Principal Software Engineer

Overview

The Virtualization Core Platform (VCP) engineering team is seeking a Principal Software Engineer to help evolve Microsoft's high-performance, security-critical virtualization platform, with an emphasis on the hypervisor and Virtual Machine Monitor (VMM). In this role, you will shape foundational technology across the virtualization platform used by Hyper-V, Azure, Windows, Linux, and containers while working within a collaborative team that values technical depth, high-quality engineering, and continuous learning.

Join the Virtualization Core Platform team and help build the foundation of Microsoft's intelligent cloud. Your work throughout the virtualization platform will power virtual machines, containers, and millions of Azure servers while enabling best-in-class security capabilities for Windows and Linux devices throughout a broad ecosystem. You will collaborate with Microsoft engineering teams, hardware partners, and the open-source community to deliver innovative virtualization technology and build features that differentiate our platform and delight customers.

We are looking for an innovative and versatile systems engineer who combines deep technical expertise with architectural judgment and organization-wide influence.

We deliver a high-quality platform release after release, supported by a collaborative culture where new ideas are welcomed and engineers are encouraged to improve how we design, build, and validate systems. Our goal is to create an environment where you can do your best work and have meaningful impact.

As a Principal Software Engineer, you will combine hands-on systems development across the virtualization platform with architectural leadership, technical mentorship, and cross-team influence, with particular emphasis on the hypervisor and VMM.

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 architecture and deliver foundational capabilities as a key technical leader within Microsoft's Virtualization Core Platform team.
• Design, implement, and deliver innovative features across Microsoft's virtualization platform, with a focus on the hypervisor and VMM.
• Design and evolve OpenVMM capabilities spanning Linux, Windows, and macOS environments.
• Improve Microsoft's virtualization platform to reduce cost, increase performance, strengthen security, and improve reliability.
• Collaborate with a dynamic team of engineers and mentor engineers across the team through design guidance, code reviews, and technical problem-solving.
• Continuously learn, share technical knowledge, and promote sound engineering practices across the team.
• Set a high bar for engineering quality and drive continuous improvements in reliability, maintainability, testing, and operational readiness.
• Collaborate across organizational boundaries to shape the team's charter, align technical priorities, and drive a clear long-term vision.
• Provide technical leadership across Windows Core and Azure, influencing architecture, design decisions, and platform strategy.
• Diagnose and resolve complex low-level hardware and software interactions at the core of Microsoft's virtualization platform.
• Enable Microsoft's hypervisor, VMM, and related virtualization components on new silicon in close collaboration with a range of hardware partners.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelors 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++, or Rust including substantial work on systems or platform software
• OR 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:

• Masters 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++, or Rust including substantial work on systems or platform software

• OR Bachelors 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++, or Rust including substantial work on systems or platform software

• OR equivalent experience.

• 7+ years of experience in hypervisor, VMM, kernel, or virtualization-stack programming, kernel-mode programming, and security.

• Architectural skills demonstrated through the design and implementation of complex systems software.

• Ability to work effectively in a large codebase and take on a wide variety of technical challenges.

• Understanding of systems software and low-level interactions between hardware and software.

• Experience with silicon bring-up activities.

• A track record of delivering complex, high-quality software across multiple product release cycles.

• Thorough understanding of modern computer architectures found in desktop PCs and servers.

#azurecorejobs

Software Engineering IC5 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $142,800 - $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.