Principal Software Engineer--M365 Deployment Team

Microsoft · Suzhou

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We are looking for a Principal Software Engineer to help define and drive the next generation of Microsoft's large-scale deployment platform.

Our team is undertaking a fundamental transformation of how cloud services are deployed and operated. We are modernizing today's deployment architecture while evolving toward an AI-native engineering model, where deployment systems are no longer designed primarily for human operators. Instead, humans and AI agents will be first-class participants, capable of reasoning, acting, collaborating, and safely operating services at cloud scale.

As a Principal Software Engineer, you will help define the architecture of this next-generation deployment platform. You will establish the capabilities, APIs, abstractions, observability, controls, and safety boundaries required for both humans and AI agents to interact with the platform effectively. You will also drive the application of AI and agent technologies to automate increasingly complex deployment and operational workflows.

You will tackle highly ambiguous problems spanning multiple systems and organizations, translate long-term vision into practical architecture and execution, and multiply the impact of the broader engineering team through technical leadership, mentorship, and engineering excellence.

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.

• Define the technical vision, architecture, and long-term strategy for key areas of our next-generation deployment platform.

• Lead the transformation from a primarily human-centric deployment system toward an AI-native platform where humans and AI agents are first-class participants.

• Define the platform capabilities, APIs, abstractions, telemetry, control mechanisms, and safety boundaries that enable agents to reason, act, collaborate, and autonomously execute deployment workflows at scale.

• Drive the application of AI and agent technologies across deployment, validation, troubleshooting, mitigation, recovery, and other engineering workflows.

• Lead architecture and design for complex distributed systems operating across large-scale Microsoft cloud infrastructure.

• Drive modernization toward more modular, independently evolvable, scalable, observable, and resilient deployment architecture.

• Tackle the team's hardest and most ambiguous technical challenges, identify systemic architectural issues, and create durable solutions that extend beyond individual features.

• Establish engineering principles and standards for reliability, security, observability, scalability, quality, and operational excellence.

• Drive technical alignment across organizational boundaries and resolve complex architecture, dependency, and ownership challenges.

Required Qualifications:

• 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#, Java, JavaScript, or Python OR equivalent experience.

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.

 Preferred Qualifications:

• 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#, Java, JavaScript, 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. 
• Deep software engineering expertise with a proven track record of designing, building, and operating large-scale distributed systems or cloud platforms.
• Solid hands-on coding and system-design skills, with demonstrated ability to solve complex architectural and engineering problems.
• Demonstrated experience defining architecture and providing technical leadership for complex, multi-team engineering initiatives.
• Ability to navigate highly ambiguous problems, identify the highest-impact technical investments, and translate long-term vision into clear architecture and execution.
• Solid understanding of reliability, scalability, observability, security, performance, and operational excellence for production services.
• Solid understanding of AI/LLM and agent technologies, with the ability to translate their capabilities into practical platform architecture and engineering systems.
• Proven ability to influence technical decisions and establish alignment across organizational boundaries.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to communicate complex technical strategies to both engineering and leadership audiences.

This position will be open for a minimum of 5 days, with applications accepted on an ongoing basis until the position is filled.

Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, citizenship, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, immigration status, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran or military status, race, ethnicity, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable local laws, regulations and ordinances. If you need assistance with religious accommodations and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application process, read more about requesting accommodations.

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