Principal Software Engineer, Agentic Core Services (CoreAI)

Microsoft; South Carolina; On-site; USD 139,000 - 275,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading technology company seeks a Principal Software Engineer for their Agentic Core Services. You will shape the future of software development at the intersection of generative AI, building cloud-native platforms, and leading projects that enhance user experiences and operational efficiency. The ideal candidate will bring expertise in software engineering, collaboration, and leadership within a dynamic, innovative environment.

Qualifications

• 6+ years technical engineering experience with coding in C, C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, or Python.
• Experience designing and operating production-grade software and services at scale.

Responsibilities

• Define and influence the product roadmap by aligning technical strategy with business goals.
• Collaborate with partner teams to ensure seamless integration and delivery of features across the stack.
• Support junior engineers through mentorship and knowledge sharing.

Skills

C

C++

C#

Java

JavaScript

Python

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science or related technical field

Job description

Principal Software Engineer, Agentic Core Services (CoreAI)

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Principal Software Engineer, Agentic Core Services (CoreAI)

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Core AI is at the forefront of Microsoft’s mission to redefine how software is built and experienced. We are responsible for building the foundational platforms, services, programming models, and developer experiences that power the next generation of applications using Generative AI. Our work enables developers and enterprises to harness the full potential of AI to create intelligent, adaptive, and transformative software.

The Agentic Core Services Team is responsible for building the cloud-native, distributed platform that powers the development, execution, and management of agentic applications at scale. Our mission is to provide the foundational infrastructure and runtime systems that enable developers to build intelligent, autonomous, and enterprise-grade AI agents with confidence and agility.

In this role, you will help define the future of software and application development. You will shape how developers interact with our platform—from programming models and user experiences to the design of a managed, distributed runtime that orchestrates agent-based AI applications at scale with enterprise-grade guarantees. You’ll work at the cutting edge of AI research, collaborating with some of the brightest minds in generative AI, and integrating the latest breakthroughs in multi-modal capabilities (text, audio, video) into real-world agentic applications.

At Microsoft, our mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. We live this mission every day through a culture that embraces a growth mindset, values diverse perspectives, and encourages continuous learning. We believe in creating an environment where individuals bring their best selves to work, collaborate openly, and build technology that makes a meaningful impact. Join us and help shape the future of the world.

Responsibilities

Shape the Product Vision: Define and influence the product roadmap by aligning technical strategy with business goals and customer needs.

Drive Strategic Clarity: Leverage data-driven insights and competitive intelligence to inform product direction, identify opportunities, and guide decision-making.

Architect for Scale and Sustainability: Design and evolve durable, scalable system architectures that balance long-term maintainability with short-term delivery needs, making thoughtful engineering trade-offs.

Foster Engineering Alignment: Build consensus across engineering teams and partner organizations by driving clarity, alignment, and shared ownership of technical direction.

Deliver Cohesive End-to-End Experiences: Collaborate closely with partner teams—including experience, SDK, and platform groups—to ensure seamless integration and delivery of features across the stack.

Build Foundational Capabilities: Contribute to and lead the development of core platform components and reusable building blocks that accelerate team velocity and product innovation.

Mentor and Grow Talent: Support the growth of junior engineers through mentorship, knowledge sharing, and by enabling long-term ownership of key systems.

Champion Customer-Centric Development: Engage directly with customers and product teams to capture feedback, understand demand signals, and refine product messaging—ensuring the voice of the customer shapes product evolution.

Lead Live Site Excellence: Drive operational excellence in managing and operating large-scale distributed systems with a high bar for service-level agreements (SLAs). Lead root cause analyses (RCAs) for key live site incidents and outages, identify systemic improvements, and set high standards for reliability and performance.

Qualifications

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.
• 6+ years of experience designing, building, and operating production-grade software and services at scale, with a proven track record of delivering high-impact solutions.
  

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

• Demonstrated expertise in solving complex technical challenges in one or more domains such as distributed systems, AI/ML infrastructure, developer platforms, or cloud services.
• Strong business acumen and awareness of industry trends, with the ability to connect technical decisions to broader strategic goals.
• Experience engaging with customers during integration or deployment phases, with a focus on delivering value and incorporating feedback into product evolution.
• Demonstrated expertise in solving complex technical challenges in one or more domains such as distributed systems, AI/ML infrastructure, developer platforms, or cloud services.
• Experience engaging with customers during integration or deployment phases, with a focus on delivering value and incorporating feedback into product evolution.
  
  

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 posts positions for a minimum of 5 days, with applications accepted on an ongoing basis until the position is filled.

##AIPLATFORM## #CoreAI

Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. Consistent with applicable law, 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 and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application process, read more about requesting accommodations.

Seniority level

• Seniority level

  Not Applicable

Employment type

• Employment type

  Full-time

Job function

• Job function

  Engineering and Information Technology

• Industries

  Software Development

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