Principal Hardware System Engineer - Memory & Storage Validation

Overview

Microsoft Silicon, Cloud Hardware, and 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, Teams, 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 delivering a trusted experience to customers and partners worldwide and we are looking for engineers to help achieve that mission.

We seek a knowledgeable and experienced Principal Hardware System Engineer - Memory & Storage Validation to collaborate with Cloud Hardware Infrastructure Engineering, Azure Engineering, and Exchange Engineering groups to qualify memory and storage components for Microsoft Data Center.

We are looking for a candidate who can understand components architecture, software applications, and OS environment to create components qualification test plan for both device and system levels. This role will also include writing test software in some cases and debug. At the cutting edge of high-performance computing, provides an opportunity to benefit millions of users daily. The successful candidate must be able to synthesize complex and sometimes conflicting requirements from hardware, software and business teams.

#SCHIE

Responsibilities

• Define and drive Microsoft's memory and storage qualification strategy across current and future Azure server platforms.
• Lead the architecture of scalable qualification frameworks, validation methodologies, automation infrastructure, and deployment readiness processes for cloud-scale environments.
• Influence component and platform architecture decisions by partnering with engineering, silicon, firmware, operating system, and service teams across Microsoft.
• Establish qualification coverage, reliability requirements, usage models, telemetry strategy, and health monitoring frameworks to ensure production readiness at hyperscale.
• Drive resolution of the most complex memory and storage issues impacting Azure platform availability, performance, and reliability.
• Lead cross-functional investigations involving hardware, firmware, operating systems, drivers, and cloud services to identify root causes and define corrective actions.
• Influence supplier roadmaps and engineering investments through strategic engagement with OEMs, ODMs, silicon providers, and storage and memory ecosystem partners.
• Champion engineering excellence through data-driven decision making, technical reviews, risk management, and continuous improvement of qualification processes.
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship across engineering teams, helping establish best practices and raising organizational capability.

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.

Other Requirements

• Ability to meet Microsoft, customer, and/or government security screening requirements is required for this role. These requirements include, but are not limited to, the following specialized security screening:
• Microsoft Cloud Background Check. This position is required to pass the Microsoft Cloud Background Check upon hire or transfer and every two years thereafter.

Preferred Qualifications

- 5+ years of experience in hardware validation and qualification (planning, documentation, development, execution, and debug)

• Knowledge of server system, system memory, and storage architecture
• Familiar with networking, power, rack management and remote access environments
• Experience integrating and validating hardware components and/or system levels
• Familiar with and able to develop scripts (PowerShell, Python, Perl) and routines to enable debug and accelerate data collection and data reduction via automation
• Self-motivated individuals must be able to work collaboratively in team environment and across internal divisions and industry (OEM, ODM), demonstrate technical leadership in driving successful product development
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to engage leadership audiences
• Expertise with storage architecture including NVMe - 10+ years Experience in server systems validation and qualification
• Experience defining test strategy for new products

Pay and benefits

Hardware Engineering IC5 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $142,800 - $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:

This position will be open for a minimum of 5 days, with applications accepted on an ongoing basis until the position is filled.