Principal Firmware Validation Engineer

Job ID: 200043004Posted: 2026-08-06Location: United States, Washington, RedmondSalary: USD $142,800 - $274,800 per yearEmployment type: Full-TimeWork site: 3 days / week in-officeRole type: Individual ContributorTravel: Less than 25%Profession: Hardware EngineeringDiscipline: Firmware EngineeringCompany: MicrosoftOverviewMicrosoft Silicon 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 delivering a trusted experience to customers and partners worldwide and we are looking for passionate engineers to help achieve that mission. As Microsoft's cloud business continues to grow the ability to deploy new offerings and HW infrastructure on time, in high volume with high quality and lowest cost is of paramount importance.The FW CoE is responsible for HW/FW for Azure Infrastructure. We are working on the next generation HW/FW for server, silicon and rack infrastructure with a focus on innovation in firmware technology to secure Azure infrastructure for Microsoft and their customers.We are looking for a motivated Principal FW Validation Engineer with a background in system integration, validation, and debug to work on lighting up the various features and technologies as each team produces their part. Seeking an engineer with experience with SoC architecture and design,bring-up of new silicon and platform, root causing issues at the intersection of multiple subsystems across firmware and hardware.#AzureHWJobs #SCHIE #SCHIEFWCOE ResponsibilitiesYou will be involved with all phases of product development, from architectural design through firmware architecture and development.Working with stakeholders and partners, you will enhance and fine tune future HW/SW product solutions and architect new ones.You will drive, define, implement, and lead execution of FW integration and validation test plans.You will be responsible for firmware level debug as part of end-to-end firmware development and debug. You are expected to source, debug, and resolve HW & SW bugs.You will architect and implement test cases and frameworks that will be utilized to conduct testing and establish coverage. You will identify and address inefficiencies and gaps in coverage, testing, execution, etc.You will set expectations, negotiate timelines, and manage handshakes, dependencies, and deliverables.You will mentor, guide, and help peers and other team members. QualificationsRequired QualificationsDoctorate in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or related field AND 3+ years technical engineering experience OR Master's Degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or related field AND 6+ years technical engineering experience OR Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or related field AND 8+ years technical engineering experience OR equivalent experience. Other Qualifications: 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 Qualifications10+ years of professional experience designing, developing, or testing, software and hardware.Experience with working from early concept of SoC/Platform Architecture and design to shipping final product.Experience with Architecting, Designing, and delivering on new Data Center class technologies across the entire platform.Experience with Platform Initialization, Manageability, Security, Motherboard, Drivers, UEFI, BMC, OS, Virtualization, Memory Management, RAS, and similar areas.Experience in leading teams, assessing coverage, debugging HW/SW issues, and writing scripts (Python or similar)Experience working on multiple products supporting customer issues with strong troubleshooting and debugging skills.Firmware 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.Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. 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 with religious accommodations and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application process, read more about requesting accommodations.