Principal Software Engineering Lead

Microsoft

Quick summary

Work type: On-site
Location: —
Salary: $142,800–$274,800 / yr
Posted: 26 days ago
Closes: Nov 28, 2026

Market check

Salary context

Competitive pay

How this pay compares to similar roles

Similar $197k

This role $209k

$127k most similar roles pay here $291k

This role pays more than 63% of similar roles. Most pay $174,200–$220,650 — the shaded band above. At the midpoint, this role pays about $209k versus about $197k for comparable roles.

Based on 239 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 622 open roles on FindRole.

Listed pay typically runs $119,800–$234,700 across 571 roles with salary data.

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View all roles at Microsoft

At a glance

TL;DR · Principal Software Engineering Lead

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The Engineering Workforce Strategy and Operations team at Microsoft is hiring a Principal Software Engineering Lead to drive the technical vision for RAMP, an AI-powered internal platform that manages workforce resources across engineering divisions. This role involves architecting scalable and resilient systems that integrate with HR, Finance, and enterprise data platforms, ensuring high trust and data integrity. The candidate will lead agile development practices, set engineering standards, and collaborate closely with product management to translate ambitious goals into technical solutions. They must have deep expertise in system architecture, distributed systems, and AI-native development, as well as experience integrating complex enterprise systems and leading cross-functional teams without direct authority.

Skills

Azure Kubernetes Docker Python Java SQL AI/ML CI/CD Terraform Git GitHub Power BI Fabric Dataverse Agile DevOps APIs REST GraphQL JSON YAML Markdown ADRs

What you'll do

Define and own the technical vision and architectural strategy for RAMP platform.
Lead design of distributed, scalable, and resilient systems supporting high-volume data integration and analytics.
Enable integration of AI/ML capabilities, including forecasting and intelligent workflows.
Set and enforce engineering standards and best practices across the platform.
Partner closely with Product Management to translate business needs into technical solutions.
Continuously evolve the platform to support new business scenarios and planning workflows.

What we're looking for

Deep expertise in system architecture, distributed systems, and cloud-native design.
Proven track record designing and delivering large-scale enterprise-grade platforms.
Demonstrated ability to lead technical direction across multiple teams and organizations.
Strong experience with AI/ML integration and data governance in complex systems.
Excellent communication skills for explaining technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders.
Experience building or scaling internal business platforms or operational systems.
Understanding of workforce planning, headcount systems, and financial processes.

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