Software Engineer - Azure Data

Overview

Microsoft is a company where passionate innovators come to collaborate, envision what can be and take their careers further. This is a world of more possibilities, more innovation, more openness, and the sky is the limit thinking in a cloud-enabled world.

Microsoft’s Azure Data engineering team is leading the transformation of analytics in the world of data with products like databases, data integration, big data analytics, messaging & real-time analytics, and business intelligence. The products of our portfolio include Microsoft Fabric, Azure SQL DB, Azure Cosmos DB, Azure PostgreSQL, Azure Data Factory, Azure Synapse Analytics, Azure Service Bus, Azure Event Grid, and Power BI. Our mission is tobuild the data platform for the age of AI, powering a new class of data-first applications and driving a data culture.

​​Within Azure Data, the databases team builds and maintains Microsoft's operational Database systems. We store and manage data in a structured way to enable a multitude of applications across various industries. We are on a journey to enable developer friendly, mission-critical, AI enabled operational Databases across relational, non-relational and OSS offerings.​

​​Are you excited by the challenge of building cloud-scale systems that push the boundaries of performance, availability, and intelligent data access? Are you passionate about database systems, distributed infrastructure, and the opportunity to work on deep technical problems alongside experienced engineers and researchers?

The Azure PostgreSQL Database Services team is hiring early-career engineers with advanced degrees in Computer Science or related fields to join our mission to build the next-generation PostgreSQL platform on Azure. This platform powers mission-critical applications across startups, enterprises, and AI-driven workloads.

The Azure PostgreSQL Database Services team is seeking early-career engineers with advanced degrees in Computer Science or related fields who are passionate about database system internals. Candidates should bring a genuine curiosity for how databases work under the hood, with prior academic or practical work in areas such as storage engines, query processing, concurrency control, or transaction management. Join our mission to build the next-generation PostgreSQL platform on Azure, powering mission-critical applications across startups, enterprises, and AI-driven workloads.

As a core part of the team, you will contribute to innovations in storage systems, high availability, replication, query processing, and PostgreSQL engine internals, gaining deep experience in real-world distributed systems. You’ll work in a collaborative, high-growth environment where your ideas, curiosity, and academic expertise are valued and developed.

About the Team

We are a fast-growing, highly collaborative team dedicated to advancing the capabilities of modern database systems and empowering developers through deep technical innovation. Our work covers essential areas of database systems internals, including storage architecture, memory management, high-performance query processing, replication technologies, and robust distributed systems design. We believe that groundbreaking progress emerges at the intersection of rigorous systems engineering, thoughtful collaboration, and bold experimentation. Our inclusive, high-performing culture values diverse viewpoints, continuous technical growth, and an unwavering commitment to excellence that drives impactful results throughout the database technology landscape.

We do not just value differences or different perspectives. We seek them out and invite them in so we can tap into the collective power of everyone in the company. As a result, our customers are better served.

Why This Role Is Unique

• Technical Depth: Work at the intersection of research and production in one of the most technically demanding areas of cloud infrastructure: relational databases on a global scale.
• Mentorship and Growth: You’ll work alongside and learn from senior engineers and domain experts in distributed systems, databases, and cloud platforms. They’ll mentor and support you as you build your skills, deepen your expertise, and grow into a trusted contributor to real-world systems.
• Impact and Learning: Your work will ship to production and serve real users. You’ll learn how world-class engineering teams operate and how to turn great ideas into durable, scalable systems.
• Community and Culture: Be part of a collaborative, inclusive, and high-performing team that values intellectual curiosity, academic excellence, and real-world impact.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, or related technical discipline with proven experience coding in languages including, but not limited to, C, C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, Rust, or Python,OR equivalent experience.
• Proessional or academic experience in database systems internals.
• Experience with systems engineering.

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 Qualifications

• ​​Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science or related technical field AND 1+ year(s) technical experience with high performance native software engineering with C, C++, or Rust,
• OR Master's Degree in Computer Science or related technical field with technical experience with high performance native software engineering with C, C++, or Rust,
• OR equivalent experience.
• Past research or engineering projects in database internals areas, such as storage engines, transaction management, and query optimization.
• 1+ year(s) experience with database systems in cloud computing space.

Software Engineering IC2 - The typical base pay range for this role across the $84,200 - $165,200 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 $109,000 - $180,400 per year.

Certain roles may be eligible for benefits and other compensation. Find additional benefits and pay information here:

Microsoft will accept applications and processes offers for these roles on an ongoing basis.

Responsibilities

• ​Contributes to the design and implementation of high-scale, distributed components that form the foundation of Azure’s managed PostgreSQL service.
• Works on deep systems problems in areas such as database internals, replication, storage, query processing, and performance optimization.
• Collaborates with experienced engineers and mentors to translate ideas from research and design into production-grade systems.
• Writes high-quality code and participates in design reviews, code reviews, and operational reviews.
• Learns how cloud infrastructure, managed database services, and global-scale systems operate in practice.
• Stays current with academic and industry trends in databases and systems, and applies cutting-edge ideas to real-world engineering problems.

Benefits/perks listed below may vary depending on the nature of your employment with Microsoft and the country where you work.Industry leading healthcareEducational resourcesDiscounts on products and servicesSavings and investmentsMaternity and paternity leaveGenerous time awayGiving programsOpportunities to network and connect