Microsoft AI Copilot Studio Engineer

Microsoft Copilot Studio Engineer – Job Description

Role Overview

The Microsoft Copilot Studio Engineer is responsible for building, testing, deploying, and maintaining Copilot solutions that deliver tangible business value across the organisation. This role works within established architectural patterns and governance frameworks to develop conversational AI experiences, integrate Copilot with backend systems, and ensure solutions are performant, secure, and aligned with organisational standards.

The engineer collaborates with architects, product owners, and business stakeholders to translate requirements into working Copilot solutions, participates in solution design reviews, and contributes to the continuous improvement of development practices, templates, and reusable components. This is a hands-on technical role focused on delivery excellence and quality.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and build Copilot solutions within Copilot Studio, including topic design, conversation flows, prompt engineering, and user experience optimisation.
• Develop and maintain integrations between Copilot Studio and backend systems (Power Automate, Azure functions, APIs, databases, third-party services) using connectors, webhooks, and custom code.
• Implement authentication, data access, and security controls , ensuring Copilot respects user permissions, DLP policies, and complies with organisational governance.
• Create and refine prompts and system messages for Copilot agents, leveraging best practices in prompt engineering and responsible AI to drive accuracy and appropriate behaviour.
• Build and maintain Power Automate cloud flows that support Copilot orchestration, data retrieval, backend transactions, and multi-step business processes.
• Write custom code (C#, Python, TypeScript, or other languages) for Copilot plugins, Power Automate actions, or Azure-based services when low-code solutions are insufficient.
• Test Copilot solutions thoroughly, including functional testing, user acceptance testing, security testing, and performance validation; troubleshoot issues and optimise solution behaviour.
• Implement ALM and deployment practices , including solution packaging, versioning, environment promotion (dev test prod), and CI/CD pipeline participation.
• Document solutions , including architecture decisions, data flows, integration patterns, and operational runbooks for support and knowledge handover.
• Contribute to pattern development by creating and refining re-usable components, templates, and best-practice examples that improve team velocity and consistency.
• Support and monitor production Copilot solutions , including performance tracking, user feedback analysis, troubleshooting, and incremental improvements.
• Participate in peer reviews of Copilot designs and code, sharing feedback and fostering a culture of quality and continuous learning.
• Stay current with Copilot Studio features, Power Platform updates, and industry best practices; recommend adoption of new capabilities where appropriate.

Essential Skills & Experience

Technical Skills – Copilot Studio & Power Platform

• Hands-on experience building Copilot solutions using Microsoft Copilot Studio (or Power Virtual Agents, Copilot in Power Apps, or similar conversational AI platforms).
• Strong proficiency with topic design, conversation flows, and dialogue management in Copilot Studio.
• Experience in prompt engineering and optimisation , including writing system messages, few-shot prompts, and grounding techniques for improved accuracy.
• Deep knowledge of Power Automate (cloud flows, desktop flows, Robotic Process Automation), including:
• Designing and building synchronous and asynchronous flows
• Error handling, retries, and approval workflows
• Integration with Dataverse, Dynamics 365, and other data sources
• Good understanding of Dataverse, model-driven Power Apps, or canvas apps where Copilot solutions interact with business data.
• Practical experience connecting Copilot Studio to backend systems via connectors, APIs, REST endpoints, and webhooks.

Integration & Backend Skills

• Proficiency in REST APIs and API integration concepts; able to diagnose and resolve connectivity issues.
• Experience with cloud services (Azure Functions, Azure Logic Apps, Azure SQL, Azure Cosmos DB, or equivalent) for building robust backend logic.
• Basic to intermediate coding ability in one or more languages (C#, Python, TypeScript, JavaScript), particularly for custom connectors, plugins, or cloud functions.
• Familiarity with authentication and authorisation patterns (OAuth 2.0, service principals, managed identities) in the Microsoft cloud.
• Experience working with data integration and ETL concepts, where relevant to Copilot workflows.

Security, Governance & Compliance

• Understanding of Data Loss Prevention (DLP) policies, Conditional Access, and security controls in the Power Platform and Microsoft 365.
• Knowledge of responsible AI principles , bias detection, content filtering, and ethical considerations in AI-driven experiences.
• Ability to implement role-based access control and data row-level security to ensure Copilots respect user permissions.
• Awareness of compliance and regulatory requirements (GDPR, HIPAA, SOC 2, industry-specific standards) and how they apply to AI solutions.

ALM, Testing & Deployment

• Experience with solution packaging, versioning, and managed solutions in Power Platform.
• Proficiency in environment management and promotion strategies (development, test, production).
• Comfort with CI/CD concepts and tools (Azure DevOps, GitHub Actions, or similar); ability to participate in automated deployment pipelines.
• Strong testing mindset : unit testing, integration testing, user acceptance testing; experience with test automation where possible.

Core Competencies

• Excellent problem-solving skills and comfort working with ambiguity in emerging AI platforms.
• Strong communication ability : able to explain technical design decisions to non-technical stakeholders and document solutions clearly.
• Collaborative mindset : thrives in cross-functional teams, contributes to code/design reviews, and shares knowledge with peers.
• Attention to detail and quality: takes pride in well-tested, maintainable, documented solutions.
• Self-directed learning : stays current with platform updates, industry trends, and new Copilot capabilities.

Desired Skills & Experience

• Experience with Copilot in Dynamics 365 (Sales, Customer Service, Field Service, or other workloads) or Microsoft 365 Copilots (Teams, Outlook, etc.).
• Exposure to Azure OpenAI Service , including token management, model selection, and fine-tuning considerations.
• Background with Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) or semantic search for grounding Copilot responses in organisational data.
• Experience building Copilot Studio plugins or Power Platform connectors for custom integrations.
• Knowledge of generative AI concepts (LLMs, embeddings, vector databases, prompt optimisation techniques).
• Familiarity with Copilot Studio governance patterns and contribution to an AI / Copilot Centre of Excellence.
• Experience in Agile/Scrum delivery environments , including sprint planning, retrospectives, and continuous improvement.
• Prior work on enterprise transformation or digital adoption programs, with exposure to change management.

Typical Background

• 3–5+ years of hands-on technical experience in application development, systems integration, or Power Platform engineering.
• 1–2+ years of direct experience building Copilot, chatbot, or conversational AI solutions (Copilot Studio, Power Virtual Agents, Azure Bot Service, or equivalent).
• Experience in enterprise software environments with exposure to Microsoft cloud platforms (Power Platform, Azure).
• Relevant Microsoft certifications (e.g., Power Platform Developer, Power Automate Certified, Azure Developer, Copilot-focused certifications) are valued.
• Prior experience in a consulting or product delivery role is beneficial for understanding stakeholder needs and best practices.

Working Environment

• Operates within architectural patterns and governance frameworks established by solution architects and the AI Centre of Excellence.
• Participates in regular code and design reviews to maintain quality standards and share knowledge.
• Engages in on-call or post-launch support for production Copilot solutions.
• May contribute to enablement activities , such as internal workshops, documentation, or mentoring junior engineers.