Software Engineer II

Microsoft's Secure Platform Foundation team is seeking a talented Software Engineer II to drive innovations in system initialization technologies that execute on more than a billion Windows-based systems. This role focuses on foundational technologies governing security throughout firmware and pre-kernel execution logic, ensuring devices start with a robust, tamper-resistant foundation.

The position sits at the critical intersection of hardware initialization and system software, working on code that operates from the first instruction at power-on through handoff to the operating system. The scope extends beyond traditional hardware to include enabling scalable cloud infrastructure, such as secure virtual machine provisioning in Azure, and pioneering techniques for rapid system updates.

As part of Core OS, you'll be working on Operating Systems that power Azure, Microsoft's Linux OS, Windows Client, Xbox, and Windows Server ecosystem - supporting cloud businesses and billions of customers worldwide. The role offers unique opportunities to influence system security, reliability, and performance across diverse platforms.

The ideal candidate should be enthusiastic, learn quickly, have strong design skills, broad interests, and willingness to dive into new technologies. You'll work with C/C++, Assembly (x86/ARM), and Rust, requiring expertise in multithreaded programming, operating systems, device drivers, and firmware.

Microsoft offers comprehensive benefits including industry-leading healthcare, educational resources, savings and investments, parental leave, and generous time away. The position is hybrid, allowing up to 50% work from home, based in Redmond, WA.

This is an exceptional opportunity to work on foundational technology that impacts billions of devices while being part of Microsoft's mission to empower every person and organization on the planet to achieve more. The role combines deep technical challenges with the scale and impact of Microsoft's global platform.