Job description

Overview Microsoft AI is looking for a talented Backend engineer to help build the next wave of capabilities of our personalized AI assistant, Copilot. We’re looking for someone who will bring an abundance of positive energy, empathy, and kindness to the team every day, in addition to being highly effective. The right candidate enjoys building world-class consumer experiences and products in a fast-paced environment. This team is responsible for building and scaling the core backend platform - Orchestrator, Inference and APIs that power Consumer Copilot —enabling rapid development, deployment, and iteration of AI-powered features and experiences while collaborating with our Product Management, Design, Data Scientists, and AI Research teams to deliver impactful results. Our newly formed organization, Microsoft AI (MAI), is dedicated to advancing Copilot and other consumer AI products and research. The team is responsible for Copilot, Bing, Edge, and generative AI research. Come be a part of the team shaping the future personal computing. 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. Starting January 26, 2026, MAI employees are expected to work from a designated Microsoft office at least four days a week if they live within 50 miles (U.S.) or 25 miles (non-U.S., country-specific) of that location. This expectation is subject to local law and may vary by jurisdiction. Responsibilities • Build secure and performant APIs that power Copilot apps. • Work collaboratively with other product engineers, Product Managers, and platform engineers to take ambiguous projects and mold them into amazing experiences. • Ship high-quality, well-tested, secure, and maintainable code. • Find a path to get things done despite roadblocks to get your work into the hands of users quickly and iteratively. • Enjoy working in a fast-paced, design-driven, product development cycle. • Embody our Culture and Values . Qualifications Required/Minimum 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++, C#, Java, JavaScript, or Python • OR equivalent experience. Preferred Qualifications • 4+ years' experience building backend API for mobile apps such as GraphQL/Rest APIs/Protobuf/Thrift, and streaming protocols such as websocket/SSE/WebRTC with familiarity in backend and mobile data schema code generation or consistency, version control for mobile releases, analytics, feature flags, a/b testing framework. • 4+ years' experience building scalable services on top of public cloud infrastructure like Azure, AWS, or GCP. Extensive use datastores like RDBMS, key-value stores, etc. • 4+ years' experience building distributed systems at scale and extensive systems knowledge that spans bare-metal hosts to containers to networking. • Experience working with AI platforms, frameworks, and APIs. • Ability to identify, analyze, and resolve complex technical issues, ensuring optimal performance, scalability, and user experience. • Dedication to writing clean, maintainable, and well-documented code with a focus on application quality, performance, and security. • Demonstrated interpersonal skills and ability to work closely with cross-functional teams, including product managers, designers, and other engineers. • Ability to clearly communicate complex technical concepts to both technical and non-technical stakeholders. • Passion for learning new technologies and staying up to date with industry trends, best practices, and emerging technologies in web development and AI. • Ability to work in a fast-paced environment, manage multiple priorities, and adapt to changing requirements and deadlines. • Proven ability to collaborate and contribute to a positive, inclusive work environment, fostering knowledge sharing and growth within the team Software Engineering IC4 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $119,800 - $234,700 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 $160,200 - $261,000 per year. Certain roles may be eligible for benefits and other compensation. Find additional benefits and pay information here: careers.microsoft.com Software Engineering IC5 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $142,800 - $274,800 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 $188,000 - $304,200 per year. Certain roles may be eligible for benefits and other compensation. Find additional benefits and pay information here: careers.microsoft.com 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.

Requirements

Must-haves

Build secure and performant APIs that power Copilot apps.
Work collaboratively with other product engineers, Product Managers, and platform engineers
to take ambiguous projects and mold them into amazing experiences.
Ship high-quality, well-tested, secure, and maintainable code.
Find a path to get things done despite roadblocks to get your work into the hands of users
quickly and iteratively.
Enjoy working in a fast-paced, design-driven, product development cycle.
Embody our Culture and Values .
Required/Minimum Qualifications
4+ years' experience building scalable services on top of public cloud infrastructure like Azure,
4+ years' experience building distributed systems at scale and extensive systems knowledge that
This position will be open for a minimum of 5 days, with applications accepted on an ongoing basis until the position is filled.

Nice-to-haves

AWS, or GCP. Extensive use datastores like RDBMS, key-value stores, etc.
spans bare-metal hosts to containers to networking.
Experience working with AI platforms, frameworks, and APIs.
Ability to identify, analyze, and resolve complex technical issues, ensuring optimal performance,
scalability, and user experience.
Dedication to writing clean, maintainable, and well-documented code with a focus on
application quality, performance, and security.
Demonstrated interpersonal skills and ability to work closely with cross-functional teams,
including product managers, designers, and other engineers.
Ability to clearly communicate complex technical concepts to both technical and non-technical
stakeholders.
Passion for learning new technologies and staying up to date with industry trends, best practices,

Application prep

Use the role’s language and application details while tailoring your materials.

Keywords to mirror

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