Principal Software Engineer - Azure Storage

The Azure Storage team is chartered with building, managing, and operating the persistent cloud storage for Microsoft Azure. We are one of the foundational services in Azure and host data from some of the largest companies in the world, as well as Microsoft’s own major online businesses.

We are looking for a Principal Software Engineer who is passionate about building next generation storage solutions including for new workloads like AI training and inferencing. If you love large-scale distributed systems and enjoy working on innovative projects where you can define the scope, direction, and architecture of solutions that deliver a massive impact on Azure Storage, this could be the role for you!

You’ll be joining a talented, highly collaborative team responsible for engineering the lowest, most fundamental layers of Azure Storage. You will provide technical leadership to build the next generation of Storage Servers with Data Processing Units using advanced Erasure Coding algorithms to ensure high availability, durability, and cost efficiency of data storage, while scaling effectively, eliminating system bottlenecks, optimizing performance, and enhancing resiliency. This role offers exposure to cutting-edge storage, memory, networking, and distributed systems technologies, with significant opportunities to influence both the business and the industry.

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 8+ years technical engineering experience with coding in languages including, but not limited to, C, C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, or Python 
  • OR equivalent experience. 

• 8+ years of experience in software engineering practices, coding, and solid foundation in data structures and algorithms

  • Includes problem-solving, debugging, and analytical skills.

• 8+ years of experience in Storage or File-Systems, Distributed Systems, and/or Applications at scale.

Other Qualifications: 

• 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: 

• Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science 
  • OR related technical field AND 15+ years technical engineering experience with coding in languages including, but not limited to, C, C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, OR Python 
  • OR Master'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. 
• 1+ year(s) of experience with storage systems in areas such as erasure coding, high performance, and durability schemes
  • Experience with building high-performance storage servers using Data Processing Units (DPUs).

Software Engineering IC6 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $163,000 - $296,400 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 $220,800 - $331,200 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 October 29th, 2025. 

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• Lead identification of areas of innovation to excel at support of AI workloads for our leading customers.
• Identify critical efficiency, data availability and durability improvements using advanced Erasure Coding algorithms.
• Determine necessary performance improvement plans and their priorities and document work needed, including any dependencies.
• Hands-on leadership of the engineering work needed to drive performance and efficiency improvements and to drive innovative new features.
• Develop and document new ideas and prototype them in partnership with others as needed. Work with appropriate stakeholders (Leadership Team, Product Management) to drive new ideas to success.
• Hold accountability as a Designated Responsible Individual (DRI), mentoring engineers across products/solutions, working on-call to monitor systems/products/services for degradation, downtime, or interruptions.
• Proactively seek new knowledge and adapt to new trends, technical solutions, and patterns that will improve the availability, reliability, efficiency, observability, and performance of products while also driving consistency in monitoring and operations at scale.