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Microsoft has opened a Principal Legal Engineer position that combines legal practice, software delivery, and artificial intelligence. The hire will help commercial lawyers adopt AI tools across daily work. Microsoft wants an attorney who can build working systems, not only provide legal advice.
The position sits within Microsoft’s Corporate, External and Legal Affairs organization, known as CELA. Its Customer & Partner Solutions group supports the company’s commercial business and thousands of customer and partner interactions. Microsoft says the role will help drive internal AI adoption across its commercial legal operations.
The posting lists Redmond, Washington, among several locations and requires the successful candidate to work onsite four days each week.
According to the Microsoft job listing, the employee will report to the Director of AI Operations. Microsoft calls the position ‘a role for a builder.’ The legal engineer will work directly with engineering teams, attorneys, and paralegals. That work will connect technical development with real legal workflows.
The person will create AI agents and improve prompts for Copilot and other company tools. The job also covers Microsoft’s Scout capability and wider use of its own AI products. In addition, the engineer will turn successful prompts and agents into reusable resources for CPS teams.
Training forms another part of the position. The employee will teach attorneys and paralegals how to use new systems confidently. Microsoft also expects the hire to study existing workflows and translate legal needs into platform requirements. The group supports more than 100,000 clients worldwide, according to the listing.
Microsoft wants the legal engineer to build an internal data layer for its AI program. The system will track adoption, work volume, platform health, and developing usage trends. Leaders will use that information to review system performance and decide where CPS should direct future investment.
The employee will also oversee platform reliability with engineering teams. Duties include production support, issue handling, release management, and improvements to the CPS technology stack. Microsoft expects the legal engineer to help teams anticipate problems as AI use grows across the organization.
The role fits Microsoft’s existing focus on AI-assisted legal work. Microsoft says Copilot can support legal teams with document review, contract analysis, regulatory research, and drafting. Its guidance also calls for staff training, privacy controls, regular performance checks, and human review of AI output.
Microsoft lists a nationwide base-pay range of $147,000 to $258,000 for the Legal Counsel IC5 position. The range rises to $185,900 through $278,900 in the San Francisco Bay Area and New York City region. Benefits and other compensation may also apply, depending on Microsoft’s employment terms.
Applicants need a law degree, or an international equivalent, plus at least six years of practicing experience. They must hold an active license to practice law and meet local admission rules. Microsoft prefers at least seven years of legal experience, including work in a specialized practice area.
Preferred technical experience includes AI agents, prompt development, data reporting, low-code automation, and Microsoft Power Platform. Microsoft also lists experience with Harvey or Copilot as desirable. The job calls for someone who can explain data to nontechnical teams and convert legal needs into technical requirements.
