Software Engineer II - Azure AI Services

AI is rapidly transforming how people work and interact with technology. Join our team at the forefront of this transformation, where we develop Azure OpenAI and other Azure AI cloud services that help developers bring the latest AI models into their applications. As part of the Cloud + AI Foundry Inferencing and Training organization, our team builds and operates large-scale cloud services for AI, with a focus on inference for multimodal models, including audio and image models.

We are looking for a highly motivated software engineer to help build and operate cloud services for audio models, including the Azure OpenAI Realtime API. The ideal candidate brings strong distributed systems expertise, a solid foundation in AI concepts, and hands-on experience with the technologies behind high-scale cloud services. This role offers the opportunity for high impact, fast-paced innovation, and close collaboration with teams across the globe.

You will work on the infrastructure behind advanced AI experiences in production, solving deep engineering challenges in reliability, latency, scale, and developer experience.

In line with our Flexible Work approach, for roles at Microsoft Germany, we recommend spending at least two days per week in the office.

Architect and Implement Cloud Services for AI: design and build scalable, reliable architectures that meet high-performance requirements for AI systems, including inference engine, services, and APIs.

Apply deep knowledge of distributed systems principles to create robust solutions.

Debug and Optimize Across the Stack: dive deep into large existing codebases to identify and resolve issues quickly. Ensure fast turnaround for critical fixes while maintaining system integrity.

Operate global cloud services: be part of the DevOps team responsible for operating our cloud services. Work on diagnosing and mitigating any issues together with partner teams.

Collaborate Across Teams and Partners: work closely with multiple internal teams and external partners to solve complex problems, align on technical decisions, and deliver integrated solutions.

Innovate and Drive Technical Excellence: identify non-obvious technical approaches that unlock new possibilities.

Architect and execute features with measurable goals, iterating rapidly to achieve outcomes.

Full-Stack Ownership: engage with components across the entire stack—from infrastructure to APIs—to deliver end-to-end solutions.

Leadership and Influence: Articulate complex concepts clearly, build consensus, and create systems that accelerate team velocity.

Demonstrate exceptional judgment and autonomy in execution.

Required/minimum qualifications
Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science or related technical field AND technical engineering experience with coding in languages including, but not limited to, C, C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, or Python OR equivalent experience.

Additional or preferred qualifications

Master's Degree in Computer Science or related technical field AND 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 technical engineering experience with coding in languages including, but not limited to, C, C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, or Python OR equivalent experience.
Experience designing and operating distributed systems, scalable cloud architectures, and production APIs.
Understanding of ML/AI fundamentals, with experience applying them to practical product or platform scenarios.
Familiarity with relevant technologies such as Kubernetes, Docker, Azure DevOps, gRPC, and FastAPI; programming languages such as Python, C++, C#, and Rust; and AI/ML or agent-development frameworks such as Semantic Kernel, AutoGen, and LangChain.
Experience in AI-native engineering practices, with hands-on experience applying AI to develop software solutions across the development lifecycle, including code generation, test automation, and related workflows.
Optional experience with OpenAI API / Azure OpenAI. 

Software Engineering IC3 - The typical base pay range for this role across Germany is € 71,700.00 - € 121,100.00 per year. Certain roles may be eligible for benefits and other compensation.

Find additional benefits and pay information here:
https://careers.microsoft.com/v2/global/en/corporate-pay/germany-corporate-pay.html

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.