Software Engineer 2 - Performance

Job description

**Overview** The Windows Ecosystem and Commercial Engagement team (WECE) sits at the center of how Microsoft brings the full power of Windows to life across a global ecosystem of partners, customers, and engineering teams. Our mission is to transform strategic priorities into real-world innovation—connecting technology, insight, and collaboration so Windows continues to deliver outstanding experiences on every device. Within WECE, Hardware Engineering Enablement (HEE) accelerates the integration of modern hardware capabilities into Windows PCs and provides the tools, guidance, and engineering partnership that elevate device quality, performance, efficiency, and user delight across the ecosystem. We are looking for a self-motivated, innovative, and accountable Software Engineer II to help evolve the next generation of performance assessments within WAT. In this role, you will collaborate across Microsoft to enable fast, smooth, and delightful PC experiences, while applying advances in AI and data to make the toolkit smarter, more reliable, and more impactful for the entire Windows ecosystem. Performance and responsiveness are fundamental to every Windows device—they shape how customers start their day, launch apps, multitask, create, connect, and stay in flow. The Windows Assessment Toolkit (WAT), part of the Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit (ADK), is the trusted measurement platform that OEMs, ODMs, silicon partners, and IHVs rely on to evaluate device performance and bring high-quality Windows PCs to market. Our team owns the performance assessments and trace-backed diagnostics that turn Microsoft’s measurement approach into a credible, scalable ecosystem practice. 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, develop, and maintain performance assessment solutions that evaluate responsiveness and user experience across Windows devices. - Build diagnostic and analysis capabilities that transform complex runtime data into actionable engineering insights. - Investigate performance regressions and identify bottlenecks across operating systems, storage, memory, application, and platform components. - Develop scalable tooling, trace-processing systems, and automation frameworks that accelerate root-cause analysis and issue resolution. - Define and maintain performance metrics, measurement methodologies, and reporting standards used across validation environments. - Collaborate with engineering teams to drive performance improvements and validate optimization efforts. - Contribute to technical design discussions, architecture reviews, and engineering execellence practices. - Support a culture of technical excellence through documentation, code reviews, mentoring, and knowledge sharing. **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. - Outstanding troubleshooting skills, especially for Windows debugging. - Solid understanding of performance management and measurement, boot/startup flow, scheduling, memory/storage/IO latency analysis. - Demonstrated ability to work independently on features with minimal supervision and diagnose non-deterministic or flaky measurement results. - Outstanding communication, collaboration, and presentation skills in Mandarin and English. **Additional / Preferred Qualifications:** - Solid understanding of performance management and measurement, boot/startup flow, scheduling, memory/storage/IO latency analysis. - Hands-on experience with WPR/WPA, Xperf, and ETW trace capture and analysis. - Familiarity with ADK/WAT assessments and the Performance Toolkit SDK / WPA plugin model. - Good understanding of Windows OS internals relevant to performance (Windows kernel, memory & IO management, scheduling, boot flow). - Familiarity with performance validation concepts and goals for Windows devices. - Experience with CI/CD, code signing, and secure-by-default engineering practices. - Good command of AI tools and data analytical skills. - Prior collaboration with OEM/IHV partners. #W+DJOBS 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)