Microsoft Python Jobs in Virginia (NOW HIRING)

Overview
Join the Azure AI Platform air gapped engineering team as a Software Engineer II delivering secure, scalable, and mission critical AI infrastructure for Microsoft's most sensitive cloud environments. We build foundational services that power Azure Machine Learning, Azure AI Services, Azure OpenAI, and Microsoft Foundry capabilities across air gapped, sovereign, and commercial clouds.
Our team aligns with the Foundry Product Way, which emphasizes first principles thinking, customer first innovation, and rapid learning cycles. We design systems that are not only scalable and reliable, but adaptive to a rapidly evolving AI landscape, requiring engineers who thrive in complex, high impact spaces and who build using modern AI accelerated workflows. This environment is built for engineers who want to do their life's best work and contribute to the foundation for every AI application on the planet.
We operate as full stack AI native builders, leveraging modern tooling and AI systems to accelerate development speed, enhance product quality, and maximize time spent solving deep technical problems.
Spanning Azure Machine Learning, Azure AI Services, Azure OpenAI, and Microsoft Foundry, we build and operate the platform that brings frontier models and critical AI capabilities to every person and organization on the planet-so they can achieve more.
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 maintain secure, reliable, and scalable cloud services supporting Azure AI Platform workloads across air gapped and sovereign cloud environments.
• Apply strong engineering fundamentals-automation, observability, testing, resiliency, and secure by default design-throughout the development lifecycle.
• Develop and improve automated systems for deployment, validation, telemetry, and operations to reduce manual overhead and increase engineering velocity.
• Use AI assisted development and operational tools (e.g., GitHub Copilot, safe Large Language Mode (LLM) workflows) to accelerate coding, debugging, documentation, and rapid prototyping as part of becoming a full stack AI native builder.
• Participate in on call rotations, investigate service issues, perform root cause analysis, and contribute durable fixes to improve long term system health.
• Incorporate customer and partner feedback into engineering decisions, following the Foundry Product Way's focus on customer first innovation and rapid learning loops.
• Collaborate across engineering teams using clear communication and canonical documentation to maintain alignment and support a culture of craftsmanship, curiosity, and continuous improvement.
Other:

• Embody our Culture and Values

Qualifications
Required/minimum qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science or related technical field AND 2+ 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 Clearance with access to Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) based on a Single Scope Background Investigation (SSBI) with Polygraph. Ability to meet Microsoft, customer and/or government security screening requirements are required pre-offer and post-hire for this role. Failure to maintain or obtain the appropriate U.S. Government 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

Additional or preferred qualifications

• Master's Degree in Computer Science or related technical field AND 3+ years 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 5+ years technical engineering experience with coding in languages including, but not limited to, C, C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, or Python
  • OR equivalent experience
• Experience with Docker and Kubernetes
• Background in cloud platforms (Azure preferred)
• Proficiency in C# or Python
• Understanding of CI/CD and automation best practices
• Problem-solving and debugging skills across cloud services, platform components, and operational tooling.
• Demonstrated ability and willingness to learn rapidly in a fast-evolving AI and infrastructure environment, including staying current with new architectures, tooling, and best practices.

Software Engineering IC3 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $102,100 - $202,200 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 $133,800 - $219,200 per year.
Certain roles may be eligible for benefits and other compensation. Find additional benefits and pay information here:
https://careers.microsoft.com/us/en/us-corporate-pay
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.