Principal Software Engineer

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The Natural Language Web (NLWeb) team, part of the Office of the CTO (Chief Technology Officer) for Microsoft, is looking for a Principal Software Engineer with proven experience and a keen interest in the area of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and who can lead our team in the development of cutting-edge solutions, with the goal of reshaping the internet as we transition to an agentic world.

NLWeb is a lightweight reference implementation and open protocol, enabling the integration of a chat interface using conventional programming languages to new and existing applications. NLWeb combines natural language prompts, traditional code, and embeddings-based memory to unlock new potential and add value to applications with AI.

We are looking for someone is Who very scrappy and hands on, is willing to run fast and figure out new technologies, and can build out initial investigations/POCs (point of contact) and then own/contribute the final design and development of the product/app. Ideal candidate should have experience building and delivering scalable distributed/web services, leading and growing engineers, and be passionate about engineering.

Successful candidates should have the ability to ramp up quickly on new technologies and adopt solutions within the company or from the Open-Source community.

Microsoft’s mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more, and we’re dedicated to this mission across every aspect of our company. Our culture is centered on embracing a growth mindset and encouraging teams and leaders to bring their best each day. Join us and help shape the future of the world.

Required/Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, or related technical discipline AND 6+ years technical engineering experience with coding in languages including, but not limited to, Python, C#, Java, JavaScript, TypeScript, or React, with a knowledge of front-end best practices, tools, testing, and frameworks
  • OR equivalent experience.
• Familiarity with Large Language Models (LLMs) and their applications and limitations.
• Experience with version control, CI/CD, testing, and documentation tools, such as Git, GitHub, Azure DevOps, or similar.

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.

Additional or Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with web application development.
• Experience with cloud platforms and services, such as Azure, AWS (Amazon Web Services), or GCP (Google Cloud Platform).
• Experience in contributing to or leading open-source projects or communities.
• Keen interest to learn new technologies and exploring new ideas.

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 July 29, 2025.

The responsibilities of this role include:

· Design, build, test, and document applications and services that demonstrate innovative uses of AI, leveraging engineering best practices.

· Ensure the quality, reliability, security, and maintainability of the application and services.

· Participate in code reviews and contribute to the development of a clean, well-documented codebase.

· Collaborates with appropriate stakeholders to determine user requirements for a scenario.