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Job Details
Posted date: Jan 21, 2026
There have been 2377 jobs posted with the title of Principal Software Engineer all time at Microsoft.There have been 2377 Principal Software Engineer jobs posted in the last month.
Category: Software Engineering
Location: Multiple Locations, Multiple Locations
Estimated salary: $222,050
Range: $139,900 - $304,200
Employment type: Full-Time
Work location type: 0 days / week in-office – remote
Role: Individual Contributor
Description
OverviewJoin the Azure Platform Performance team as a Principal Software Engineer to enhance Azure Boost performance and deliver faster, more consistent virtual machine (VM) and Bare Metal experiences across Azure. Azure Boost is Microsoft’s advanced hardware and software offload system that transfers key virtualization tasks—such as networking, storage, and host management—from the host operating system (OS) to purpose-built components.
In this role, you will have significant opportunities to influence architecture and technical direction through in-depth Linux performance analysis and optimization across VM and host stacks. You will lead through influence and collaborate across teams to transform complex performance signals into measurable improvements for customers.
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
Drive improvements to performance and consistency, reduce resource usage across the stack, and improve performance predictability on Azure Boost-enabled infrastructureLead deep-dive investigations for top performance issues, determine root causes and drive improvements/repairsAdd and/or improve performance instrumentation and tooling for end-to-end diagnosticsCommunicate findings clearly to both exec and technical audiencesServe as Linux performance expert for escalations and investigationsServe as technical mentor for early-in-career team members
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 PythonOR 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 QualificationsMaster'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 PythonOR Bachelor'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 PythonOR equivalent experience.4+ years of experience developing kernel-mode code for Linux. 4+ years of experience with Linux kernel subsystems and core operating system concepts.4+ years of experience with root-cause analysis and driving improvements.#azurecorejobs
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
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.
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