Highlights
Lead the technical design and delivery of components across the teams data-access services: a query service that runs across sharded Microsoft 365 data, a blob service, and a gRPC service that exposes the core mailbox store. 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 $160,200 - $261,000 per year.
Numbers & Facts
| Location | Mountain View, CA |
| Industry | Computer Software |
| Salary | $119,800–$234,700 Per Year |
| Company Size | 10,000 employees or more |
| Year Founded | 1975 |
| Website | http://www.microsoft.com |
Description
Overview
Join the Microsoft 365 Core Data Access team in Redmond, the Bay Area, or New York as a Senior Software Engineer building the query, blob, and data-access services behind Microsoft 365 and Copilot.
Microsofts Substrate is a large-scale cloud platform that underpins Microsoft 365. It supports productivity, collaboration, and AI experiences for businesses, educational institutions, governments, and individuals worldwide. Our team builds the services and libraries that connect Microsoft 365 applications, including Microsoft 365 Search and Copilot, to data in Substrate. Our work spans distributed services, gRPC and other service APIs, and client libraries in C# and Rust, with performance, reliability, security, privacy, and developer experience at the heart of our engineering decisions.
We are looking for an engineer who enjoys solving distributed systems problems and building software that other engineers depend on. In this individual contributor role, you will own features and components from design through production, make thoughtful technical trade-offs, and collaborate with partner teams to turn complex requirements into maintainable solutions. You will combine hands-on development with technical leadership through design reviews, mentoring, and improvements to engineering practices.
You will join a collaborative team that values curiosity, accountability, and continuous learning. We share knowledge, welcome different perspectives, and use production data and customer feedback to guide our decisions. This role offers the opportunity to deepen your expertise in large-scale systems while improving the platforms behind Microsoft 365 experiences.
Microsofts 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
- Collaborate with product managers, engineers, and partner teams to understand customer needs and translate them into clear technical requirements.
- Lead the technical design and delivery of components across the teams data-access services: a query service that runs across sharded Microsoft 365 data, a blob service, and a gRPC service that exposes the core mailbox store. Evaluate trade-offs, identify dependencies and risks, and document decisions.
- Write, test, review, and maintain high-quality code, with attention to correctness, performance, security, and long-term maintainability.
- Design and evolve service APIs, including gRPC APIs, and C# and Rust client libraries that partner teams can adopt easily. Work with those teams to integrate them successfully.
- Own the production health of your components through monitoring, safe deployments, and participation in the on-call rotation. Diagnose incidents, address root causes, and improve operational readiness.
- Use telemetry, profiling, and customer feedback to identify and deliver improvements in reliability, scalability, performance, and resource efficiency.
- Mentor engineers, provide constructive code and design reviews, and share knowledge to strengthen the teams engineering practices and technical judgment.
Qualifications
Required Qualifications:
- Bachelors Degree in Computer Science or related technical field AND 2+ years technical engineering experience with coding in languages including, but not limited to, C, C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, or Python
- 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 3+ years technical engineering experience with coding in languages including, but not limited to, C, C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, or Python
OR Bachelors Degree in Computer Science or related technical field AND 5+ years technical engineering experience with coding in languages including, but not limited to, C, C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, or Python
OR equivalent experience. solid understanding of data structures, algorithms, and system design principles.
Experience building and operating large-scale distributed services in production, including on-call, incident response, safe deployment, and telemetry-driven diagnosis.
Experience designing APIs, client libraries, or platforms used by other engineering teams, including RPC frameworks such as gRPC.
Experience with storage systems, query engines, or other data-intensive services.
Experience owning a component from design through operation, coordinating dependencies across teams, and mentoring engineers.
Familiarity with security, authorization, privacy, and compliance in cloud services.
Software Engineering IC4 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $119,800 - $234,700 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 $160,200 - $261,000 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.
About Company
DO WHAT YOU LOVE
Make your mark on the world’s most used technologies. Develop the next hit mobile application. Pioneer a startup that could be the next big thing. At Microsoft, you choose your path.
Headquartered in Redmond, Washington, Microsoft is a top innovator in both the consumer and enterprise technology industry. Just a few of the many things our products do are unleash creativity, connect businesses, and make learning more fun. But our continued success is based on one thing: our employees. We hire amazing, talented people and give them the opportunities—and the tools—to succeed.
WHY MICROSOFT?
As a Microsoft employee, you’re surrounded by a diverse group of the smartest people in your field. This fosters new ideas, better business results, and creates a dynamic work environment. In the office, you’re constantly challenged and supported by your colleagues. Every day holds something new and exciting.
We also offer unparalleled depth and breadth of career opportunities. As an industry leader in multiple fields, working for Microsoft means being able to do whatever you feel passionate about—and being able to make an impact in that field. From day one, we give our employees significant responsibility. This means that you’ll know that you directly contributed to something that has a positive impact on people worldwide. Whether you choose to work in management, dive deep into the newest technology, or explore multiple professions, you’ll find everything you need at Microsoft to drive your career—and to make a difference.
WE GET IT – YOU’RE MORE THAN YOUR JOB
Everyone works differently and is motivated by different things. We also understand that there’s more to you than your job. That’s why we offer competitive pay and a wide assortment of benefits-- to help you make the most of life at work and away from it.
GET THE BALL ROLLING
Make your mark on the world’s most used technologies. Develop the next hit mobile application. Pioneer a startup that could be the next big thing. At Microsoft, you choose your path.
Headquartered in Redmond, Washington, Microsoft is a top innovator in both the consumer and enterprise technology industry. Just a few of the many things our products do are unleash creativity, connect businesses, and make learning more fun. But our continued success is based on one thing: our employees. We hire amazing, talented people and give them the opportunities—and the tools—to succeed.
WHY MICROSOFT?
As a Microsoft employee, you’re surrounded by a diverse group of the smartest people in your field. This fosters new ideas, better business results, and creates a dynamic work environment. In the office, you’re constantly challenged and supported by your colleagues. Every day holds something new and exciting.
We also offer unparalleled depth and breadth of career opportunities. As an industry leader in multiple fields, working for Microsoft means being able to do whatever you feel passionate about—and being able to make an impact in that field. From day one, we give our employees significant responsibility. This means that you’ll know that you directly contributed to something that has a positive impact on people worldwide. Whether you choose to work in management, dive deep into the newest technology, or explore multiple professions, you’ll find everything you need at Microsoft to drive your career—and to make a difference.
WE GET IT – YOU’RE MORE THAN YOUR JOB
Everyone works differently and is motivated by different things. We also understand that there’s more to you than your job. That’s why we offer competitive pay and a wide assortment of benefits-- to help you make the most of life at work and away from it.
GET THE BALL ROLLING