Principal Software Engineering Manager

Overview Cloud operations are entering a new era. The next generation of infrastructure will not be managed one workflow at a time, but through autonomous systems that can reason, plan, act, and learn across Microsoft’s largest Kubernetes fleets. COSMIC is building that future, and this role will lead the team creating the agentic infrastructure that makes it real. The COSMIC team, part of the M365 Substrate Core organization, has a bold mission to standardize how we deliver services and build a modern Kubernetes-based compute fabric with turn-key geo-presence, security, high availability, fault isolation, and automated cloud build out. COSMIC is a strategic investment to modernize our compute platform and improve the agility, security, compliance, reliability, and cost efficiency of services across Microsoft. As cloud fleets continue to grow in size and complexity, operating them increasingly requires more than traditional automation. We believe the future lies in intelligent systems that help engineers move from managing infrastructure directly to defining goals, policies, and operational intent, while the platform handles routine decision-making and execution safely at scale. We are seeking a Principal Software Engineering Manager to lead a team building autonomous operational capabilities for COSMIC. This team is responsible for the agentic infrastructure, intelligent operational systems, and learning capabilities that help engineers manage cloud services at fleet scale. Its mission is to make the safe path the fast path for operating modern cloud services by combining scalable agent systems, operational intelligence, and continuous learning. In this role, you will lead a team responsible for building the platform foundations that enable fleets of AI agents to reason about, coordinate, and execute operational workflows safely and efficiently. Working closely with product managers, architects, and engineering teams across COSMIC, you will help define how cloud infrastructure evolves from traditional automation toward autonomous operations. You will build systems that help engineers manage deployment, capacity, resiliency, recovery, and optimization across Microsoft's largest Kubernetes fleets. You will also drive the evaluation, feedback, and learning mechanisms that enable these systems to continuously improve over time while maintaining high bars for safety, reliability, and trust. Ultimately, this role is accountable for delivering the foundational capabilities that make autonomous operations practical and valuable for services running on COSMIC, helping engineering teams move faster, operate more safely, and focus on delivering customer value rather than infrastructure complexity. This position is located at the Redmond, WA campus with 3 days per week work in the office and 2 days per week work from home. 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. Responsibilities Lead and grow a high-performing engineering team responsible for autonomous operational capabilities within COSMIC. Define and execute the technical strategy for agentic infrastructure, autonomous systems, and operational intelligence. Build the platform foundations that enable fleets of AI agents to reason, coordinate, and safely execute operational workflows at scale. Develop intelligent agents that help manage deployment, capacity, resiliency, recovery, optimization, and other operational workflows across Microsoft's largest Kubernetes fleets. Lead the development of evaluation, feedback, and learning systems that continuously improve the quality, safety, and effectiveness of autonomous operations. Partner closely with product managers, architects, and engineering teams across COSMIC to translate long-term platform investments into customer value. Drive execution across teams and dependencies to deliver reliable, scalable, and trusted operational experiences. Establish and track success metrics for operational effectiveness, reliability, adoption, and customer impact. Champion engineering excellence by reducing operational toil, improving incident outcomes, and helping make operational best practices the default experience. Build a strong team culture grounded in accountability, craftsmanship, inclusion, continuous learning, and operational excellence. Represent this investment across Microsoft, communicating strategy, progress, risks, and tradeoffs to stakeholders and partners. Qualifications Required Qualifications: Bachelor'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 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 12+ 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 15+ 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 people management experience. #M365Core Software Engineering M6 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $165,600 - $296,400 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 $220,800 - $331,200 per year. Certain roles may be eligible for benefits and other compensation. Find additional benefits and pay information here: 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. ( Microsoft Corporation