New 
Principal Software Engineer
 Microsoft | |
 United States, Texas, Irving | |
| 7000 State Highway 161 (Show on map) | |
 Oct 31, 2025 | |
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OverviewWe are looking for a Principal Software Engineer to help build the software systems, Artificial Intelligence (AI) agents, and automation platforms that power and maintain Azure's global optical backbone, the foundation of Microsoft's cloud and AI infrastructure.This role is for engineers who think across layers, from the software running on optical devices that collect and instrument billions of data points, to the distributed high-availability systems that autonomously operate and repair the network. You will design and implement services that act as the sensory, cognitive, and motor systems of our AI-driven operations, safely and securely running one of the most advanced photonic networks in the world.Our team has pioneered several industry-first AI agents and autonomous platforms that define the future of hyperscale network operations. We are looking for someone who thrives at the intersection of systems engineering, large-scale automation, and AI-native infrastructure, helping us evolve from reactive management to a self-sustaining intelligent network.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.
ResponsibilitiesBuild and Scale Autonomous Network Systems: Design and implement highly available, distributed software systems that power and maintain Azure's optical network at hyperscale. This includes everything from device-level telemetry, monitoring, and control software to globally distributed automation services that remediate and repair the network autonomously.Full-Stack Systems Engineering: Work across the full stack-from the embedded systems running on optical devices that collect and instrument data, to the cloud-scale services that analyze, decide, and act. Design for safety, resilience, observability, and rapid iteration across millions of data points per second.Agents and Automation Platforms: Develop the next generation of AI-driven agents and orchestration platforms that enable autonomous network operations. Build contextual, sensory, and motor systems that allow agents to perceive, reason about, and act safely and securely on the network.Context and Control Services, including Model Context Protocol/Electronic Services (MCP/eServices): Create and evolve micro-control planes and context services that give AI systems deep awareness of network state, enabling safe decision-making and intelligent automation across the optical domain.Cross-Domain System Integration: Collaborate closely with optical, switching, and AI infrastructure teams to deliver end-to-end, self-healing systems that tie together photonic, packet, and compute control planes.Operational Excellence and Reliability Engineering: Drive engineering rigor through metrics, observability, chaos testing, and continuous validation. Ensure the reliability and security of systems that operate some of the most mission-critical infrastructure in the world.Innovation and Industry Leadership: Contribute to pioneering efforts in autonomous infrastructure management-continuing our track record of delivering industry-first AI agents and platforms that redefine how hyperscale networks are built and operated | |