Principal Software Engineer | Microsoft Careers

Microsoft

Hybrid Actively hiring
US Posted 87 days ago $139,900–$274,800 / year
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At a glance

AI generated

TL;DR

As a Principal Software Engineer at Microsoft Edge, you will join a high-impact team focused on enhancing browser performance for millions of users. Your role involves owning the performance outcomes for critical subsystems such as navigation, scrolling, input responsiveness, and startup, ensuring that Microsoft Edge remains fast and reliable. You will lead architectural evolution by modernizing legacy codebases and setting clear performance standards to prevent issues before they arise. Day-to-day responsibilities include hands-on coding using real user data to drive deep improvements, partnering with feature teams to integrate performance considerations from the start, and advancing tooling and automation to detect and mitigate regressions proactively. The role requires expertise in languages like C++, Rust, or JavaScript, along with a track record of designing large-scale software systems that deliver measurable performance benefits.

Skills

C C++ Rust Python JavaScript Java .NET Performance Engineering Large-Scale Software Design Architectural Modernization Legacy Codebase Optimization Performance Tooling Automation AI-Assisted Diagnostics Cross-Team Collaboration Code Reviews

What you'll do

  • Own performance outcomes for Microsoft Edge user scenarios including navigation, scrolling, input responsiveness, and startup.
  • Lead architectural evolution to ensure browser performance remains durable as Edge scales and evolves.
  • Drive data-informed improvements using real-world telemetry, traces, and experiments.
  • Modernize legacy implementations and establish clear performance-focused coding patterns.
  • Partner with feature teams to integrate performance constraints from concept to ship.
  • Scale impact through performance tooling, automation, and AI-assisted diagnostics.

What we're looking for

  • 6+ years of technical engineering experience with coding in C, C++, Rust, C#, Java, JavaScript, or Python.
  • Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science or related field (or equivalent experience).
  • 3+ years designing and shipping performance-critical software with measurable user impact.
  • Proven ability to drive architectural changes and modernize legacy codebases for improved performance.
  • Ability to scale impact through performance tooling/automation, including AI-assisted diagnostics.
  • Experience influencing technical direction through reviews and cross-team collaboration.

Market check

Salary context

This $139,900–$274,800 range sits above 65% of similar postings on FindRole.

Peer median band

$139,900–$257,000

Median floor and ceiling across peers.

Typical midpoint (25–75%)

$177,250–$214,500

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 534 open roles on FindRole.

Listed pay typically runs $119,800–$234,700 across 488 roles with salary data.

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