Principal Software Engineer, Foundry Agents - CoreAI

Job ID: 200036528Posted: 2026-05-06Location: United States, Washington, RedmondSalary: 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: MicrosoftOverviewMicrosoft Foundry is building the foundational platforms that power the next generation of intelligent agents and generative AI systems. Within CoreAI, the Foundry Agents organization is responsible for key ownership areas across the end‑to‑end agent lifecycle: (a) Foundry Agents platform to deploy and run agents securely at enterprise scale with seamless integration with governed tools, (b) model fine‑tuning to train and improve agentic performance, and (c) Foundry observability to generate insights from agentic traces and continuously evaluate and optimize agents. As a senior engineer within Foundry Agents, you will help build and evolve large‑scale, cloud‑native systems that span the full lifecycle of advanced agentic applications — from secure enterprise deployment and governed tool integration, to fine‑tuning and training loops, to deep observability, evaluation, and optimization in production. Your work will directly shape how developers and enterprises build reliable, autonomous, and high‑impact AI agents. You will operate at the intersection of distributed systems, AI infrastructure, and developer platforms, owning architectural decisions for complex systems that must meet the highest standards of performance, reliability, security, and compliance. This role requires deep technical judgment, strong systems thinking, and the ability to translate evolving customer, developer, and research needs into durable platform capabilities. ResponsibilitiesAcross the organization, you will: Build and scale foundational services that power secure agent deployment and execution, governed tool integration, training/fine‑tuning, and observability/evaluation Design and evolve distributed runtimes and cloud services to run agents securely at enterprise scale with strong reliability, security, and compliance guarantees Improve iteration loops for researchers, engineers, and developers through better tooling, abstractions, and automation across fine‑tuning, evaluation, and optimization Debug and optimize complex interactions across models, data, hardware, and infrastructure Drive technical direction across the full software development lifecycle, influencing design tradeoffs and long‑term architecture Champion operational excellence, secure‑by‑design practices, and responsible AI at scale Collaborate closely with partner teams across CoreAI and Azure to deliver seamless, production‑ready platforms As a senior technical voice, you will raise the engineering bar through strong design principles, rigorous reviews, mentorship, and influence across teams. Ultimately, your work will help define how intelligent agent systems are built, operated, and trusted — shaping how the world interacts with AI. Microsoft’s mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. We bring that mission to life through a culture that values growth mindset, diverse perspectives, and continuous learning. Join us and help build the platforms that will define the future of AI‑powered software. QualificationsRequired 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, 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 yearsPreferred 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.Software 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: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.