Principal Platform Architect

Overview

Microsoft 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 passionate engineers to help achieve that mission.

As Microsoft's cloud business continues to grow the ability to deploy new offerings and hardware infrastructure on time, in high volume with high quality and lowest cost is of paramount importance. To achieve this goal, the CHSE (Cloud Hardware Systems Engineering) team is instrumental in defining and delivering operational measures of success for hardware manufacturing, improving the planning process, quality, delivery, scale and sustainability related to Microsoft cloud hardware. We are looking for engineers with a dedicated passion for customer focused solutions, insight and industry knowledge to envision and implement future technical solutions that will manage and optimize the Cloud infrastructure.

We are looking for a hardware Principal Platform Architect to join the System Design team.

The Server Hardware Platform Architect to define future generations of servers and building blocks. The candidate will have demonstrated significant experience in server architecture and design including compute, storage, networking and systems management. Our team is at the forefront of technology and system design, leading the way for the next generation of platforms. Our mission is to architect the most performant, secure, reliable, and cost-effective solutions that are deployed at hyperscale to power Azure. The architect filling this role will be the subject matter person for one or more platforms and building blocks, working across multiple domains to optimize designs for our high-volume systems. The architect will collaborate with the Planning and Sourcing teams and with Mechanical and Thermal Architects on requirements capture, technology insertion, concept proposals, cost / performance tradeoffs, prototype engineering, and architectural documentation for design / planning reviews. Once a program is approved from a conceptual level, the Platform Architect will partner with the development teams to ensure a smooth transition to full product development.

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 realize 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.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications :

• Master's Degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related field AND 7+ years technical engineering experience of computer / server / storage platform architecture and designOR Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related field AND 8+ years technical engineering experience OR equivalent experience.
• Demonstrated expertise in multi-disciplinary server platform architecture and design.
• Ability to analyze solutions from a full TCO perspective, including but not limited to : CAPEX, OPEX, the system constraints that drive design tradeoffs, technology, quality and serviceability.
• Proficient communication skills to influence and partner across many Azure business and engineering teams.

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 :

Preferred Qualifications :

Hardware Engineering IC5 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $139,900 - $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 :

Microsoft will accept applications for the role until August 29th, 2025.

SCHIE #CHSE #azurehwjobs

Responsibilities

This platform architecture role will require innovation, technology & partnerships skills :

Embody our and

Benefits / perks listed below may vary depending on the nature of your employment with Microsoft and the country where you work.Industry leading healthcareEducational resourcesDiscounts on products and servicesSavings and investmentsMaternity and paternity leaveGenerous time awayGiving programsOpportunities to network and connect