Principal Software Engineer
Job Description
Microsoft's Developer Division is seeking a Principal Software Engineer to join their Languages, Frameworks, and Tools group. This role sits at the intersection of AI and software development, focusing on revolutionizing developer tools and experiences. As part of the .NET Tools team, you'll help shape the future of development by integrating cutting-edge AI technologies like GitHub Copilot and Large Language Models into developer workflows.
The position involves working with essential tools that enable millions of developers worldwide to build, debug, deploy, and host applications across platforms. You'll be operating in the space where modern programming languages like C# meet the .NET platform, delivering rich developer experiences through Visual Studio and VS Code with seamless integration to GitHub and Azure.
This is a high-impact opportunity where you'll influence technical strategy, mentor engineers, and contribute to code at scale. The role requires deep expertise in software engineering, with a focus on AI-powered development tools and platforms. You'll work closely with the .NET community and partners across Visual Studio, VS Code, GitHub, and Azure to redefine what's possible in the developer experience.
The ideal candidate brings 6+ years of technical engineering experience, with demonstrated success in designing and building production-grade software. You should be an early adopter of AI-powered development tools and have experience applying AI technologies in software development workflows. Knowledge of C#, .NET ecosystem, and modern web frameworks is highly valued.
Microsoft offers comprehensive benefits including industry-leading healthcare, educational resources, savings and investments, parental leave, and generous time away. The position offers a competitive salary range of $139,900 - $274,800 USD (higher in SF Bay Area and NYC), along with additional benefits and compensation opportunities.
This role represents a unique opportunity to shape the future of software development at one of the world's leading technology companies, working at the cutting edge of AI and developer tools while making a global impact on millions of developers worldwide.
Responsibilities For Principal Software Engineer
- Partner with stakeholders to define user scenarios and system requirements
- Lead architecture, design, and technical direction for developer tooling systems
- Write high-quality, extensible, and maintainable code
- Drive optimization, refactoring, reuse, and diagnostics
- Lead design and review of testing strategies
- Mentor others on design patterns and best practices
- Apply AI techniques to enhance developer workflows
- Contribute to automation and deployment practices
- Lead cross-functional planning and execution
- Engage with customers and partner teams
Requirements For Principal Software Engineer
- Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science or related technical field AND 6+ years of technical engineering experience
- 4+ years of experience designing, building, and operating production-grade software and tools at scale
- 6+ months of experience applying AI technologies in software development workflows
- Must pass Microsoft Cloud Background Check
- Experience with C# and .NET ecosystem preferred
- Experience building tooling for Visual Studio/VS Code preferred
- Experience with modern web frameworks preferred
Benefits For Principal Software Engineer
- Industry leading healthcare
- Educational resources
- Discounts on products and services
- Savings and investments
- Maternity and paternity leave
- Generous time away
- Giving programs
- Opportunities to network and connect
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