{"id":1566199,"url":"https://alion.io/job/microsoft-principal-hardware-systems-engineer","title":"Principal Hardware Systems Engineer","company":{"id":18,"name":"Microsoft","domain":"microsoft.com","url":"https://alion.io/company/microsoft","size_band":"5000+","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Eightfold","truth_index":{"grade":"B","score":75,"open_postings":27,"ghost_share":0,"stale_share":1,"repost_share":0,"time_to_fill_p50_days":null,"computed_at":"2026-10-01T05:45:00Z"}},"role":"Hardware","role_family":"Hardware","seniority":"lead","employment_type":null,"work_mode":"on_site","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["Hillsboro, United States"],"countries":["US"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":{"min":142800,"max":274800,"currency":"USD","period":"year","gross":null,"usd_annual":274800},"salary_estimate":null,"experience_years_min":15,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[{"name":"Azure","optional":false},{"name":"OneDrive","optional":false}],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-09-30T00:18:41Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-09-30","last_verified_at":"2026-10-01T05:59:51Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":1,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":1},"description":"OverviewMicrosoft 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.\nAs a member of our Systems Engineering team, you will be responsible for System Validation for Azure's leading HW solutions by incorporating advanced technologies, datacenter use cases and by working across different engineering functions. Responsibilities will include architecting and developing efficient test and debug frameworks for cutting edge technologies, building test and debug automation, partnering with leading technology providers to define test and debug strategies, driving unified and efficient test, validation and debug methodologies across product segments. This is an opportunity to leverage and grow your existing hardware design/validation experience and provide innovative E2E hardware solutions to Microsoft Cloud.\nCome join this exciting and growing Cobalt team through our monumental evolution of cloud hardware at Azure and Microsoft!\n#SCHIE\nResponsibilities\nDefine and Develop System validation architecture, test frameworks and test plans for complex HW solutions based on CPU/GPU applications to achieve holistic test coverage and efficient debugging.\n\nDrive continuous improvement to achieve a unified and standard testing, validation and debug methodology - adopt automation, AI Capabilities to drive efficiency and enhance test coverage.\n\nWork with ODMs, other system engineers, design teams and customers to develop validation execution plans for new technologies and MSFT IP features.\n\nHands on engineering work with test engineers, Debug system failures that may be seen in the fleet\n\nDrive defect triaging, debugging, and resolution for cross functional issues.\n\nCollaborate with internal and external partners to ensure systems meet significant quality, reliability, and service level requirements for a cloud environment\n\nDeveloping quality criteria for different phases of programs - with metrics such as test coverage, bug discovery, test optimization, test automation etc.\n\nWork with stakeholders on process improvement, data quality improvement and cross-boundary triaging.\n\nAutomate review process to improve data quality and scaling capability.\n\nMentor validation engineers in test plan creation, writing test cases to have holistic coverage\n\nQualifications\nRequired Qualifications:\nMaster's Degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related field AND 7+ years technical engineering experience\n\nOR Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related field AND 8+ years technical engineering experience\n\nOR equivalent experience.\n\nOther Requirements:\nAbility 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:\n\nMicrosoft Cloud Background Check. This position is required to pass the Microsoft Cloud Background Check upon hire or transfer and every two years thereafter.\n\nThis role will require access to information that is controlled for export under export control regulations, potentially under the U.S. International Traffic in Arms Regulations or Export Administration Regulations, the EU Dual Use Regulation, and/or other export control regulations. As a condition of employment, the successful candidate will be required to provide either proof of their country of citizenship or proof of their U.S. permanent residency or other protected status (e.g., under 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3)) for assessment of eligibility to access the export-controlled information. To meet this legal requirement, and as a condition of employment, the successful candidate’s citizenship will be verified with a valid passport. Lawful permanent residents, refugees, and asylees may verify status using other documents, where applicable.\n\nPreferred Qualifications:\nExperience in evaluating hardware designs, HW/FW/OS interactions, platform config trade-offs, and E2E error flows is required. \nPreferred 10+ years of hands-on experience in server hardware validation architecture, developing test infrastructure, writing test cases, automation and executing tests .\nExperience in debugging complex system level issues related to board hardware, thermal and Firmware components is required. \nSelf-motivated individuals must be able to work collaboratively in a team environment and across internal divisions and industry (OEM, ODM), demonstrated technical leadership in driving successful product designs. \n15+ years of relevant experience in server systems/platforms development and validation for enterprise or cloud market segments.\nSolid understanding of hardware, firmware, and OS interfaces and interdependencies, different CPU and GPU architecture and system design concepts \nTechnical communication skills (verbal and written) to interface with cross-functional technical leads within and/or outside of the organization. \nDeep understanding of OTD (Observability, Testability, and Debuggability). \nFamiliar with different technology areas including but not limited to networking, power management, rack device management, remote device management \nExperienced in defining custom HW tools for either validation or debug. \nAdvanced troubleshooting and debugging skills. \nHands on experience in debug and measurement tools such as Logic Analyzers, Oscilloscopes, PCIe analyzers. \nExperience in test automation development \nHardware 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.\nCertain roles may be eligible for benefits and other compensation. Find additional benefits and pay information here:\nhttps://careers.microsoft.com/us/en/us-corporate-pay\nThis position will be open for a minimum of 5 days, with applications accepted on an ongoing basis until the position is filled.\nMicrosoft 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.","description_format":"text","description_chars":7543,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":15,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":{"level":"bachelor","optional":false},"security_clearance":false,"languages":[]},"benefits":[],"hiring_locations":[{"name":"United States","iso":"US","kind":"country"}],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":false,"industries":["Console Games","Cloud Platforms (IaaS & PaaS)","Gaming Consoles","Developer Tools"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-10-01T05:59:51Z"}],"liveness":{"score":86,"band":"hot","label":"Hiring now","p_open":1,"p_active":0.86,"p_room":1,"age_days":1,"expected_fill_days":20,"reasons":["conf:5","win:early","comp:brand"],"computed_at":"2026-10-01T11:43:08Z"},"pay":{"stated_usd_annual":274800,"is_top_pay":true},"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/microsoft-principal-hardware-systems-engineer","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/microsoft-principal-hardware-systems-engineer.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-10-01T11:43:08Z","cache_seconds":300,"methodology":"https://alion.io/methodology","terms":"https://alion.io/terms","contact":"https://alion.io/contact","api":"https://alion.io/developers","usage":{"tier":"crawler","counted_by":"address","units_charged":1,"used_today":3457,"day_limit":5000,"remaining_today":1543,"minute_limit":60,"resets_at":"2026-10-02T00:00:00Z"}}}