Microsoft Azure Storage is a highly distributed, massively scalable, and ubiquitously accessible cloud storage platform. Recently developed DPU (Data Processing Units) technology will provide unmatched performance at lowest cost. Our Leading Edge Pathfinding team within the **Strategic Planning and Architecture** (SPARC) organization is exploring innovating architectures using the DPU and building proofs-of-concept (POCs) to prove out these innovations. We are hiring experienced engineers to join us in the mission of furthering Azure Storage architecture. As a Principal Software Engineer, you will drive and lead the design, implementation, and optimizations of highly performant and massively scale out block storage on DPU hardware. You will be involved in all phases of the POC, from conception to a working prototype. This opportunity will allow you to accelerate your career growth, hone your technical leadership skills, and develop deep business acumen. 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** + Collaborates with appropriate stakeholders to determine internal customer requirements for a set of features. Leverages a variety of feedback channels to incorporate insights into future designs or solution fixes. Reviews work items to deepen knowledge of product features in partnership with appropriate stakeholders and executes project plans, release plans, and work items for the POC. + Leads identification of dependencies and the development of design documents for the prototype. + Creates and implements code for a product or service, as applicable. Writes and learns to create code that is extensible and maintainable. Considers diagnosability, reliability, and maintainability with few defects, and understands when the code is ready to be shared and delivered. Leads by example and mentor others to produce extensible and maintainable code used across products. + Learns the DPU architecture and strives to become an expert in DPU programming. + Proactively seeks new knowledge and adapts to new trends, technical solutions, and patterns that will improve the availability, reliability, efficiency, observability, and performance of products while also driving consistency in monitoring and operations at scale and shares knowledge with other engineers. **Qualifications** Required Qualifications: + Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science or related technical field AND 10+ years technical engineering experience with coding in languages including, but not limited to, C, C++ OR equivalent experience. + 6+ years of storage data path development experience including but not limited to data compression and encryption, log structuring. data integrity, data management. + 4+ years of experience in development of highly performant and massively scalable cloud services and distributed systems. + 6+ years of experience with technical problem solving and debugging skills. Preferred Qualifications: + Knowledge of Windows or Linux Operating System. + Experience with + storage sub systems in Linux or Windows or any major OS + storage protocols like iSCSI and NVMe + Efficient network protocols for storage traffic + RAID systems with multipath I/O + Enterprise storage systems + Strong verbal and written communications skills to engage with both technical and non-technical stakeholders at all levels. + 4+ years working as a team lead. \#SPARC Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. Consistent with applicable law, 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 and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application process, read more about requesting accommodations (https://careers.microsoft.com/v2/global/en/accessibility.html) .