Principal Software Engineer

At Azure Compute, we’re driven to push boundaries and deliver innovative solutions that meet our customers’ evolving infrastructure needs. Our team builds and operationalizes Azure BareMetal instances, combining the raw power of advanced hardware with the flexibility and scale of the cloud.

We’re looking for a Principal Software Engineer to lead the engineering of our next-generation Bare Metal platforms. In this role, you’ll work at the exciting crossroads of silicon, firmware, system software, and cloud services, shaping the foundation for high-performance, secure, and scalable compute solutions.

You’ll design and implement systems that unlock the full potential of modern silicon, integrate seamlessly with orchestration, monitoring, and lifecycle management services, and enable Azure to run the most demanding customer workloads. This is a deeply technical, hands-on position where you’ll tackle complex engineering challenges, mentor peers, and help define the roadmap at the intersection of hardware and software.

Microsoft’s mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. As employees we come together with a growth mindset, innovate to empower others and collaborate to realize our shared goals. Each day we build on our values of respect, integrity, and accountability to create a culture of inclusion where everyone can thrive at work and beyond.

• Influence silicon, hardware and firmware features to support best in class BareMetal instances, fast boot, secure lifecycle, and fleet-scale observability.
• Design scalable control planes and APIs that integrate Bare Metal resources into cloud infrastructure.
• Lead deep investigations into performance, reliability, and security across the full stack—from CPU, memory, and accelerators to operating systems and services.
• Drive standards and best practices for firmware–OS interactions, boot flows, and secure lifecycle management.
• Build automated tools for testing, validation, diagnostics, and monitoring of multi-node systems.
• Partner with product management to translate customer needs into robust technical solutions.
• Mentor engineers and foster a culture of technical excellence and collaboration.

• Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science or related technical field AND 6+ years technical engineering experience with coding in languages including, but not limited to, C, C++, C#, Rust or Python
  
  • OR equivalent experience.
• 4+ years of experience working in system software (ex. linux kernel, network stack, file systems, bootloaders, etc.)

Other Requirements:

• Microsoft Cloud Background Check: This position will be required to pass the Microsoft Cloud Background Check upon hire/transfer and every two years thereafter.

• Master's Degree in Computer Science or related technical field AND 8+ years technical engineering experience with coding in languages including, but not limited to, C, C++, C#, Rust or Python
  • OR Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science or related technical field AND 12+ years technical engineering experience with coding in languages including, but not limited to, C, C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, or Python OR equivalent experience.
  • OR equivalent experience.
• Experience in kernel-level programming, device drivers, and real-time operating systems, performance analysis, profiling tools, and optimization techniques, and containerization technologies (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes) and cloud computing platforms.
• Strong proficiency in C/C++, Rust, or Go, with scripting experience (Python, Bash).
• Deep understanding of CPU architecture, memory hierarchy, PCIe, and storage/network I/O subsystems.
• Experience with firmware (UEFI/BIOS, BMC/IPMI/Redfish, secure boot flows) and Linux internals (kernel, drivers, networking, storage).
• Experience with hyperscale or enterprise Bare Metal platforms, hardware lifecycle management, or secure firmware supply chains.
• Knowledge of accelerator integration (GPU, FPGA, AI/ML ASICs), RDMA networking, and high-speed storage.
• Contributions to open-source, kernel, or infrastructure projects.

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 October 10, 2025.

Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran status, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws, regulations and ordinances.  We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or the recruiting process, please send a request via the Accommodation request form.

Benefits/perks listed below may vary depending on the nature of your employment with Microsoft and the country where you work.