Principal Firmware Engineer
Principal-level engineer on Microsoft's Azure team leading architecture, development, debugging, and first-silicon bring-up of firmware for Microsoft's AI accelerators and cloud silicon platforms (compute domains and Accelerator Network Controller). Hands-on C/C++ SoC firmware work plus cross-team technical leadership and mentoring.
- Compensation
- $188K–$304.2K / yr
- Location
- United States, California, Mountain View
- Work setup
- Onsite
- Seniority
- Principal
- Employment
- Not specified
- Experience
- 3+ years
- Category
- Embedded
- Posted
Skills
Must have
- Doctorate in EE/Computer Engineering/CS or related field AND 3+ years technical engineering experience, OR Master's AND 6+ years, OR Bachelor's AND 8+ years, OR equivalent experience
- Ability to meet Microsoft, customer and/or government security screening requirements, including Microsoft Cloud Background Check upon hire and every two years
Nice to have
- 12+ years of experience in firmware, embedded systems, or SoC development
- Proficient understanding of Memory and IO subsystem for server class SoC
- Proven experience as a technical lead for complex silicon or firmware programs
- Demonstrated ownership of architecture, development, and delivery of production-quality firmware
- Expert-level programming skills in C/C++ and Python
- Deep expertise in CPU and accelerator architecture, ARM/RISC architectures, on-chip interconnect
- Experience designing bootloaders, platform initialization sequences, and silicon abstraction layers
- Experience in domains like network controllers and high-performance compute subsystems
- Silicon bring-up/debug experience using JTAG, Lauterbach TRACE32, and other debug tools
- Experience using emulation and FPGA platforms (Zebu, HAPS, Palladium, Veloce)
- Experience with Azure hardware platforms
- Experience with AI accelerator silicon
- Experience with confidential computing and security firmware
- Experience with firmware performance optimization and telemetry
- Experience in RAS, reliability, and serviceability architecture
Full description
Overview
The Microsoft Azure team is seeking a highly experienced Principal Firmware Engineer to lead the , development of firmware , debugging, and validation of next-generation firmware solutions for Microsoft AI accelerators and cloud silicon platforms.
This role is focused on the design, development , debug and deployment of silicon firmware libraries focused on Compute Domains and ANC (Accelerator Network Controller). This will require deep expertise in SoC architecture, low-level firmware, silicon bring-up, hardware/software co-design, and platform initialization flows. The candidate will serve as a technical leader driving IP Firmware library architecture across multiple silicon programs while collaborating with hardware architects, validation engineers, security and Platform firmware and software teams. The role needs to be technical hands on leaders who will influence architecture across teams, mentor others, drive complex initiatives, and effectively communicate with executives, customers, and engineering stakeholders.
Responsibilities
- Define and drive firmware architecture for Silicon firmware libraries for HBM, ANC, Compute, and SoC infrastructure subsystems.
- Influence microarchitecture decisions by working closely with silicon architects during specification and design phases.
- Lead firmware strategy across multiple silicon generations and platform programs..
- Provide technical leadership across firmware, hardware, validation, and software organizations
- Develop silicon firmware libraries in C/C++ for Compute engines, ANC sub system, DMA Engines, and other similar IP blocks
- Develop scalable and maintainable firmware frameworks and APIs.
- Lead first-silicon bring-up activities.
- Drive root-cause analysis for firmware, hardware, performance, and validation issues.
- Define firmware verification requirements and test plans.
- Lead cross-team initiatives spanning firmware, silicon architecture, software, security, and system integration.
- Create engineering alignment across geographically distributed teams.
- Collaborate with Azure hardware, platform software, systems, and validation organizations.
- Represent firmware technical direction in leadership and architecture reviews.
- Mentor engineers.
- Develop engineering best practices, coding standards, and architectural review processes.
Qualifications
Minimum 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