The Principal Software Engineer role at the Entra External ID team involves designing and developing large-scale distributed software services for secure external identity experiences. This senior-level position requires expertise in building customizable and scalable identity platforms that cater to diverse industries while ensuring robust security and performance. Key responsibilities include creating frictionless onboarding flows, enhancing developer experience through APIs and SDKs, and architecting systems capable of handling millions of monthly users. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience with languages such as C#, Rust, Go, Java, or C++, and a strong background in secure software design, cloud infrastructure, and distributed system architecture. They must also possess skills in modern software engineering practices, including code reviews and telemetry-driven decision-making, to deliver best-in-class solutions that meet global regulatory standards and customer needs.
Design and develop large-scale distributed software services for secure external identity experiences.
Implement advanced authorization models (RBAC, ABAC) to ensure security and compliance across diverse industries.
Architect scalable cloud services capable of handling millions of monthly users while maintaining performance.
Write clean, optimized code with high test coverage and implement integration tests for reliability.
Develop modularized, reusable components that are secure, reliable, and actively monitored.
Communicate technical details clearly to customers and stakeholders across organizational boundaries.
What we're looking for
8+ years designing secure software systems with authentication, data protection, and access control.
8+ years building scalable, highly available cloud services on platforms like Azure or AWS.
5+ years architecting distributed systems with reliability and operational efficiency focus.
Proven experience in developing scalable and reliable software solutions.
Demonstrated ability to write clean, maintainable, efficient code.
Sound understanding of cloud infrastructure and services.
Experience analyzing complex problems and delivering actionable solutions.
Market check
Salary context
This
$139,900–$274,800
range sits above
69%
of similar postings on FindRole.
Peer median band
$139,900–$243,800
Median floor and ceiling across peers.
Typical midpoint (25–75%)
$172,487–$212,375
Middle half of comparable postings.
Based on 240 comparable postings.*
* 240 is the maximum number of comparable postings sampled.
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
451 open roles
on FindRole.
Listed pay typically runs
$119,800–$234,700
across 417 roles with salary data.