Development
Developers are responsible for constructing software that delights customers and adds
strategic value to Microsoft. Developers evaluate requirements, estimate development costs, design and implement the software, review the design and implementation, improve the development process, perform unit testing, communicate status, manage risks and
compromises, integrate software into a larger system, and diagnose and resolve issues.
Career Stage Profiles
IC2: Software Development Engineer
Works on a specific feature or section of code. SDEs at this stage typically require supervision and are concerned with building basic development experience and expertise appropriate for the
discipline.
IC3: Software Development Engineer 2
Works on a specific feature area or component. SDE2s work autonomously and make broad contributions to the product and demonstrate emerging technical leadership.
IC4: Senior Software Development Engineer
Acts as a leader within his or her feature team. This leadership may come from deep
understanding of a specific technical area, or it may come from demonstrated leadership in an engineering practice and in the Development discipline.
IC5: Principal Software Development Engineer
Acts as a technical leader across an entire product. This leadership may come from deep understanding of a specific technical area, or it may come from leadership in an engineering practice.
IC6: Partner Software Development Engineer
Works at business group- or Microsoft-wide scope. At Microsoft-wide scope, he or she may be the representative of the product line or technology to members of the community outside of Microsoft.
IC7: Distinguished Engineer
The Distinguished Engineer (DE) is not a career stage per se but a title and set of
responsibilities conferred to recognize individuals at the highest level of nonexecutive technical achievement. DE work is detailed within a specific business group and product line, but the contribution is influential Microsoft-wide.
IC8: Technical Fellow
The Technical Fellow is recognized internally and externally as a world-class expert. Leads technological innovation with industry-wide effects.
Software Development Engineer
Scope and Impact Compare Scope and Impact Across This Discipline
Design and architecture tradeoffs: Makes appropriate design trade-offs for a
feature
Risks & dependencies: Identifies risks and dependencies in the schedule for a
feature
Code quality: Writes unit test and fully leverages the automatable system for a
feature
Customer & partner quality resolution: Solves customer/partner problems in a
timely manner; accounts for the performance, operation, and serviceability of the
feature
CSP User Guide Collapse All
Business: Design
includes results related to enabling scenarios, quality, extensibility, and the "basics"; compatibility and flexibility; maintenance across the life cycle; compromises; innovations; performance and serviceability; implementation standards; and architecture
Full
1.Designed a robust, scalable, secure,
efficient, and globalized feature that
enabled scenarios and met
customer/partner requirements
2.Made appropriate design compromises
between functionality, performance,
dependencies, quality, and reliability
for a feature
3.Took into consideration the
performance, operation, and
serviceability of a feature in his/her
designs
4.Chose the right technology and target
domain to implement a feature, which
resulted in high-quality, stable, and
efficient code
5.Ensured that his/her feature fit into
the overall product architecture Exceptional
1.Wrote specifications for a feature that
incorporated input from multiple
feedback sources (such as
newsgroups, customers, partners, and
project managers), which resulted in
an on-schedule and high-quality
implementation
2.Anticipated dependencies and needs of
related features; ensured that his/her
designs and code were aligned to
dependencies and needs
3.Provided insights on feature designs
that led to more effective and
complete customer scenarios
4.Understood the overall product and
system architecture and aligned
feature designs to it, which ensured
that the approach was optimal and
extensible and that it could be
maintained
Developing
1.Learning to design scalable features
2.Learning to create feature designs that
fit into the overall system architecture
and learning to adapt to changes that
are necessary for the success of the
architecture
3.Learning to create designs that are
adequately scalable or that
appropriately enable scenarios
4.Learning to clearly define design goals
and milestones
