Overview

Microsoft Surface is a platform for innovation—where hardware and software converge to deliver premium, intelligent experiences that empower people to achieve more. The Surface Software Development team is at the heart of this mission, crafting intelligent software that defines how customers interact with Surface devices.

The Surface team is looking for a Principal Software Engineer to drive the architecture, design, and delivery of software experiences that ship to millions of Surface customers worldwide. In this role you will set technical direction, mentor engineers across the team, and partner closely with product, design, and hardware teams to build delightful, high-quality applications that showcase the best of Surface hardware.

Why Join Us:

• Build software that ships on world-class hardware used by millions of people.

• Work at the intersection of software and hardware innovation.

• Join a collaborative, high-impact team within Microsoft's Surface organization.

• Competitive compensation, benefits, and career growth opportunities.

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-
Define and drive the technical vision and architecture for Surface App experiences, ensuring scalability, performance, and maintainability.

• Lead the design and implementation of complex, cross-cutting features from concept through production release.

• Serve as a technical anchor for the team — conduct design reviews, establish engineering best practices, and raise the quality bar.

• Collaborate with Product Management, Design, and Hardware Engineering to translate product requirements into sound technical plans.

• Mentor and grow engineers at all levels; foster a culture of engineering excellence, inclusion, and continuous improvement.

• Identify and resolve systemic technical debt, reliability issues, and performance bottlenecks.

• Represent the team in cross-org technical discussions and influence the broader Surface Software Dev engineering roadmap.

• Champion data-driven decision-making through instrumentation, experimentation, and customer telemetry.

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 Qualifications-

• Master'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 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 Python

• OR equivalent experience.

• Experience shipping software that integrates tightly with hardware or firmware.

• Deep expertise in one or more of: C#, C++, TypeScript/JavaScript, or Rust.

• Experience building Windows desktop or cross-platform applications (WinUI, WPF, MAUI, Electron, or similar).

• Strong system design skills — ability to decompose ambiguous problems into well-structured, maintainable solutions.

• Demonstrated ability to influence without authority and drive alignment across teams.

• Excellent communication skills — able to convey complex technical concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences.

• Familiarity with Surface devices, Windows platform APIs, or the Windows driver ecosystem.

• Experience with CI/CD pipelines, feature-flagging, and modern DevOps practices at scale.

• Contributions to open-source projects or developer communities.

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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.