Principal Software Engineer - CTJ - TS/SCI

Overview

The mission of the Spectre team is to make fundamental contributions to advancing the state of the art in Geospatial AI, including developing foundation models for aerial object detection, tracking and map generation, and building an end-to-end AI pipeline using cutting-edge ML techniques and system optimization. We conduct applied research and integrate our AI solutions on real customer data to deliver high-value and high-impact solutions. We are an agile team that moves fast from ideas to experimentation, and to product development. We are looking for a motivated Principal Software Engineer to join us in delivering the next wave of AI innovation.

In collaboration with Microsoft Planetary Computer, Spectre is building the AI Platform to harness the power of PB of data and cutting-edge foundation models to generate accurate geospatial insights for a growing number of customers.

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

• Design, build, and operate cloud-native microservices in Python to support AI foundation models and agentic workflows at scale.
• Develop and maintain REST APIs and backend services using Azure AKS, IAM, Redis, and messaging systems with production-grade reliability.
• Apply Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) and CI/CD pipelines to automate deployment and ensure production readiness.
• Partner with industry-leading Engineers, Data Scientists, Designers and Program Managers to deliver solid technical designs
• Embody our culture and values.

Qualifications

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:

Security Clearance Requirements: Candidates must be able 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:

• The successful candidate must have an active U.S. Government Top Secret/SCI Security Clearance. Ability to meet Microsoft, customer and/or government security screening requirements are required for this role. Failure to maintain or obtain the appropriate clearance and/or customer screening requirements may result in employment action up to and including termination.
• Clearance Verification: This position requires successful verification of the stated security clearance to meet federal government customer requirements. You will be asked to provide clearance verification information prior to an offer of employment.
• Microsoft Cloud Background Check: This position will be required to pass the Microsoft Cloud background check upon hire/transfer and every two years thereafter.
• Citizenship & Citizenship Verification: This position requires verification of U.S. citizenship due to citizenship-based legal restrictions. Specifically, this position supports United States federal, state, and/or local United States government agency customer and is subject to certain citizenship-based restrictions where required or permitted by applicable law. To meet this legal requirement, citizenship will be verified via a valid passport, or other approved documents, or verified US government Clearance

Preferred/Additional Qualifications:

• Hands-on experience with REST APIs, backend services, and containerization technologies (e.g. Docker).
• Experience with Azure cloud services (AKS, IAM, Redis, messaging systems).
• Background in building scalable, distributed backend systems.
• Practical experience working with geospatial data workflows or datasets.

Software Engineering IC5 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $139,900 - $274,800 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 $188,000 - $304,200 per year.

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