Principal Software Engineer - AI Platform Architect

Microsoft Teams is a unified communication and collaborationplatform built from the ground-up on Azure, serving millions of users worldwide at scale. We are seeking a Principal Software Engineer -Platform Architectfor the Teams Platform, with a focus on AI & LLM technologies, to design and build our next-generation programmability and API interfaces across Microsoft Teams & M365 and to help lead our next-generation AI platform and extensibility model.

In this role, you'll shape the infrastructure that enables Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) and enterprise developers to introduce intelligent AI agents within Teams. You'll design systems that support Model Context Protocol (MCP), agent-to-agent communication, and secure LLM-driven experiences at hyperscale. You will be empowered to make product-wide technical decisions, directly impacting Microsoft's flagship product. You'll work within a highly dynamic, collaborative environment rooted in Microsoft's mission to empower every person and organization on the planet to achieve more fueled by innovation, respect, integrity, accountability, and inclusion.

Are you interested in working for one of the most exciting product groups in Microsoft? You will be building solutions that leverage state-of-the-art technologies to deliver the next evolution in collaboration and teamwork.

Our culture is inclusive, casual, and high energy; our team members come from diverse backgrounds and is grounded in our customer needs. This is a fantastic opportunity to build services and experiences that millions of people worldwide will use at home, at school, at work, and across their daily lives.

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.

• Define long-term technical strategy: Set vision and direction for Teams API and AI platform initiatives, including agent-to-agent protocols, composable LLM pipelines, and developer extensibility.
• Architect complex, scalable systems: Lead design for end-to-end scenarios involving distributed microservices, multi-tenant routing, LLM orchestration, tool integration, and secure API endpoints.
• Build hyperscale LLM-enabled infrastructure: Craft systems to support developer-deployed AI agents, multi-step workflows, data connectors, and runtime MCP patterns across global Teams environments.
• Design APIs & SDKs for AI applications: Define developer-facing components that allow ISVs to deploy, configure, and manage LLM-powered agents and tools within Teams.
• Drive engineering culture: Champion scalability, reliability, observability, security, operational excellence, and customer obsession.
• Collaborate broadly: Partner with leadership, cross-functional teams (Research, Security, UX), and ecosystem stakeholders to deliver unified, strategic outcomes.
• Hands-on leadership: Develop, debug, optimize, and maintain platform features end-to-end-from coding to deployment and operational excellence.
• Operational responsibility: Troubleshoot complex infrastructure issues at scale, proactively reduce incidents, and maintain oncall readiness.
• Mentor and foster growth: Build a healthy, inclusive environment, guiding engineers toward excellence in distributed platforms and AI infra.
• Embody the Microsoft culture and values.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science or related technical field AND 10+ years technical engineering experience with coding in languages including, but not limited to, C, C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, or Python OR equivalent experience.
• Experience in LLM infrastructure and paradigms including agent-to-agent communication protocols and orchestration, Model Context Protocol, Integration of third-party tools, APIs, and data sources into LLM pipelines.
• Experience in secure execution of LLMs in cloud environments, multi-tenant isolation, throttle control.

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:

• Master's 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 OR equivalent experience.
• 10+ years of experience focused on advanced software development and architecture, building commercial-grade, high-availability services.
• 10+ years of experience driving software platform architecture projects from both a technical and functional perspective, guiding complex projects from planning through execution and service operations.
• Demonstrated commitment to software engineering excellence.
• Analytical and problem-solving skills, with a history of navigating significant technical challenges, emphasizing a continuous release mindset and service operation in a dynamic environment.
• Ability to lead in a fast-paced, customer focused, and data-driven environment.
• A decisive, self-directed, collaborative, and innovative approach to projects.
• Experience in LLM infrastructure and paradigms: Agent-to-agent communication protocols and orchestration, Model Context Protocol, Integration of third-party tools, APIs, and data sources into LLM pipelines.
• Secure execution of LLMs in cloud environments, multi-tenant isolation, throttle control.

Software Engineering IC6 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $163,000 - $296,400 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 $220,800 - $331,200 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.