**Overview** Do you want to work close to the core of a modern database system—and see your work ship to production at cloud scale? We are looking for a Software Engineer II who is excited to learn, contribute to core systems, and grow into a strong database and systems engineer. You will join a diverse, geographically distributed team that values collaboration, technical rigor, and craftsmanship. This is an opportunity to work on the internals of enterprise-class relational and analytical database engines, solve hard problems, and help build a highly scalable and reliable data service for data at rest and in motion. You will also help extend PostgreSQL to natively support AI workloads, working alongside experienced engineers on systems that power intelligent applications at scale. This is an individual contributor role where you will ship meaningful production code, collaborate closely with senior engineers, and steadily build depth in PostgreSQL internals. The work spans core engine and extension development, including logical replication and reliably moving large volumes of data between systems. **Responsibilities** + Contribute to the design and implementation of high-scale distributed components that power Azure Database for PostgreSQL, learning how cloud infrastructure and managed database services operate in production + Solve deep systems problems across database internals, replication, storage, query processing, data integration, and performance optimization + Use AI-assisted development where it helps (design exploration, code review, testing, and debugging) while maintaining a high bar for performance, correctness, and maintainability + Engage with customers and the PostgreSQL ecosystem to understand real-world needs; contribute to open source when and where it makes sense + Collaborate with cross-functional partners to ensure new capabilities integrate cleanly into a cohesive, reliable managed database service + Take ownership of ambiguous technical problems and drive them to resolution—from problem framing to rollout and post-deployment validation + Perform performance analysis, debugging, and tuning for features in development and production; make improvements measurable and repeatable + Help resolve and mitigate customer- or livesite-reported incidents; identify root causes and drive long-term, stable fixes + Monitor the health of services and create dashboards and alerts to catch degrading metrics in a timely manner **Qualifications** **Required Qualifications** + Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related technical field + Significant **professional software engineering experience** , including experience working on backend systems, infrastructure, data lakes or performance-sensitive components + Proficiency in at least one systems programming language such as **C, C++, or Rust** , or strong fundamentals with demonstrated ability to ramp up quickly + Experience building, testing, and maintaining production-quality software in a collaborative engineering environment + Solid understanding of data structures, algorithms, and systems fundamentals **Preferred Qualifications** + Exposure to **PostgreSQL or similar database systems** , including extensions, indexing, query execution, or internals focused coursework or projects + Interest in, or early experience with, **analytical systems** , including OLAP DBs, data lakes, and file formats such as Iceberg + Familiarity with performance debugging, profiling, or optimization in backend systems + Academic, professional, or open-source experience with **databases, data lakes, or distributed systems** + Strong problem-solving skills and a collaborative, growth-oriented mindset + Demonstrated commitment to learning, technical rigor, and inclusive engineering culture 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. (https://careers.microsoft.com/v2/global/en/accessibility.html)