Principal Software Engineer

Microsoft's Azure Data engineering team is seeking a Principal Software Engineer to join their PostgreSQL team. This role involves working on large-scale cloud database services, focusing on areas like continuous availability, transaction logging and recovery, clustering, and scalable storage systems. You'll have the opportunity to contribute to open-source PostgreSQL and develop extensions including vector database extensions for AI.

The position is part of the broader Azure Data team, which leads the transformation of analytics with products like Microsoft Fabric, Azure SQL DB, Azure Cosmos DB, Azure PostgreSQL, Azure Data Factory, Azure Synapse Analytics, Azure Service Bus, Azure Event Grid, and Power BI. The team's mission is to build the data platform for the age of AI, powering data-first applications and driving a data culture.

As a Principal Engineer, you'll oversee system architecture for critical high-impact areas, create strategic roadmaps, establish development policies, and ensure high-quality code practices. The role requires deep expertise in distributed systems, database internals, and enterprise-grade cloud services.

The position offers competitive compensation ($161,600 - $286,200 base salary, higher in SF/NYC), comprehensive benefits, and the opportunity to work in a diverse, inclusive environment that values different perspectives. You'll collaborate with world-class engineers while working on cutting-edge database technology that serves millions of customers.

The ideal candidate brings 8+ years of system-level feature development experience, 4+ years of cloud services expertise, and deep knowledge of PostgreSQL or similar database systems. This role combines technical leadership with hands-on development, requiring both architectural vision and practical implementation skills.