# Principal Software Engineering Manager - Search

**Company**: Microsoft
**Location**: Hyderabad, India
**Experience**: senior
**Job type**: full-time
**Category**: Engineering
**Industry**: Technology
**Ticker**: MSFT
**Wikidata**: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2283

**Apply**: https://microsoft.ai/job/principal-software-engineering-manager-search-2/?utm_source=yubhub.co&utm_medium=jobs_feed&utm_campaign=apply
**Canonical**: https://yubhub.co/jobs/job_41f31e68-984

## Description

## Overview

Join the Windows Platform and Developer (WPD) division's Search and AI Platform team as a Principal Software Engineering Manager. Lead a team of 7-10 engineers in delivering platform-level search and AI Platform capabilities. The team focuses on building next-generation search for File Explorer, Universal Search, Copilot, and future MCP/LLM integrations, as well as Windows AI Platform for integrating advanced AI capabilities into applications.

## Responsibilities

- Own the technical direction and architecture for the Windows Search Platform from design through retail delivery.

- Drive the evolution of Search Platform into an AI-native infrastructure layer.

- Lead cross-functional partnerships with Products, File Explorer, and other external partners.

- Establish and enforce release discipline and observability.

- Define and drive data-backed engineering decisions.

- Lead, mentor, and grow a team of 7-10 engineers.

- Recruit and retain top systems engineering talent.

- Represent the team's work to senior leadership.

- Drive program execution across multiple concurrent tracks.

- Champion AI-assisted engineering practices.

- Provide thought leadership for the broader organization on search platform architecture.

## Qualifications

### Required Qualifications:

- Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science or related technical field AND 6+ years technical engineering experience with coding in languages including C, C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, or Python.

- 4+ years of people management experience leading engineering teams.

- Solid systems programming background with experience in platform/infrastructure-level software development.

- Experience with search/indexing systems, database internals, file systems, or information retrieval at scale.

### Preferred Qualifications:

- Master’s Degree in Computer Science or related technical field AND 8+ years technical engineering experience.

- 6+ years of people management experience with demonstrated track record of growing senior/principal-level engineers.

- Deep understanding of Windows internals, NT kernel, file systems, and OS-level search infrastructure.

- Experience driving multi-track programs with solid release governance and retail delivery discipline.

- Proven ability to drive architectural decisions across organizational boundaries.

- Track record of defining and enforcing quality gates, telemetry pipelines, and data-backed engineering decisions.

- Experience with AI/ML integration in systems software.

- Methodical analytical skills with a systematic approach to software design and architecture.

## Skills

### Required
- C
- C++
- C#
- Java
- JavaScript
- Python
- systems programming
- platform/infrastructure-level software development
- search/indexing systems
- database internals
- file systems
- information retrieval at scale

### Nice to have
- Master’s Degree in Computer Science
- Windows internals
- NT kernel
- OS-level search infrastructure
- multi-track programs
- release governance
- retail delivery discipline
- AI/ML integration in systems software

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Source: [Apply at microsoft.ai](https://microsoft.ai/job/principal-software-engineering-manager-search-2/?utm_source=yubhub.co&utm_medium=jobs_feed&utm_campaign=apply)