Principal Software Engineer

Are you passionate about Linux and enabling it in a large, distributed setting both in the Azure cloud and Edge? Do you want to be part of a high-energy and creative team that is currently building the future of the Azure platform? Do you love to contribute to Linux and the open-source community across the globe? We are the Azure Linux Group at Microsoft. Azure Linux powers critical Azure services ranging from Azure Kubernetes Service in the cloud to Azure Nexus on the Edge. We’re growing and looking to add engineering leaders who will help us build great teams and lead the technology direction as we create and enable Azure Linux at scale across the Azure fleet.  

In this role, you will contribute to the technical direction in how Azure first party services and edge appliances use Linux and contribute to our Linux OS efforts ranging from security initiatives to new platform bring-up. You will coordinate design and coding across multiple projects, partnering with internal teams to deliver novel solutions. You will work closely with the broader Linux community, contributing code upstream. And you will work closely with customers to fix problems encountered in using Linux in the Azure cloud and edge platforms.  

You will be working on research and development in cutting edge accelerations and optimizations to power future public and private clouds. You will define and push the limits of innovative technologies -- working with the latest hardware, the largest servers, and even larger datacenters. If you love to build distributed systems and OS components both in the kernel and user mode with great teams to solve large-scale enterprise challenges and enjoy working on system-level design and implementations, this is the right place for you! 

Microsoft loves Linux and Open Source, come join us if you do too. 

Required qualifications:

• Bachelor’s 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++, Python, Golang or Rust
• OR master’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++, Python, Golang or Rust with deep technical expertise in these areas
• Design/coding/debugging on Linux, System software stack on x86 & ARM64 platforms
• One or more datacenter-class technologies such as networking, storage, file systems, virtualization, etc
• Expertise in system software troubleshooting, boot processes, and networking subsystems in cloud and edge environments
• Excellent technical design skills and proven ability to drive larger scale system designs for complex projects or products based on Linux

Preferred qualifications :

• Experience in building Linux Distributions from scratch like Fedora/Ubuntu/Yocto is a plus
• Experience in hardware bring-up with Linux is a plus
• Experience with Microsoft Azure, AWS, or similar cloud computing platform(s) is a plus
• Technical passion, terrific problem-solving skills, and self-motivation
• Contributing to open-source projects, like the Linux or CNCF projects, is a plus

Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran status, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws, regulations and ordinances. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or the recruiting process, please send a request via the Accommodation request form.

Benefits/perks listed below may vary depending on the nature of your employment with Microsoft and the country where you work.

• Lead the design, development, and optimization of Linux-based systems and software components with a focus on cloud and edge computing business cases
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to define system requirements and architecture specifications
• Drive innovation in system software development, implementing best practices and emerging technologies
• Perform system-level debugging and troubleshooting to identify and resolve complex technical issues
• Optimize system configurations for performance, scalability, and reliability in cloud and edge deployments
• Lead architecture design reviews and provide technical guidance to engineering teams
• Foster a collaborative and high-performance culture within the engineering team
• Stay abreast of industry trends, emerging technologies, and best practices to drive continuous improvement
• Drive key open-source initiatives within Microsoft in an open manner to contribute to Linux adoption both on Azure cloud and the edge