Principal Firmware Architect

Job ID: 200046437Posted: 2026-09-14Location: 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: MicrosoftOverviewThe Microsoft Silicon Engineering Solutions and Cloud Hardware Infrastructure Engineering (SCHIE) team is responsible for developing and delivering the hardware and firmware that is responsible for powering Microsoft’s “Intelligent Cloud” mission. From cloud game streaming to data services, the hardware we design is contributing to the success of millions of customers. We in SCHIE’s Firmware Center of Excellence create the foundational firmware that powers the Microsoft Cloud. Our firmware lights up millions of servers and racks across the globe, enabling users to do everything from running blogs to crunching through powerful AI algorithms. We’re a growing team of diverse, talented & passionate engineers inventing and delivering technology to light up the “world’s computer!” We are working on the next generation hardware/firmware for server, silicon and rack infrastructure with a focus on innovation in firmware technology to secure Azure infrastructure for Microsoft and their customers. We believe that a robust firmware infrastructure leads to incredibly powerful computing experiences—if you believe this too, we need you!The SCHIE team is looking for a Principal Firmware Architect to join the team!ResponsibilitiesDesign through firmware architecture and development.At the design phase, you will be part of a team driving the architecture, design and development of the various sub-systems including firmware development of low-level hardware interfaces and define boot and management flows of ASIC and Rack infrastructure.You will be responsible for firmware level debug as part of end-to-end firmware development and debug.  QualificationsRequired Qualifications:Doctorate 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 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: 12+ years of technical engineering experienceOR Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related field AND 10+ years of technical engineering experienceOR Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related field AND 7+ years of technical engineering experienceOR Doctorate degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related field AND 5+ years of technical engineering experience.10+ years of professional experience designing and developing Embedded Software solutions.Experience with working from early concept of SoC Architecture and design to shipping final product.Experience driving firmware architecture solutions with detailed troubleshooting and debugging skills. The successful candidate should have experience with some or all the following: Peripherals such as PCIe, memory interfaces, OS primitives, memory management, scheduling, interrupts, threading.Experience with Implementation of Hardware/Firmware Security primitives.Experience with Platform initialization, low level drivers for peripherals such as PCIe, I2C, eMMC, SPI, USB, UARTs as well as Memory Management, Scheduling, BMC and rack management.Experience with Architecting, Designing and delivering on new Data Center class technologies across the entire platform.#SCHIEFirmware 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.