor and guide engineers across the team, fostering a culture of technical inclusion and continuous learning.
• Partner with PMs and leadership to align engineering investments with product vision and customer needs.
• Practice engineering best practices, including CI/CD, observability, and operational excellence.
• Partner with Data Science and AI experts to transform what it means to build AI-first SaaS.