< Back to search
Microsoft UK • Reading, United Kingdom

Xbox Software Engineering Specialist Apprentice

Job Description

The Xbox Certification team sit at the forefront of ensuring game quality across the various Microsoft Gaming platforms. We are in the unique position of ensuring all titles releasing on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and Windows meet a set quality bar and correctly integrate into our various system features such as achievements, invites and suspend resume. Our team will test all titles before they release to check for various Xbox requirements (published here). Additionally, after titles release our Game Reliability Engineering program will monitor various data metrics on the quality performance of titles in the hands of end users. As a result of this monitoring, we will inform partners of any concerning indicators such as high crash rates.

To support our testing and monitoring processes we have developed several bespoke internal tooling solutions. As an apprentice in the team, you will be supporting the maintenance of our existing tooling and the development of exiting new solutions.

As we move forward with new technologies you will have the opportunity to contribute towards developing new AI enhanced test automation systems that will be able to tackle some unique and challenging obstacles that we have traditionally faced within our testing configuration. Within our data monitoring solutions, you will be able to develop new smarter monitoring techniques utilizing anomaly detection and other machine learning techniques.

Responsibilities

  • Work within a team to develop software to track and assist our testers
  • Use and develop C# programming skills
  • Learn to work with Azure hosted enterprise applications
  • Collaboration across disciplines to understand the scope of the feature
  • Iterate features using feedback from end users
  • Utilize GPT and other AI models to provide assistive technologies
  • Develop bespoke system prompts to utilize GPTs text and visual capabilities to help testers identify bugs and guidance on how to test
  • Integrate AI models into our automation scripting framework to create dynamically adjusting automation steps
  • Integrate Machine Learning algorithms into our data monitoring systems
  • Utilize both off the shelf and create bespoke solutions to analyse telemetry gathered from end users
  • Plug these solutions into our data processing pipelines to generate alerting and reports for game developer and publishers.

Being a Microsoft Apprentice

As a Microsoft Apprentice, you will have the opportunity to start your career early, earn while you learn, and gain valuable experience. We believe in providing real responsibility from the outset, with an employment contract for the full duration of your apprenticeship. You will be an integral part of the team, contributing to meaningful projects and initiatives to drive impact.

What to Expect:
Support and Guidance: You will be fully supported by an apprentice buddy, your manager, and fellow team members. Our managers are trained and ready to support you throughout your apprenticeship programme.

Learning and Development: You will spend time away from your job training and growing your knowledge, which you will then apply to your day-to-day role. You will complete work-based assignments and participate in modules aligned with your job responsibilities.

Community and Inclusion: You will be part of a vibrant and inclusive apprentice community. You will have opportunities to give back through our community programmes through our Employee Resource Groups

Career Growth: At Microsoft, we are committed to your growth and development. You will have access to industry-leading innovation and resources to help you succeed in your role and beyond.

Start date: September 2025

Level: AI and Data Science Apprenticeship (Level 7)

You must be legally authorised (have citizenship or a valid visa/work permit) to work in the UK to be eligible for this role.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Complete Science, Software Engineering or related field, or, Level 6 Apprenticeship in Software Engineering.
  • Experience writing code in a least one language.
  • Creative thinking.
  • Logic and problem-solving skills.
  • Ability to effectively communicate with a diverse range of people.
  • Experience processing and handling data streams.
  • You must be legally authorised (have citizenship or a valid visa/work permit) to work in the UK to be eligible for this role.

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.

Company benefits

Wellbeing allowance
Health insurance
Dental coverage
Gym membership
Mental health platform access
Buy or sell annual leave
Shared parental leave
Charity donation scheme
Employee assistance programme
Employee discounts
Volunteer days – 3 days a year
Fertility treatment leave
Open to compressed hours
Open to job sharing
Fertility benefits
Enhanced sick pay
Enhanced sick days
Compassionate leave
Travel insurance
20 days annual leave + bank holidays
Enhanced maternity leave – 26 weeks paid
Enhanced paternity leave – 6 weeks paid
Adoption leave – 24 weeks paid
Childcare credits
Carer’s leave – 4 weeks paid
Cycle to work scheme
Faith rooms
Annual bonus
Annual pay rises
Company car
Hackathons
Open to part-time employees
Pregnancy loss leave
Life insurance
Equity packages
Financial coaching
Relocation packages
Sabbaticals
Enhanced pension match/contribution
Family health insurance
LinkedIn learning license
In house training
Personal development days
Pregnancy support

Working at Microsoft UK

Company employees:

Globally: 228,000

Gender diversity (m:f):

67:33

Hiring in countries

Germany

Netherlands

Spain

United Kingdom

Office Locations

Awards & Accreditations

Family Friendly

Family Friendly

Flexa awards 2025
Career Progression

Career Progression

Flexa awards 2025
Most flexible companies

Most flexible companies

Flexa100 2024

Other jobs you might like