Principal Data Engineer - CoreAI

Overview

As a Principal Data Engineer - CoreAI at Microsoft CoreAI, you will operate as a senior technical leader shaping the data and analytics foundations that power Microsoft's AI platforms on a global scale.

This role goes beyond execution. You will define architectural direction, influence multi-team roadmaps, and set engineering standards that enable reliable, secure, and scalable analytics for AI-driven products!

We do not just value differences or different perspectives. We actively seek them out and invite them in so we can tap into the collective power of everyone in the company. As a result, our customers are better served.

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.

Responsibilities

• Own and define end-to-end data and analytics architecture for CoreAI and Foundry platforms, setting long-term technical direction for scalable, reliable, and cost-effective analytics supporting AI workloads.
• Design, build, and optimize large-scale, robust data pipelines and architectures that support CoreAI's analytics initiatives.
• Develop and extend scalable ETL/ELT workflows, ensuring reliable ingestion, transformation, and storage of high-volume, high-velocity data from diverse sources.
• Data Governance & Trust: follow best practices for data quality, lineage, security, and compliance.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to define trustworthy data sets and implement rigorous data validation protocols, ensuring CoreAI's analytics are both accurate and auditable.
• Analytics Enablement: Partner with data scientists, analysts, and business leaders to translate business needs into technical solutions.
• Enable self-service analytics and empower teams by building data models, semantic layers, and tools that streamline access to trusted information.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work closely with product managers, software engineers, AI researchers, and business stakeholders to align data solutions with business goals.
• Translate ambitious vision into actionable roadmaps and measurable outcomes.
• Mentor senior engineers and technical leads, guide complex design decisions, and foster a culture of engineering excellence, operational rigor, and continuous learning across the organization.
  
  

Qualifications

Required/Minimum Qualifications

• Master's Degree in Computer Science, Math, Software Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field AND 4 years experience in business analytics, data science, software development, data modeling, or data engineering
• OR Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, Math, Software Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field AND 6 years experience in business analytics, data science, software development, data modeling, or data engineering
• OR equivalent experience.

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/Additional Qualifications:

• Deep experience architecting and operating large-scale distributed data systems in cloud environments, preferably Azure.
• Ability to write clean, working code using core algorithms, data structures, and analytics-oriented problem-solving.
• Extensive experience in implementing and optimizing data pipelines and distributed data systems (e.g., Azure Data Lake, Spark, Synapse, SQL databases).
• Understanding of data governance, privacy, lineage, and security best practices, especially within highly regulated or enterprise environments.
• Excellent communication skills to convey complex technical concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Expertise with modern data engineering languages and frameworks (e.g., Azure Data Explorer, PySpark, SQL, etc).
• Experience collaborating in cross-functional teams and building consensus among stakeholders with diverse backgrounds (engineering, analytics, product, business).
• Track record of driving innovation in data engineering, including experience leading technical projects and mentoring others.
  
  

Data Engineering IC5 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $139,900 - $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:

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.