Principal Legal Engineer

Job ID: 200047835Posted: 2026-08-14Location: United States, Washington, RedmondSalary: USD $147,000 - $258,000 per yearEmployment type: Full-TimeWork site: 4 days / week in-officeRole type: Individual ContributorTravel: Less than 25%Profession: LegalDiscipline: Legal CounselCompany: MicrosoftOverviewMicrosoft's Corporate, External & Legal Affairs (CELA) organization supports one of the most complex commercial operations in the world. The Customer & Partner Solutions (CPS) group is where legal meets the commercial engine, supporting the Microsoft Commercial Business, Microsoft Elevate, the Deal Desk, and thousands of customer and partner interactions every year.The Legal Engineer is the technical builder and operator behind that work. Reporting to the Director, AI Operations, you will play a vital role in driving the AI transformation of this critical function in the company.This is a role for a builder. You will ship real capability rather than advise from the sidelines, partner directly with engineering, and stay close enough to attorneys and paralegals to design with them rather than for them. You will have room to shape the model while it is still taking form, and the work you do here will help set the standard for how legal teams at Microsoft adopt AI.Microsoft's mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more, and we're dedicated to this mission across every aspect of our company. Our culture is centered on embracing a growth mindset and encouraging teams and leaders to bring their best each day. Join us and help shape the future of the world.ResponsibilitiesData, Insight, and TransparencyYou will build the intelligence layer that shows CELA CPS what its AI investments are actually delivering. Working alongside engineering, you will turn platform and connected-service data into a standing view of adoption, throughput, system health, and emerging trends, so that leadership questions are answered from a system that already exists rather than a scramble. Over time you will shape which data CPS builds against, and the picture you create will guide where the organization invests next.Platform Reliability and TrustConfidence in the platform is what makes adoption possible, and you will own it. You will partner with engineering to keep the CPS technology stack healthy and improving, turning issues, updates, and releases into a smooth experience for the attorneys and paralegals who depend on it every day. As the platform matures, you will help move the model from reacting to problems toward anticipating them, so reliability rises even as the footprint grows.AI Capability and First-Party InnovationThis is where CPS extends what the platform can do. You will create the agents, Scout capability, Copilot and other AI solution prompts that open new scenarios for the business. This includes driving the wider integration of Microsoft's first-party AI. You will bring rigor to how prompts and agents are developed, so that what works for one team becomes a durable, reusable asset for all of CPS.Workflow Innovation and EnablementTechnology matters once people use it, and you will be the reason they do. You will work alongside attorneys and other legal professionals to reimagine how legal work moves through CPS, translating what you learn into platform requirements and into training that builds genuine fluency. Partnering with various champ communities, you will grow a population of confident AI users that is necessary to support 100,000+ clients worldwide.CultureEmbody our culture and values.Foster inclusive practices and ensure diverse perspectives are heard.Support colleagues and clients with empathy and respect.Embrace a global mindset, respecting similarities and differences in others.QualificationsRequired QualificationsJuris Doctor Degree or international equivalent degree AND 6+ years experience as a practicing attorney OR equivalent experience.Active license to practice law in a jurisdiction and capable of meeting admission requirements in relevant jurisdiction.Preferred QualificationsJuris Doctor Degree or international equivalent degree AND 7+ years experience as a practicing attorney OR equivalent experience.5+ years experience as an attorney in specialized practice area (e.g., tax, employment, copyright).3+ years in-house counsel experience.5+ years of experience in legal technology, legal operations, or a technical delivery role in a regulated or professional-services environment.Hands-on experience building on a CRM or matter-management platform, ideally Microsoft Dynamics 365, including configuration and customization rather than administration alone.Demonstrated ability to work data end to end: extract it, build reporting on it, and explain what it means to a non-technical audience.Experience owning production support, including bug triage with an engineering team, incident response, and release management.Practical experience building with AI tools, including agents and prompt development, and the judgment to know when a prompt is not the right answer.Ability to work directly with attorneys and paralegals and translate their needs into technical requirements.Familiarity with Microsoft's commercial and legal infrastructure (MCAPS, CPS, CELA).Hands-on experience with AI legal tools such as Harvey or Copilot.Experience with the Power Platform, including Power BI reporting and low-code automation.Fluency in legal operations concepts: matter management, outside-counsel governance, paralegal-support models, and client intake.Experience designing and delivering training for a professional user population.Legal Counsel IC5 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $147,000 - $258,000 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 $185,900 - $278,900 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.