Software Engineer II - M365 Core Semantic Fabric Platform

We are on an ambitious mission to reshape the way enterprise data is indexed, understood, and served in the era of Large Language Models (LLMs). Our team is at the forefront of innovation, building the Semantic Fabric, a breakthrough technology that provides a semantic index for enterprise data within M365. This platform delivers the most relevant grounding data from a wide range of sources across an organization, such as documents, relevant Teams messages, connector data and emails. Seamlessly integrated with LLMs, this work drives Microsoft's future in the AI age, empowering Copilot to identify and utilize the best content for any task, enabling deep reasoning based on a rich representation of all enterprise data.  

We are looking for a talented  to join us in pushing the boundaries of technology for the Copilot experience. In this role, you will work on building highly scalable ingestion pipelines and indexing solutions at an exabyte scale, ensuring interactive freshness and low-latency access to the best grounding data across enterprise content. Your work as a Software Engineer II - M365 Core Semantic Fabric Platform impact users across the globe, making Copilot smarter and more responsive by ensuring it can deliver the right data for any enterprise scenario.  

At Microsoft, we believe that diversity and inclusion are keys to success. We foster an environment where every voice is valued, and we prioritize work-life balance. If you are excited by the opportunity to make a transformative impact on a global scale, this role is for you!  

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.

Required 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, C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, Python or RUST AND backend focused engineering experience.  
  • OR equivalent experience.
    
• Experience with system design, algorithmic skills, and good knowledge of data structures​.
• Experience using data to drive feature development and decision-making. 

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:

• Proficient written and verbal communication skills in English.   
• Understanding of all aspects of the software development process.   
• Experience of collaborating in the team: ability to communicate ideas clearly, and drive problems to efficient resolution.  
• Problem solving and debugging skills​. 
• Solid understanding of software patterns (e.g. mediator, strategy, middleware) and experience in using them to drive system design.  
• Information retrieval system experience using lexical index, semantic index, LLM and retrieval-augmented generation (RAG).

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 January 12, 2025.

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.

#M365CORE

As a Software Engineer II on the Semantic Fabric Team, you will be entrusted with a range of responsibilities that are key to the successful development and evolution of our cutting-edge technology platform. Your responsibilities will include: 

• Participate in the development of the Semantic Fabric, a cutting-edge technology delivering semantic indexing and search experiences across Microsoft Office 365. 
• Build scalable, high-performance software services over large datasets with low latency and high availability. 
• Ensure the platform adheres to Microsoft’s strict data privacy and compliance standards. 
• Participate in design, development, testing, deployment, and maintenance of software solutions to meet the functional and non-functional requirements of the Semantic Fabric. 
• Collaborate with team members and other engineering teams to ensure the successful integration of individual components into the larger system. 
• Realize architectural discussions and decisions, carry out selected technologies, design scalable and sustainable solutions, and plan for future growth. 
• Proactively identify technical debt and other issues impacting the performance or reliability of the software and devising solutions. 
• Constantly stay informed about the latest developments in the LLM and semantic search field and identify opportunities to apply new methods or technologies to improve the Semantic Fabric. 
• Take part in code reviews, both as a reviewer and a reviewee, to ensure the quality of the software and promote best practices within the team. 
• Engage with stakeholders, including team members, other teams, and customers, to gather feedback and ensure the software meets their needs. 
• Ensure the software complies with Microsoft's security and privacy standards. 
• Identify risks that could impact the delivery of the software, and take action to mitigate these risks.