Software Engineer II

The generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) revolution ignited the need for state-of-the-art retrieval systems. These are used to create Copilot-style applications that combine large language models with external data. In Azure, the go-to retrieval system for these scenarios is Azure AI Search. We’re looking for an experienced engineer to join our team and work on Azure AI Search. This is a rare opportunity to work on an Azure service at the very center of AI innovation wave, operating at the intersection of AI, Information Retrieval, and Cloud Services. Join us in this special point in time to work on the next round of accelerated growth for our business.

We’re looking for a Software Engineer II with deep experience in designing and delivering solutions using modern software engineering practices and cloud technologies.  You will thrive in working with a variety of technologies, not just Microsoft technology.  You will solve exciting customer problems and collaborate with Microsoft product teams.   

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.

In alignment with our Microsoft values, we are committed to cultivating an inclusive work environment for all employees to positively impact our culture every day.

Relocation assistance is unavailable for this role.

Required/Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science or related technical field AND 2+ years technical engineering experience with coding in languages including, but not limited to C#, Java, C++
  • OR equivalent experience.
• Experiences developing real products that belong to at least one of the following categories: information retrieval, vector database and large language models, or experiences of integrating one of them into production systems.
• Experience building and shipping production grade, scalable and high-availability cloud services.
• Experiences operating live services and helping customers resolve live issues.

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:

• Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science or related technical field AND 4+ years technical engineering experience with coding in languages including, but not limited to, C++, C# or Java
  
  • OR Master's 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# or Java
  • OR equivalent experience.
• Experience in troubleshooting and debugging high-performance backend systems and improving system performance.
• Experienince in building and operating large scale fault-tolerant distributed systems. 
• Experience with either online or offline experimentation systems

Software Engineering IC3 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $98,300 - $193,200 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 $127,200 - $208,800 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

Microsoft will accept applications for the role until July 3, 2024.

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.  We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. 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.

#AIPLATFORM #azuresearch  #vectorsearch  #rag

• Collaborate with other engineers, product managers, data scientists and customers to gather requirements, provide feedback and deliver solutions.
• Design and implement new components, features, and enhancements of large scale distributed services.
• Optimize and improve the performance, scalability, reliability and security of the software.
• Instrument data and develop metrics to measure usage, relevance, customer satisfaction and drive decision making.
• Debug and troubleshoot complex live site issues and maintain operations of live service on a rotational, on-call basis.
• Work independently on projects, showcasing self-management and problem-solving skills.  
• You are part of a team that will build the retrieval system (including vector search) with great relevance, performance and cost.
• You will contribute to the Microsoft ecosystem around Retrieval Augmented Generation through releasing services that power various generative AI applications.
• Embody our Culture and Values