Principal Hardware Engineer

Microsoft Silicon Engineering Solutions and Cloud Hardware Infrastructure Engineering (SCHIE) is the team behind Microsoft's expanding Cloud Infrastructure and responsible for powering Microsoft's "Intelligent Cloud" mission. SCHIE delivers the core infrastructure and foundational technologies for Microsoft's over 200 online businesses including Bing, MSN, Office 365, Xbox Live, Skype, OneDrive and the Microsoft Azure platform globally with our server and data center infrastructure, security and compliance, operations, globalization, and manageability solutions. Our focus is on smart growth, high efficiency, and deliver trusted experience to customers and partners worldwide and we are looking for passionate, high-energy engineers to help achieve that mission.

Azure Memory and Storage Center of Excellence (AMS COE) is part of the SCHIE organization focusing on Memory and Storage devices going into the cloud hardware servers. AMS provides memory and storage solutions to Azure, drives memory and storage suppliers to deliver high quality products meeting our requirements. We are looking for seasoned engineers with a passion for customer-focused solutions, insight and industry knowledge to architect and specify memory and storage hardware solutions that optimize for quality, reliability, cost, and performance.

As a Principal Hardware Engineer, you will apply system and Memory/Storage expertise to provide best-in-class support for Azure cloud servers. You will combine skills in data analysis, hardware debugging, and subject-matter expertise to ensure hardware in Azure is in service and fully operational. To achieve this, you will collaborate closely with other hardware and software engineers at Microsoft worldwide. In these collaborations you will prepare and present data analyses, provide recommendations, develop solutions to address problems, and define solution requirements.

Responsibilities:

• Develop comprehensive validation plans and strategies for PCIe Switch, Retimer, and related storage components (NVMe/SSDs).
• Define, prototype, and document test requirements and specifications for productization and supplier implementation.
• Implement and execute tests to reproduce and analyze failures from qualification or production environments.
• Collaborate with system and fleet support teams to perform detailed root-cause analysis of PCIe and storage issues.
• Design and build advanced automation frameworks using Python, C, and C++ for test orchestration, data processing, and reporting.
• Create scalable and modular test frameworks and tools for automated test execution, result parsing, triage, and dashboard generation.
• Provide technical leadership in validation architecture, automation design, and test methodology.
• Partner with internal teams and test development houses to establish standardized validation suites and consistent methodologies for PCIe components.
• Perform deep failure analysis using PCIe/SAS protocol analyzers, oscilloscopes, and other diagnostic instruments.
• Lead board-level bring-up and debug using JTAG, serial interfaces, and kernel-level tools across Windows and Linux platforms.
• Support validation and qualification for data center, GPU, and AI/ML platforms integrating PCIe Switch and Retimer components.
• Ensure readiness and interoperability across multiple PCIe generations (Gen4/Gen5/Gen6) and storage technologies (NVMe/SAS/SATA).
• Serve as the subject matter expert for PCIe Switch and Retimer validation, driving end-to-end ownership and improving fleet reliability and scalability.

Qualifications:

Required Qualifications:

• Master's Degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related field AND 7+ years technical engineering experience
  • OR Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related field AND 8+ years technical engineering experience
  • OR equivalent experience.
• 8+ years of experience with PCIe Switch and PCIe Retimer validation, performance testing and white-box testing.
• 8+ years of experience with software, test framework, and script development skills: C/C++ Programming, Python Scripting.

Other Requirements:

Ability to meet Microsoft, customer and/or government security screening requirements are required for this role. These requirements include but are not limited to the following specialized security screenings:

• Microsoft Cloud Background Check: This position will be required to pass the Microsoft Cloud Background Check upon hire/transfer and every two years thereafter.

Preferred Qualifications:

• 10+ years of memory/storage industry or enterprise/cloud server experience.
• MS (master's degree) in Electrical and/or Computer Engineering.
• Familiar with lab test setups and hardware.
• Understand Specs, Test Procedures and execute them.
• Exposure to PCIe Switch, PCIe Retimer, NVMe SSD validation.
• Meaningful experience working with server platforms.
• General understanding of memory/storage faults and fault modes.
• Windows/Linux driver/kernel development experience (C/C++).
• Ability to work independently and collaborate with a global team.
• Ability to distill complex information in simple, easy-to-understand ways.
• Historical demonstration of a growth mindset.
• Understand Specs, Test Procedures and execute them.
• Debugging skills. Familiar with PCIe Analyzers, Logic analyzers, Oscilloscopes etc.
• Understanding of the storage protocols (NVMe, PCIe, SATA).
• 8+ years of memory/storage industry or enterprise/cloud server experience.

Hardware Engineering IC5 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $139,900 - $274,800 per year. There is a different range applicable to specific work locations, within the San Francisco Bay area and New York City metropolitan area, and the base pay range for this role in those locations is USD $188,000 - $304,200 per year.

Certain roles may be eligible for benefits and other compensation. Find additional benefits and pay information here: ;br>
Microsoft will accept applications for the role until November 16, 2025.

Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran status, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws, regulations and ordinances. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or the recruiting process, please send a request via the Accommodation request form .

Benefits/perks listed below may vary depending on the nature of your employment with Microsoft and the country where you work.

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