The Principal Hardware Engineer - Networking role at Microsoft focuses on leading the design and execution of complex network switch platforms for Azure AI infrastructure. This position is part of the Cloud Hardware Systems Engineering team, which is crucial for enhancing Microsoft's cloud infrastructure. The ideal candidate will leverage their electrical engineering expertise to define multi-generation platform strategies and ensure high-quality hardware delivery. The role emphasizes collaboration across teams and requires a passion for customer-focused solutions.

• Master's Degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related field AND 7+ years technical engineering experience OR Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related field AND 8+ years technical engineering experience OR equivalent experience.
• Ability to meet Microsoft, customer and/or government security screening requirements.
• 10+ years of experience designing and delivering board- or system-level hardware for networking, compute, storage, accelerator, or datacenter products across the hardware development lifecycle.
• Experience leading architecture, requirements, design reviews, bring-up, validation, root-cause debug, and production readiness for complex hardware platforms.
• Experience developing high-speed serial and high-current power-delivery hardware.

• Define and drive the multi-generation electrical and system architecture roadmap for custom network switch platforms supporting Azure AI infrastructure.
• Own platform-level requirements decomposition and architectural tradeoffs spanning network, rack, performance, reliability, availability, serviceability, security, telemetry, manufacturing, cost, and schedule.
• Provide technical authority for switch ASIC, control-plane CPU, BMC, CPLD/FPGA, clocking, reset, power delivery, high-speed Ethernet, retimers, optical modules, cable backplanes, telemetry, and platform-management interfaces.
• Lead architecture and design reviews across schematic, PCB stack-up, signal integrity, power integrity, layout, BOM, component derating, DFT, DFM, DFR, and system integration.
• Establish platform bring-up, electrical validation, margining, interoperability, stress, reliability, and production-test strategies.

• 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.