Principal Software Engineer

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Be the voice behind the future—join us to build transformative speech technology for multilingual, intelligent experiences that reach billions.

Microsoft is pioneering next-generation AI-driven speech solutions for voice agents, video translation, and call centre analytics.

As a Principal Software Engineer in Microsoft’s Azure Speech team, you will lead the design and development of advanced infrastructure and tooling to customise multilingual speech models, AOAI systems, and multimodal generative AI. These technologies power real-time transcription, intelligent voice agents, and multilingual dubbing across Microsoft products and enterprise solutions.

Your work will directly shape the future of human–machine interaction, with a special focus on India and emerging markets. You will drive innovation across engineering efficiency, scalable data processing, and AOAI customisation, while mentoring engineers and influencing cross-functional teams.

Based in Hyderabad, this on-site role offers opportunities to mentor, grow, and shape the future of multimodal interaction for Indian and global audiences.

Microsoft’s mission is to empower every person and organisation to achieve more. We embrace a growth mindset and encourage teams and leaders to bring their best. Join us to shape the future of speech and multimodal LLM technology

Required Qualifications:

• BS/MS/PhD Degree in CS/EE or related fields with focus in machine learning, AI, or speech technologies.

• 12+ years’ experience in software development skills with deep expertise in designing, building, and deploying large-scale, production-grade AI systems.

• Demonstration of excellent problem-solving skills and proven track record of delivering impactful results and high-quality solutions in complex engineering environments.

• Strong programming skills in Python, C++ or similar languages, with experience in large-scale data processing and distributed computing.

• Effective communication skills, both verbal and written.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with speech/audio processing, multilingual model development, or voice agent technologies.

• Familiarity with Azure, cloud-based AI platforms, or enterprise-scale deployment of speech solutions.

• Contributions to open-source projects, patents, or publications in top-tier conferences/journals.

• Demonstrated leadership in driving technical direction, influencing cross-functional teams, and mentoring peers.

Inclusivity & Compliance:

• Commitment to fostering an inclusive, growth-oriented team culture.

• Adherence to Microsoft’s EEO and diversity guidelines.

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.

Responsibilities:

• Deliver world-class and transformative engineering platforms for customizing Microsoft 1st party and 3rd party products and services.
• Lead technical strategy for AOAI post training and contribute to model customization platform and scalable data processing solutions for multilingual speech model, speech LLMs, and AOAI models.
• Innovate and Lead novel data solutions to synthesize complex speech scenarios and finetune models.
• Design and deliver data analysis metrics and solutions to understand the model results, identify gaps, and guide solutions.
• Collaborate with the global Microsoft team, drive innovative solutions for significant customer asks, and deliver sustained large impacts.
• Mentor and influence peers, sharing expertise and fostering a growth-oriented inclusive team culture.
• Contribute to patents and publications at top-tier conferences and represent the team’s technical leadership within and outside Microsoft.