Senior Systems Hardware Architect

Do you want to be at the forefront of innovating the latest hardware designs to propel Microsoft's cloud growth? Are you seeking a unique career opportunity that combines technical capabilities, cross team collaboration, with business insight and strategy?

Microsoft's mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. As employees, we come together with a growth mindset, innovate to empower others, and collaborate to achieve our shared goals. Each day we build on our values of respect, integrity, and accountability to create a culture of inclusion where everyone can thrive at work and beyond. In alignment with our Microsoft values, we are committed to cultivating an inclusive work environment for all employees to positively impact our culture every day.

Join the Strategic Planning and Architecture (SPARC) team within Microsoft's Azure Hardware Systems and Infrastructure (AHSI) organization, the team behind Microsoft's expanding Cloud Infrastructure and for powering Microsoft's "Intelligent Cloud" mission. Microsoft delivers more than 200 online services to more than one billion individuals worldwide and AHSI is the team behind our expanding cloud infrastructure. We deliver the core infrastructure and foundational technologies for Microsoft's cloud businesses including Microsoft Azure, Bing, MSN, Office 365, OneDrive, Skype, Teams and Xbox Live.

We are looking for a Senior System Hardware Architect to Join our team!

Required Qualifications

• Master's Degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related field AND 3+ years technical engineering experience

• OR Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related field AND 5+ years technical engineering experience OR equivalent experience.

• 4+ years of experience in cloud hardware components, architectures, and power technologies.

• 4+ years of experience with technologies such as power optimization, board design, thermal, mechanical, BIOS, BMC, signal integrity, networking as well as working with overseas CM/OEM/ODM vendors in product development

• 3+ years of experience with data center power distribution to server racks and within server racks as well as gathering requirements and developing server specifications and a demonstrated ability to engage technology developers in the industry to track and apply emerging technologies to innovative server designs

Other Requirements:

• Ability to meet Microsoft, customer and/or government security screening reqirements 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

• Experience with platforms deployed in hyperscale or cloud datacenters
• Demonstrated leadership experience, including the ability to lead and mentor a team of engineers, coordinating complex projects, and driving innovation in a collaborative environment.
• Experienced working across disciplines and organizations to resolve complex issues
• Effective presentation and communication skills for cross-functional collaboration

Hardware Engineering IC4 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $119,800 - $234,700 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 $158,400 - $258,000 per year.

Certain roles may be eligible for benefits and other compensation. Find additional benefits and pay information here:

Microsoft will accept applications for the role until June 20th, 2025.

Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran status, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws, regulations and ordinances. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or the recruiting process, please send a request via the Accommodation request form.

Benefits/perks listed below may vary depending on the nature of your employment with Microsoft and the country where you work.

#SPARC #AHSI

• Develop complex server and infrastructure solutions focused on advanced high-performance systems and power delivery technologies.

• Collaborate with Microsoft product groups, industry partners, and researchers to define systems concepts aligned with cloud service platform requirements.

• Evaluate new technologies and conceptualize prototypes to support Microsoft's cloud infrastructure goals.

• Lead multi-disciplinary teams-including internal and external contributors-in developing concept prototypes.

• Conduct on-paper analysis, simulation, and physical testing of system-level prototypes.

• Perform tradeoff studies and implement proofs of concept (PoCs) for electrical, mechanical, thermal, and hardware systems.

• Drive successful system concepts from inception to inclusion in the Azure hardware roadmap and fleet.

• Collaborate across Microsoft organizations to identify opportunities where new technologies can reduce TCO and enhance hardware performance.

• Analyze system concepts with a focus on total cost of ownership (TCO), performance per TCO, and performance per watt.

• Build and maintain strong relationships with stakeholders in system architecture, power, and infrastructure domains.

• Partner with peer organizations to define and specify requirements for high-performance hyperscale systems.

• Influence and collaborate with OEMs and vendors on evaluation and deployment of new datacenter technologies and rack topologies.