Microsoft International Tech Jobs Blog: Ireland

Office Community growing in Ireland - test jobs, test jobs, test jobs - read all about it!

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 09:10:12 GMT

Anyone out there looking for some test engineering jobs!

The Irish development centre is growing as I explained in many a blog before... but this time I want to highlight a new team called Office Community which is growing!!! Office Live has been building out a lot of new functionality of late and we continue to prepare for our next release of Office itself... these positions are very much involved in both of these worlds and are in a very small start up environment for those of you that enjoy the energy assoicated with start-ups and so called "organised chaos"!!!

Here is job spec. If interested in applying for a role please send your CV to Natalia at: v-natsea@microsoft.com

JOB DESCRIPTION

We are currently setting up new teams to work on some very new and exciting functionality that we will be building into the next version of Microsoft Office. We are looking for Software Development Engineers in Test (SDET) to work on the “Office Online” and “Product Lifecycle and Engineering Excellence” (PLEX) teams.

Responsibilities for the candidate will include participating in product architecture and design decisions, and working closely with the Development and Program Management teams to ensure the feature/product is compliant to design specifications. You will create features that encourage users to buy Office rather than pirate it by providing additional value and enticing new scenarios. You will own defining how these new features work. You will engage marketing and program management, take scenarios and specifications and design high quality features that will benefit the Office system. You will also take part in creating the strategy, defining the product, building the deployment expertise and knowledge base that this software development organization needs.

You will be responsible for writing and executing test plans and cases, and designing and developing test tools and test automation. This is not about regression or manual testing it’s about development in test!

Responsibilities

· Demonstrates hands-on testing ability,

· Highlights inefficiencies within test strategies & provides solutions.

· Become an expert in all aspects of the functionality of the Office Deployment including all the underlying/dependant products, components, and technologies.

· Reviewing functional specifications and design specifications to highlight problems with the design at an early stage.

· Developing a test plan and test suite.

· Developing test automation.

· Key contributor on bug resolutions in app triage for all areas – expected to understand impact of bug resolutions on customer.

· Creative Problem Solver, proven ability to work through complex issues, implementing creative effective test solutions for the business.

Basic Qualifications:

· 2+ years experience in software design, testing, and shipping

· BA/BS in Computer Science or a related technical discipline

Essential Requirements:

· A minimum of 2 years experience in developing automated testing (unit and UI driven) in C# with 4-5 years experience in software testing.

· Experience of Test execution at both the UI (browser) layer, and at the IIS server layer is essential.

· In-depth knowledge of software testing methodologies

· Expert understanding of OS concepts (such as memory and process management, kernel mode/user mode, network technology, client/server communication. etc)

· Great problem solving traits, cross-group relationships and communication skills with a strong technical aptitude.

So what is Microsoft doing with Experimentation in Europe

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 09:06:51 GMT

Randy Henne, recently moved to Ireland from Redmond to set up Microsoft's new Experimental Platform team for Window's Live from its quickly expanding Irish development centre. But, what is experimentation...? This how Randy describes it...

"Our mission is to accelerate software innovation through trustworthy experimentation. Controlled Experiments have existed for tens of years, and with the web, we have an unprecedented opportunity to try things quickly and make data-driven decisions. Don't fall into the trap of believing you know what is best for the customer, and don't let the HiPPO (Highest Paid Person's Opinion) guide you. One of the simplest ways to improve click through rates is to change images. It's usually trivial to change images, and when someone is designing an image, they typically have several alternatives. Instead of betting on one, Experimentation allows you to try the top three (and encourage diversity of ideas).

At the cutting edge of BI, online experimentation lets companies actively evaluate significantly different designs, algorithms and approaches by analyzing data from millions of users in real time. Our Experimentation Platform Team is developing the next generation of highly scalable online services, analysis pipeline and experimentation techniques to support this data driven decision approach. As a strong team, we are looking for exceptionally strong people (not necessarily with experience in experimentation). Come be part of the platform team right at the center of Ray Ozzie’s Software + Services strategy. Read more about the team, the product and our publications at http://www.exp-platform.com."

Experimenation currently has a very interesting Software Development Engineer open reporting directly to Randy. So if you want to check it out go here on the GPD-E micro-site or here on our career's web site. It'a an excellent opportunity, on a small start-up team, working on very new concept technologies.

Base salary is highly competitive, you can earn an annual bonus of 0- to 20% per year, annual leave is 25 days per year, there is a comprehensive relocation package involved in moving to Ireland, and also there is excellent other benefits including world-class training, healthe insurance, pension contributon, and much, much more!

St Patricks Day, Leg Waxing and Food in Dublin!

Fri, 14 Mar 2008 18:56:11 GMT

Check out my Irish canteen tour and watch two grown men getting their legs waxed for charity for St Patrick's day.

Also check out out some of our camera shy chefs! Enjoy :)

And here is a little bit about the parade and what the country has to offer. Enjoy!

Testing the Ribbon on Microsoft Office

Tue, 11 Mar 2008 18:15:04 GMT

Listen to Justin give a great explanation of what testing is all about in Microsoft. He talks about the common misconceptions some engineers have to what the job actually consists of and he talks a lot about his most technical challenge he ever faced in Microsoft which was a real brain teezer: testing the Office ribbon user interface.

As he explains it himself:

"An SDET is a developer of internal products that ensure better quality of Microsoft’s customer-facing products along with improved efficiency in how Software Development Engineers (SDE) and Program Managers (PM) perform their tasks. Our primary objective is to improve customer-facing product quality, which means a lot more than just point-and-click testing. We are the customer’s last line of defence from poor design (a primary function of a PM) and errant implementation (the primary function of an SDE). An SDET guides a product from design through development as a constantly analyzing and calculating set of eyes that engender the persona of customer and make recommendations for improvements to the design. At Microsoft an SDET is required to be a technical equivalent to an SDE and is valued as such. SDETs produce solutions that either ensure the quality of code or improve the ability to produce outstanding designs and software. We are the jack-of-all-trades internally and creating tools, assisting in design, customer advocacy, and breaking software are just a few of the critical ways SDETs ensure that what started off as a good idea is going to be a great idea when the customer experiences it for the first time."

Check out his video to learn more: and if you think you have the right skills to be a SDET in Microsoft and are looking to join Justin in the Irish dev team that is currently hiring check out www.joinmicrosofteurope.com.

New Mobile jobs in Global Products Development - Europe team

Mon, 14 Jan 2008 17:17:35 GMT

2 job postings in one day that 's a new record for me!

The GPD-E team has now got Edge Computing, Experimentation Platform, AdCentre and NEW mobile jobs on offer in Dublin.

The NEW mobile roles are very cool! There are Program Manager, Lead Developer, Software Developer Engineer and Test Engineer jobs on offer of mainly mid to high level experience requirements.

Here is an example of one of the specs (to see all the others go to www.joinmicrosofteurope.com):

Lead Software Developer - Mobile Applications

Join us to become an integral part of Microsoft’s “Mobile” and “Live” strategy. As part of our Dublin-based Global Product Development team, you will be leading a small team that will drive the delivery of features and services for mobile phones.

We are building key features for social networking, communications platform, commercialization, and other areas. You and your team will be responsible for all aspects of product feature development including design, development, and quality.

You should have a passion for designing and developing end to end experiences on the mobile phone and be enthusiastic about a hands-on leadership role operating in an agile environment. Your team will have the opportunity to deliver technology and services to a global audience. You will spend at least 50% of your time coding, and you will work closely with Microsoft teams in the US and around the world.

This is a unique opportunity to work in a dynamic and technically challenging start-up environment, while making a significant impact in an area with huge business value for Microsoft.

Key requirements:

Outstanding C or C++ programming skills
At least 5 years of experience designing, implementing, and shipping complex software applications
Experience leading a small team (3-6 people)
Great blend of technology background, passion to learn, and customer focus
Energy and desire to deliver high-quality software on aggressive schedules (minor releases every 3-6 months, major releases within 12-18 months)
A proven track record of shipping on time and at a very high quality level
Strong English verbal and written communication skills
A university computer science degree or equivalent

Other experience that would be a plus for this position:

Knowledge of Windows Mobile or other mobile development platforms
Knowledge of client/server protocols, internet servers, mobile technology, or Web 2.0 technologies (social networking, IM, etc.)
Experience with agile development methodologies
Knowledge of C#
Post-graduate degree in computer science or equivalent field

Interested? Send your CV to eurojobs@microsoft.com

Keywords: C, C++, C#, distributed systems, web services, client-server, file systems, device drivers, networking, operating systems, kernel mode, kernel development, web server, web proxy, web crawler, embedded systems, real-time systems, multithreading, synchronization, inter-process communication, RPC, XML, JavaScript, Silverlight, SOAP, REST, ASP.NET, MVT, A/B Testing, web analytics, social networking, Apache, agile development, sprint, scrum, database, SQL, MySQL, SQL Server, ADO.NET, stored procedures, data modeling, OLAP, fault tolerance, replication, fault recovery, performance, performance tuning, profiling, scalability, scalable systems, throughput, latency, simulation, modeling, validation, Windows Mobile, Windows CE, Symbian, J2ME.

Office Tube team in Ireland being created and new development centre in Vancouver, Canada

Tue, 18 Dec 2007 16:08:31 GMT

Jobs, jobs, jobs and more jobs from around the world!

Straight off the press. Over the last couple of weeks the European Development Centre in Ireland has created a new group that will be building some exciting new video functionality into our future releases of Office. At present there are 3 jobs on offer but this is planned to grow quickly. We currently have a Program Manager, a Software Developer Engineer and a Software Developer Engineer in Test role open but there will be much much more.

So if you have 3+ years experience in either C++, C# or Java and have some web development experience this could a team you may want to apply for to join. Microsoft Ireland has over 400 employees working on a variety of Office realted projects but especially localisation. This will be the first time we set up a team of between 10+ people that will do core-tech product development in the Office organisation. Experience in client/server and or experience with web services will be a big advantage as well as experience working with sharepoint, video, mobile and SilverLight technologies. If intersted, please send your CV to Natalia at: v-natsea@microsoft.com

Also, did you know we have a development centre in Vancouver, Canada? If interested check out the video below:

Group Product Development - Europe is hiring

Fri, 23 Nov 2007 11:48:38 GMT

Recently the Windows Live Europe team in Dublin, Ireland changed its name to Group Product Development - Europe (GPD-E). The team has recently begun to expand heavily and there is now a new project in Edge Computing which is creating 4 new positions in the team: 1 x Program Manager, 1 x Lead Developer, 1 x Software Developer and 1 x Software Developer in Test. These jobs are so new off the press that we don't even have them on our career site or the teams micro-site yet!!! There is also two new jobs coming into the team in a new project involving our Experimental Platform technologies. To learn more check out the following link.

To keep up to date with these projects and see the job specifications when they are posted make sure you keep a close eye on thet team's microsite: www.joinmicrosofteurope.com

Have a great w/end!

By the way, here are some of the keywords we are very interested in at the moment:

C, C++, C#, distributed systems, edge computing, web services, client-server, file systems, device drivers, networking, operating systems, kernel mode, kernel development, web server, web proxy, web crawler, embedded systems, real-time systems, multithreading, synchronization, inter-process communication, RPC, XML, SOAP, REST, RESTful, JSON, ASP.NET, Apache, agile development, sprint, scrum, database, SQL, MySQL, SQL Server, ADO.NET, stored procedures, data modeling, OLAP, fault tolerance, replication, fault recovery, performance, performance tuning, profiling, scalability, scalable systems, throughput, latency, simulation, modeling, validation, A/B testing, controlled experiments, experimentation, randomized experimental design, parallel flights, split testing, experiments, hippo, web analytics, multivariable test, multivariate test, landing page optimization, site optimization

Join Microsoft Europe - www.joinmicrosofteurope.com

Tue, 16 Oct 2007 09:25:10 GMT

Are you interested in Visualisation, Mobile Technologies, Search, AJAX, Silver Light or ASP to name but a few! Well then you should check out this out!

The Windows Live Europe team based in Dublin, Ireland have produced an exciting new microsite which provides a very interesting insight into the work the team is currently doing and some of the open positions that exist in the projects. It also has some video footage interviewing team members about their jobs and has a list of blogs that some of the team write. It's definitely worth checking out: www.joinmicrosofteurope.com.

You may even want to pass it onto some of your friends who may also be interested in the exciting core-tech jobs in this quickly expanding team.

Dan Stevenson GPM of Windows Live Europe talks about his team, life in Ireland and what to put in your CV

Fri, 31 Aug 2007 11:15:11 GMT

Dan Stevenson is the Group Program Manager of Windows Live Europe. In this interview he explains a little bit about his role and team, he tell us about all the training provided by the company for hard core techies and he gives invaluable advice on how to prepare your application for a role in the company.

Meet the HR manager of the European Development Centre in Ireland

Thu, 19 Jul 2007 16:39:46 GMT

Listen to Colin say why he likes working with Microsoft and explain the compensation and benefits we have on offer for our employees.

For those of you that speak Spanish, French, German or Cantonese

Thu, 10 May 2007 19:34:08 GMT

So just in case any of you failed to realise this is an INTERNATIONAL recruitment blog I have decided to post some videos of our employees explaining, in their own native tongue, what they do and why they like working in the European Development Centre in Ireland. If you can understand even one of these well done, if you can understand two, pat yourself on the back and take the rest of the day off, if you understand 3, respect, and if you can understand all 4 let me join your plans for world domination :)

Video: Aristides explaning the role of an enginner in Spanish

Video: Vincent speaking in French

Video: Gunter - Media Centre PM

Video: Richard in Engineering

Meet some of our software development engineers in the Irish development centre

Tue, 08 May 2007 06:49:06 GMT

For those of you intersted in software development roles listen to Rathe and Toby of the eHome team talk about their positions, what their roles responsibilities and nuggets of wise words on life in general in Microsoft's European development centre.

Video: Rathe in TV Engineering

Video: Toby in Engineering

So what do we do in Ireland's dev centre?

Mon, 07 May 2007 16:19:52 GMT

Besides being the land of the Emerald Isle and the home of world famous stout, and our very own black gold, Guninness, Ireland has a thriving and growing software industry of which Microsoft plays a very large role.

Microsoft has been operating in Ireland for over 20 years. We now have over 1,200 full-time staff based out of Dublin with 4 major lines of business: Sales and Marketing, Localisation, Operations and the European Developement Centre (EDC) which I work in and which holds all the core-tech Program Management, Developement and Test Roles.

The EDC was set up in April 2005 to mark the 20th anniversary of Microsoft in Ireland. It has over 100 people employed in its impressive building sitauated a mere 5kms outisde the city centre (a mere 20 minutes by light rail). At present there is a large number of teams in the centre working with TV, Search, Security, Graphics, Analystics, and Virus Response technologies, to name but a few... if you want to know more why not listen to Glen Poor the EDC's director explain in his own words what our mission is and what we do:

Video: Glen and the EDC mission