Principal Software Engineer - Windows App and Windows Platform

The Windows Cloud Experiences team builds the Windows App, the unified client for connecting to Windows 365, Azure Virtual Desktop, and remote PCs. We create secure, reliable, and high-performance client experiences that bring together native Windows capabilities and cloud-powered services across devices and form factors.   We are looking for a principal engineer who combines deep Windows systems expertise with broad architectural leadership. You will turn complex operating-system, networking, identity, remoting, performance, and reliability challenges into a coherent technical strategy for Windows App. This role is centered on native Windows client and platform engineering, with impact that spans multiple teams and partner organizations.   As a Principal Software Engineer on Windows App, you will set the technical direction for critical areas of the native Windows client and lead architecture from customer scenarios through implementation, release, and live-site operation. You will work across application, platform, and service boundaries to make remote Windows experiences secure, responsive, dependable, and deeply integrated with the operating system.   You will operate as a technical leader across teams, creating clarity in ambiguous problem spaces, aligning engineering investments with the product vision, and guiding durable decisions in complex codebases. You will grow other technical leaders through design guidance, architecture reviews, debugging support, and mentoring.

Define and drive the long-term architecture and technical strategy for major areas of Windows App and its native Windows platform, using modern C++ and C# where appropriate and integrating deeply with Win32, WinRT, COM, Windows services, and operating-system APIs. Lead the design and delivery of high-impact, cross-cutting scenarios spanning connection setup, session lifecycle, authentication, OS integration, reliability, performance, and security. Architect secure, scalable, and maintainable systems that span processes, threads, services, client applications, SDK boundaries, and cloud-backed experiences. Lead investigations of the most complex engineering issues using debuggers, dumps, traces, logs, and telemetry, including problems involving concurrency, memory, networking, latency, compatibility, and operating-system integration. Drive multi-team execution from customer and business outcomes through architecture, design, implementation, validation, deployment, experimentation, monitoring, and live-site response; identify risks and make clear technical tradeoffs. Build alignment across Windows, Windows 365, Azure Virtual Desktop, identity, security, design, and product teams, influencing partner roadmaps, interfaces, and end-to-end engineering decisions. Establish and evolve engineering standards for performance, reliability, accessibility, security, testability, operational excellence, and long-term maintainability across the client platform. Develop technical leaders, mentor senior engineers, lead architecture and design reviews, and create clarity in ambiguous or cross-organization problem spaces.

Required/Minimum Qualifications: 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. 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.

Deep expertise in Windows systems technologies such as Win32, WinRT, COM, RPC, Windows services, inter-process communication,