Research Software Engineer II

Research Software Engineer II at Microsoft

Azure Research – Systems is a world-class research group embedded in Azure that pushes the limit of software systems for cloud platforms. We focus primarily on improving the efficiency of the cloud infrastructure across the entire hardware and software stack. We collaborate very closely with production teams in Azure to deploy our research and have had tremendous impact. We also routinely collaborate with academic and industry partners to advance the state of the art. Finally, we engage with the research community through publications in the top venues in Computer Science, blog posts, open-source releases, patents, and participation in conferences. Our group provides a collaborative, supportive, inclusive, and respectful environment for some of the world’s best engineers and researchers. Together, we strive to create innovative solutions to computing’s toughest challenges.

As a Research Software Engineer II, you will work with other engineers and researchers to create innovative research prototypes; help transform project guidelines into concrete system architectures and implementations; build large-scale production systems; and, as you progress in your career, mentor new team members in support of their career goals. You will also have the opportunity to propose, work on, and publish cutting-edge research in computer systems. You will work with some of the most pressing challenges in improving the efficiency of our cloud and AI infrastructure, broadly construed. We work across layers of the stack, from the AI system software, to innovative hardware, to the datacenter infrastructure and its interaction with the power grids. We use a combination of algorithmic, systems, and architecture techniques, to improve the performance, power and energy efficiency of the infrastructure behind the current AI revolution.

Further, this opportunity will allow you to gain understanding of the inner workings of a hyperscale cloud. You will have many growth opportunities on our team, and you will learn and grow in your career, enhancing both your engineering and research skills. If you thrive in environments seeking innovation and fast-paced entrepreneurial execution, then this is the place 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.

Responsibilities

• Works with members of their research group; relevant product, research, and business groups inside or outside of Microsoft to help identify research goals, determine requirements, constraints, and dependencies for potential solutions.
• Collaborates with members of their research group to contribute to work on a research problem, including building and evaluating prototypes, integrating with and/or deploying to production.
• Participates in writing and/or presenting papers at workshops and conferences.
• Gains expertise in one or more subareas of research and understands the corresponding literature and applicable research techniques, including tools, technologies, or methods being used in the research community.
• Remains current in skills by investing time and effort into staying abreast of current developments that will improve the availability, reliability, efficiency, observability, and performance of products and prototypes.
• Establishes collaborative relationships with relevant product and business groups inside or outside of Microsoft and provides expertise or technology to them.
• Mentors research interns in the group and assists onboarding new team members.

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, Rust, or PythonOR equivalent experience. 1+ year(s) of working knowledge or research experience in one or more of these areas: datacenter architecture, large-scale distributed systems, state-of-the-art generative AI infrastructure (design and implementation, model architecture, training, agentic systems), power management in computer systems, demonstrated by work experience, or research publications.

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 ScienceOR related technical field AND 4+ years technical engineering experience with coding in languages including, but not limited to, C, C++, C#, Java, Rust, or PythonOR 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++, C#, Java, Rust, or PythonOR equivalent experience.
• 1+ year(s) experience in computer architecture, with emphasis on power and performance management, and proficiency in programming languages such as C++, C#, or Rust.
• 1+ year(s) experience supporting large-scale distributed systems, including diagnosing and resolving complex technical issues in production environments.
• 1+ year(s) experience contributing to cloud infrastructure development, with a focus on system reliability, scalability, and performance optimization.

Key skills/competency

• Cloud Infrastructure
• Distributed Systems
• AI Infrastructure
• Power Management
• Computer Architecture
• Research & Development
• Software Engineering
• C++/Python/Rust
• Datacenter Architecture
• Prototype Development