Principal Software Engineer

Azure Compute, Microsoft's most profitable business unit, is seeking a Principal Software Engineer to join their Kronox team. This role sits at the heart of Microsoft's Cloud OS, building fault-tolerant distributed systems that power millions of virtual machines worldwide. The Kronox team specifically focuses on helping customers manage VMs at scale, optimizing resource allocation and costs through advanced scheduling systems.

As a Principal Software Engineer, you'll be working on massively scalable distributed systems that require careful balancing between high availability and cost optimization. The role involves designing and implementing solutions that leverage both distributed systems expertise and machine learning models for prediction. You'll be tackling complex technical challenges that directly impact Azure's core infrastructure, working with technologies that operate at unprecedented scale.

The position offers an opportunity to work on systems that support major services like Bing, Skype, and Azure Store, while also enabling millions of multiplayer gaming sessions and complex computational workloads. You'll be responsible for creating systems that provide the illusion of limitless, elastic resources while ensuring optimal performance and reliability.

This role requires a blend of technical expertise, leadership skills, and strategic thinking. You'll be expected to mentor other engineers, drive architectural decisions, and work closely with stakeholders across the organization. The position offers competitive compensation, comprehensive benefits, and the chance to work on technology that powers Microsoft's cloud infrastructure.

The ideal candidate will bring deep experience in distributed systems, a track record of delivering high-quality products, and the ability to navigate complex technical and organizational challenges. This is an excellent opportunity for someone who wants to make a significant impact on cloud computing technology while working with some of the industry's best engineers.