Senior Hardware Systems Engineer

Microsoft • Redmond, WA

8h • $119,800 - $234,700

About The Position

Microsoft’s Azure Cloud Hardware and Infrastructure Engineering team is seeking a Senior Hardware Systems Engineer to develop systems and modules for deployment in Azure Cloud. The role develops system validation plans for Azure hardware solutions, incorporating advanced technologies and datacenter use cases while collaborating across engineering functions. It involves architecting test and debug frameworks, building automation, working with technology providers to define strategies, and driving consistent testing, validation, and debugging methodologies across product segments.

The engineer will validate CPU- and GPU-based hardware solutions, qualify systems and SKUs, investigate server subsystem faults, and drive end-to-end root cause analysis and fixes. The role also includes developing automation, tooling, application and system software, libraries, and drivers that interface with firmware and hardware. It includes a DevOps role with occasional on-call responsibilities to resolve customer issues in production.

Requirements

• Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field and 3+ years of technical engineering experience; or bachelor’s degree in one of these fields or a related field and 5+ years of technical engineering experience; or equivalent experience.
• Ability to meet Microsoft, customer, and/or government security screening requirements, including passing the Microsoft Cloud Background Check upon hire or transfer and every two years thereafter.

Nice To Haves

• BS/MS in Electrical or Computer Engineering or a related degree.
• 6+ years of relevant experience in server systems/platform development and validation for enterprise or cloud market segments.
• At least 3 years of hands-on experience in server hardware validation architecture, test infrastructure development, test-case writing, automation, and test execution.
• 2+ years of experience with programming languages such as Python or PowerShell, or similar languages, for automation development or integration.
• Solid understanding of hardware, firmware, and OS interfaces and interdependencies; CPU and GPU architectures; and system design concepts.
• Strong verbal and written technical communication skills for interfacing with cross-functional technical leads inside and outside the organization.
• Understanding of Observability, Testability, and Debuggability (OTD).
• Familiarity with technologies including PCIe, memory subsystems, networking, power management, rack device management, and remote device management.
• Experience with performance benchmarking tools such as SPEC workloads, Linpack, or AI workloads.
• Experience defining custom hardware tools for validation or debugging.
• Experience with Windows and Linux operating systems.
• Advanced troubleshooting and debugging skills; hands-on experience with logic analyzers, oscilloscopes, and PCIe analyzers.
• Experience developing benchmarking or system software tools with C/C++ on PCs or server platforms.
• Knowledge of Windows and Linux internals, including thread services such as priority, affinity, synchronization, and atomics.
• Experience evaluating hardware designs, hardware/firmware/OS interactions, platform configuration trade-offs, and end-to-end error flows.
• Experience debugging complex system-level issues related to board hardware, thermal components, and firmware.
• Experience with data analytics, data collection and aggregation, and dashboarding.
• Ability to trace issues across firmware, drivers, and OS and communicate with partner teams.
• Self-motivation and ability to work collaboratively across teams, internal divisions, and industry partners such as OEMs and ODMs; demonstrated technical leadership driving successful product designs.
• Familiarity with one or more system-level protocols such as ACPI, I2C, or PCI.

Responsibilities

• Plan, design, and execute system validation plans and test frameworks for CPU- and GPU-based hardware solutions to confirm they meet cloud-grade quality.
• Drive continuous improvement and standardized testing, validation, and debugging methodologies, including automation and AI capabilities to improve efficiency and test coverage.
• Work with OEMs, ODMs, and system engineers on system validation, SKU qualification, scale testing, and system debugging.
• Perform hands-on validation and debugging in the laboratory with test engineers.
• Identify, triage, and resolve server subsystem faults; lead end-to-end root cause analysis with cross-team partners and implement fixes.
• Work with stakeholders to improve processes and data quality and to coordinate cross-boundary triaging.
• Develop automation and tooling for server validation in collaboration with other teams.
• Develop application and system software, libraries, and drivers that interface with firmware and hardware devices.
• Handle a DevOps role with occasional on-call responsibilities to resolve customer issues in production.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior