Principal Software Engineer - AI Infrastructure Engineering Systems

Job ID: 200048834Posted: 2026-08-17Location: United States, California, Mountain ViewSalary: USD $142,800 - $274,800 per yearEmployment type: Full-TimeWork site: 3 days / week in-officeRole type: Individual ContributorTravel: Less than 25%Profession: Software EngineeringDiscipline: Software EngineeringCompany: MicrosoftOverviewThe AI Infrastructure Engineering Systems team at Microsoft builds the cloud platform, engineering infrastructure, and developer systems that enable teams to develop, deploy, and operate AI services at scale. We create foundational capabilities spanning build and release systems, Kubernetes, networking, observability, infrastructure automation, security, and service lifecycle management. Working closely with AI researchers, product engineers, and hardware teams, we provide reliable and consistent paths from development to production. We are a multidisciplinary team of highly capable and motivated engineers with a collaborative and inclusive culture.As a Principal Software Engineer - AI Infrastructure Engineering Systems on the AI Infra Engineering Systems team, you will design, implement, and ensure the quality of engineering platforms, developer tooling, and Azure integrations. This hands-on technical role covers architecture, design, implementation, testing, deployment, and production operations. Successful candidates will bring strong distributed-systems and cloud-platform experience, sound engineering judgment, and the ability to deliver reliable solutions for rapidly evolving AI workloads at scale.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 beyondResponsibilitiesApply sound engineering principles to design reliable, scalable, and maintainable platform systems Collaborate across infrastructure, security, networking, and service teams to improve end-to-end reliabilityEstablish and promote coding, testing, observability, and operational-readiness standardsDevelop automation, services, and tools using Go, Python, Terraform, and other relevant technologiesDefine requirements, scope solutions, estimate work, and deliver improvements that reduce operational risk and increase service resilienceQualificationsRequired/minimum 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 PythonOR equivalent experienceOther RequirementsAbility 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, Python and Go.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, Python and Go. OR equivalent experience. #AIInfraSoftware Engineering IC5 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $142,800 - $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:Software Engineering IC6 - 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.