This role pays more than
62%
of similar roles. Most pay
$174,600–$231,037
— the shaded band above.
At the midpoint, this role pays about
$209k
versus about
$203k
for comparable roles.
Based on 240 similar postings.
Employer
About Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is a global technology leader producing software, hardware, and cloud services including Windows, Office 365, Azure cloud platform, Xbox gaming, and Surface devices. Industry: Software & Cloud Computing
Microsoft currently has
518 open roles
on FindRole.
Listed pay typically runs
$119,800–$234,700
across 505 roles with salary data.
As a Principal Software Engineer - Azure Storage, you will join the NPI SKU Qualification & Performance team to architect qualification strategies, performance validation, and automation for next-generation infrastructure. You will be responsible for developing software platforms, telemetry pipelines, and performance analysis frameworks to validate hardware technologies like servers, SSDs, networking components, and firmware before production deployment. The role involves driving cross-organizational initiatives across storage, compute, and networking teams while providing technical leadership in architecture and incident resolution. To succeed, you must possess expertise in C#, C++, Python, or Java, along with experience in large-scale distributed systems, performance engineering, and infrastructure validation. Relevant domain knowledge includes hardware qualification, firmware validation, Windows kernel debugging, and storage stack troubleshooting to ensure high-scale storage systems meet rigorous standards for reliability and scalability.
What does a Software Engineer earn in Washington?
Median $208525 from 282 postings across 34 companies.
Lead the qualification and onboarding of next-generation Azure Storage infrastructure and technologies.
Drive performance, scalability, reliability, and fleet-readiness validation for hyperscale storage systems.
Develop automation tools to improve qualification efficiency, observability, and operational excellence.
Architect qualification strategies and provide technical guidance on infrastructure platforms.
Resolve complex technical challenges and incidents across cross-functional engineering teams.
Provide mentorship and establish engineering best practices for the development team.
What we're looking for
Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or related field and 6+ years of technical engineering experience with coding in C#, C++, Python, and Java.
Ability to pass the Microsoft Cloud Background Check.
Master's Degree in a relevant technical field and 8+ years of experience with coding in C#, C++, Python, and Java (preferred).
Bachelor's Degree in a relevant technical field and 12+ years of experience with coding in C#, C++, Python, and Java (preferred).
Experience designing, building, and operating large-scale distributed systems or cloud services (preferred).
Experience in performance engineering, benchmarking, capacity planning, or large-scale infrastructure validation (preferred).
Experience with Azure Storage, distributed databases, storage technologies, or hyperscale infrastructure (preferred).
Experience with hardware qualification, firmware validation, server platforms, telemetry tools, or Windows kernel debugging (preferred).
Azure
Python
C#
Java
C++
Distributed Systems
Microservices
REST APIs
CI/CD
Kusto
Cosmos DB
Performance Engineering
Telemetry
Automation
Source Control
Agile
Storage Systems
Firmware
Networking
Operating Systems
Azure
Distributed Systems
C
C++
C#
Java
Python
Cloud Computing
Data Structures
Algorithms
Telemetry Analysis
GitHub Copilot
Microsoft Copilot
Disaster Recovery
Scalability
Performance Optimization