Software Engineer II - CoreAI

The GenAI revolution has accelerated the need for advanced retrieval systems that power Copilot style applications combining large language models with external data. In Azure, Azure AI Search is the go-to solution for these scenarios.

We're looking for a Software Engineer II - CoreAI to join our Data Ingestion & Augmentation team. This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to the next wave of AI-powered cloud services and help enterprise customers build Generative AI applications.

What You'll Do

• Develop connectors to integrate with diverse customer data sources and seamlessly ingest content into Azure AI Search indexes.
• Enrich the ingested content with AI/ML capabilities by generating vector embeddings for text and images, extracting key phrases, and transforming unstructured data into structured, meaningful representations.
• Help transform traditional search indexes into intelligent AI indexes.

Our Mission

We aim to make Azure AI Search the knowledge and memory layer for AI-powered Agentic applications by:

• Building new data representations (natural language, vectors, knowledge graphs).
• Advancing multi-modal search for text, images, audio, and video.
• Integrating with Azure services like Azure OpenAI, Azure ML, and Logic Apps.

Why Join Us

• Work on impactful projects that enable next-generation Copilot experiences.
• Collaborate in a culture rooted in growth mindset, respect, integrity, and inclusion.

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:

• You should have a solid understanding of the software development cycle and will use data and experiments to inform decisions.
• You'll write secure, reliable, scalable, and maintainable code, and then effectively debug it, test it, and support it in production.
• System design through well-defined interfaces across multiple components, code reviews, leveraging data/telemetry to make decisions.
• You will contribute to the Microsoft ecosystem around Retrieval Augmented Generation through releasing products and services that power various generative AI applications.
• Maintain operations of live service as issues arise on a rotational, on-call basis.
• You will participate in creating and sustaining a trusted and effective work environment.
• We have a growth mindset and passion for continuous learning. You should expect that your teammates will be invested in helping make you successful and expect the same in return from you.
• You will be collaborating with teams both within and outside Azure AI Search and will need to be able to quickly pick up expertise in building new integration touch points.

Required 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, JavaScript, or Python
  • OR equivalent experience.
• 1+ years experience with one or more of the following Distributed systems, Artificial Intelligence, Backend Development

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 Qualifcation:

• Master's Degree in Computer Science or related technical field AND 3+ 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 5+ years technical engineering experience with coding in languages including, but not limited to, C, C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, or Python
  • OR equivalent experience.
• Ability to communicate and collaborate and to work effectively across teams and with customers.
• Hands-on Agile Development experience and proficiency in tools such as Azure DevOps, GitHub, or others.
• Background or practical experience in Information Retrieval, Vector Databases or Large Language Models for real-world applications.
• Demonstrated ability to design and deliver fault-tolerant, high-availability services.
• Intellectual curiosity and learning mindset with track record of applying emerging technologies to complex problems

#CoreAI

Software Engineering IC3 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $100,600 - $199,000 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 $131,400 - $215,400 per year.

Certain roles may be eligible for benefits and other compensation. Find additional benefits and pay information here:
https://careers.microsoft.com/us/en/us-corporate-pay

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.