Principal Full Stack Engineer Jobs in California

Overview

As Microsoft continues to push the boundaries of AI, we are on the lookout for passionate individuals to work with us on the most interesting and challenging AI questions of our time. Our vision is bold and broad — to build systems that have true artificial intelligence across agents, applications, services, and infrastructure. It’s also inclusive: we aim to make AI accessible to all — consumers, businesses, developers — so that everyone can realize its benefits.

About The Team

We build the cross-cutting capabilities that shape the future of human-AI interaction. Our work spans modalities—text, voice, vision, action—and pushes the boundaries of what intelligence can do in people's lives. We partner deeply with design, product, and applied AI to ship extraordinary experiences that define what Copilot becomes. The problems we solve don't fit neatly into one layer of the stack or one corner of the org—which is exactly what makes them interesting. Our mandate is to make Copilot the essential AI companion: ubiquitous, always capable, always there. We're building for a future where AI doesn't just respond—it acts, creates, and orchestrates.

About The Role

You'll build revolutionary experiences at the intersection of modality and intelligence. The pace is fast. The ambiguity is high. You'll ship things that millions of people use—and you'll ship things that don't exist anywhere else yet. If you want to work on well-scoped problems with clear answers, this isn't the team. If you want to define the future of how humans and AI live and work together, come build with us.

Responsibilities

- Create breakthrough experiences that redefine what an AI companion can do
- Build across modalities—voice, vision, text, and action—to make Copilot feel seamless and alive
- Own features end-to-end, from concept through production, at scale
- Collaborate with applied AI researchers to bring cutting-edge model capabilities to users
- Ship experiments rapidly, learn from usage, and iterate toward experiences that feel like magic
- Work across team boundaries on problems that span the entire product

Qualifications

Required Qualification

Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science or related technical field AND 6+ 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

- Master's Degree in Computer Science or related technical field AND 8+ years technical engineering experience with coding in languages including, but not limited to, C, C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, or Python OR Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science or related technical field AND 12+ years technical engineering experience with coding in languages including, but not limited to, C, C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, or Python OR equivalent experience.
- Strong full-stack fundamentals across frontend (React, TypeScript) and backend systems
- Proficiency in Python or similar languages for backend development
- Experience building scalable web APIs and services
- Comfort with ambiguity and the ability to move fast in loosely-defined problem spaces
- Taste for great product experiences and a drive to ship work that matters

Compensation

Software 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.

Software Engineering IC6 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $163,000 - $296,400 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 $220,800 - $331,200 per year. Certain roles may be eligible for benefits and other compensation.

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.