The Xbox Experiences and Platforms team at Microsoft is at the forefront of the rapidly growing gaming industry. Our mission is to empower over 3 billion gamers worldwide by providing seamless gaming experiences across devices, fostering community, and enabling creators to build innovative games. We’re looking for a Software Engineer 2 who will play a key role in designing and building the services that power Xbox’s cloud and console platforms.

As part of this role, you will be part of a team dedicated to building reliable, scalable services that deliver rich gaming experiences. You’ll be expected to innovate and modernize Xbox platform services while ensuring the systems are robust and meet high-performance standards.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and maintain online services that power the Xbox gaming experience. This includes cloud-based systems, gaming APIs, and back-end services.
• Focus on the end-to-end lifecycle of service creation—from initial concept, to design, implementation, testing, and continuous improvement.
• Work closely with cross-functional teams (product managers, other engineers, and designers) to determine service requirements, refine system architectures, and design high-performance solutions.
• Contribute to the architectural design of scalable services and propose innovative ways to improve existing systems.
• Write high-quality, maintainable, and well-documented code.
• Conduct code reviews to ensure reliability, security, and performance standards are upheld.
• Implement robust testing practices, including unit tests, integration tests, and performance benchmarks to ensure high-quality releases.
• Take ownership of services you work on, acting as the Designated Responsible Individual (DRI) in on-call rotations.
• Ensure services are continuously monitored to meet the Service Level Agreements (SLAs). Troubleshoot and resolve issues promptly.
• Analyze metrics and performance data to identify areas for improvement, ensuring the stability and reliability of Xbox gaming services.
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement within the team by implementing feedback loops, optimizing system performance, and automating manual processes.
• Use data-driven approaches to improve the efficiency, scalability, and reliability of gaming services and platforms.

Required Qualifications

1. Education. Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science or a related technical field, or equivalent work experience.
2. 2+ years of experience in software engineering, with proficiency in programming languages such as C#, Java, Node.js, or Python.
3. Proven experience working with web technologies (e.g., HTTP, RESTful APIs) and cloud computing platforms (e.g., Microsoft Azure).
4. Knowledge of cloud services architecture, performance, and scalability considerations.
5. Solid experience with debugging, problem-solving, and troubleshooting complex systems.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science or related technical field AND 3+ years of technical engineering experience.
• Experience in designing and developing online services that serve millions of users.
• Knowledge of Azure Kubernetes Services (AKS), NoSQL databases (e.g., CosmosDB, MongoDB), and containerization technologies.
• Experience with CI/CD pipelines, automated testing, and service monitoring.

Additional Skills

• Experience with distributed systems, microservices architecture, and cloud-native design patterns.
• Understanding of service design principles, including scalability, high availability, and fault tolerance.
• Demonstrated ability to work in collaborative, cross-functional teams and influence design and technical decisions.

Core Competencies

1. Technical Excellence. You bring a strong engineering background, an analytical mindset, and the ability to solve challenging problems with creative solutions. Whether it’s designing a new feature or ensuring the reliability of a service, you write high-quality code that delivers exceptional user experiences.
2. Collaboration. You thrive in team settings and enjoy collaborating with engineers, product managers, and designers. You facilitate open discussions, provide feedback, and lead by example.
3. Innovation. You are passionate about new technologies and innovations in gaming. You stay up-to-date with emerging trends in the tech industry and leverage them to push the boundaries of gaming experiences.
4. Ownership. You take full responsibility for your services. When issues arise, you’re proactive in troubleshooting and resolving them quickly. You continuously monitor performance and iterate on your code to ensure optimal performance.

Why Microsoft?
Microsoft offers an inclusive environment that fosters growth, creativity, and innovation. We empower employees to shape the future of technology, from AI to gaming, in ways that impact millions of users globally. As a part of Microsoft, you will have the chance to work on some of the most exciting challenges in tech, push the boundaries of cloud services, and be part of a team that’s redefining the gaming experience.

Microsoft is an equal-opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

How to Apply. When applying for the Software Engineer 2 role, consider the following.

1. Tailor your resume. Highlight your technical skills (especially with languages such as C#, Java, Python, or Node.js), experience with cloud technologies (Azure), and online service development.
2. Demonstrate your passion for gaming. If applicable, mention any personal interest, contributions, or projects related to gaming—whether it's developing games, participating in gaming communities, or contributing to gaming technology.
3. Showcase your problem-solving ability. Provide examples of how you’ve solved complex technical problems in previous roles, particularly around reliability, performance, and scalability.