Microsoft Azure is one of the fastest-growing cloud platforms in the world, empowering organizations of all sizes to build, deploy, and manage applications across a global network of Microsoft-managed datacenters. Azure Networking is the backbone of Microsoft’s global cloud infrastructure, connecting millions of devices and services across the globe with high availability, low latency, and enterprise-grade security. It encompasses a vast array of services including Azure Virtual Network, Azure Load Balancer, Azure Application Gateway, Azure Firewall, Azure Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) Protection, and Azure Front Door. As security threats evolve and the attack surface expands, safeguarding our customers’ applications and data is paramount. The Azure Web Application Firewall (WAF) is a critical component of Microsoft’s cloud-native security platform, providing intelligent threat detection and mitigation for web applications. The WAF team operates at the forefront of cloud-scale security, building high-performance, globally distributed services that protect millions of users and critical workloads every day. We are looking for a **Senior Software Engineer** to help shape the future of Azure WAF. You will design and build scalable, secure, and intelligent services that protect mission-critical applications from evolving threats. This is a high-impact role with the opportunity to influence Microsoft's cloud security posture and make a tangible difference in protecting customers worldwide. If you are an engineer with a track record of delivering high quality services, passion to build and grow people, and the excitement to operate in a startup culture while delivering services with enterprise level maturity, this is a great opportunity for you to take the next step in your career. This is a high visibility position in an area of large and expanding investment for Azure and offers a terrific opportunity to innovate, influence, transform, and grow! Our culture promotes diversity and inclusion and is clearly reflected in all the things we do. Diversity is more than a commitment for us - it is the foundation of what we do. 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** + Lead the design, implement, and maintain core components of Azure WAF, with a focus on performance, scalability, and security. + Drive architecture improvements and mentor other engineers in adopting best practices across distributed systems. + Collaborate across security, networking, and identity infrastructure teams to deliver seamless and reliable protection for Azure customers. + Develop and optimize detection mechanisms for OWASP threats, bot attacks, and custom rule configurations. + Deliver high-quality code and lead through code reviews, test automation, and continuous integration. + Collaborate with product managers, security engineers, and UX designers to deliver customer-centric features. + Other: + Embody our Culture (https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/about/corporate-values) and Values (https://careers.microsoft.com/us/en/culture) **Qualifications** **Required/Minimum Qualifications:** + Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science or related technical field AND 4+ years technical engineering experience with coding in languages including, but not limited to, C, C++, C#, Java, Rust, Golang or Python + OR equivalent experience. + 4+ years of experience in distributed systems, networking protocols, and security principles. + 4+ years of experience in designing and building scalable backend services or cloud infrastructure. + 1+ year(s) of experience in cloud platforms (preferably Azure, AWS, or GCP). **Other Requirements:** + Ability 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:  + Microsoft Cloud Background Check: This position will be required to pass the Microsoft Cloud Background Check upon hire/transfer and every two years thereafter. **Additional or Preferred Qualifications:** + Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science + OR related technical field AND 8+ years technical engineering experience with coding in languages including, but not limited to, C, C++, C#, Java, Rust, Golang or Python + OR Master'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, Rust, Golang or Python + OR equivalent experience. + 2+ years of experience in Networking (TCP/IP, UDP, TLS/SSL, HTTP/HTTPS) or Authentication Protocols (OAuth2, SAML) + 2+ years of experience in Designing and running large-scale fault-tolerant infrastructure services and RESTful Services + 1+ years experience with web application firewalls, DDoS mitigation, threat detection systems, zero trust architecture or secure access solutions + 1+ years experience with Container platforms and technologies (Dockers, Kubernetes) Software Engineering IC4 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $119,800 - $234,700 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 $158,400 - $258,000 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 Microsoft will accept applications for the role until August 8, 2025. \#azurecorejobs Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. Consistent with applicable law, 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 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) .