The Principal AI Network Architect role is part of the AI systems architecture team within Microsoft's Azure Hardware Systems and Infrastructure organization. This position focuses on evaluating, designing, and optimizing network architecture for next-generation AI systems. The role involves significant collaboration with silicon and platform design teams to ensure performance and reliability. The architect will also influence Azure product roadmaps and participate in industry standards development.

• Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science or related technical field and 6+ years of technical engineering experience with coding in languages including C, C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, or Python.
• Ability to meet Microsoft, customer, and/or government security screening requirements.
• Master’s or Doctoral degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related fields and 10+ years of technical experience in the domain is preferred.
• Deep expertise with ethernet networking, RDMA, congestion control, and layer 2/3 switching.
• Experience architecting scale-out/backend network for AI GPU clusters.

• Spearhead architecture definition and evaluation of AI accelerator platforms with a focus on high bandwidth, low latency networks.
• Drive end-to-end optimization of the stack from hardware to software kernels.
• Partner with silicon and platform design teams to co-design infrastructure that meets performance, reliability, and deployment goals.
• Work with state-of-the-art networking lab to prototype new network architectures.
• Participate in industry consortiums to shape standards and influence vendor roadmaps.

• Employees at Microsoft are often offered comprehensive, “world-class” benefits—including health and mental-wellness programs, competitive pay with bonuses and stock awards, and retirement/savings options. Time-off and flexibility are common, with generous vacation and holidays, parental and caregiver leave, and flexible work schedules, alongside learning support, employee resource groups, product discounts, and matching-gifts/volunteering programs. Specific benefits can vary by region.