Microsoft Silicon and Cloud Hardware 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, Skype, 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, high energy engineers to help achieve that mission. As Microsoft's cloud business continues to grow the ability to deploy new offerings and HW infrastructure on time, in high volume with high quality and lowest cost is of paramount importance.

We are seeking a Senior Firmware Developer to join our team within SCHIE, where we build the foundational firmware that powers Microsoft’s Azure infrastructure—including its cutting-edge AI accelerator silicon. This role offers a unique opportunity to work across Azure’s custom silicon programs, including Cobalt and MAIA, and contribute directly to the firmware stack that enables Microsoft’s most advanced AI workloads.

As a senior engineer on our team, you will work on telemetry systems, interrupt management, memory management, low-level inter-core messaging services, USB, and a wide range of SSIO interfaces including I3C, I2C, UART, and SPI. You’ll also help architect and maintain our RTOS, driver frameworks, and OS-level performance infrastructure, while building and refining debugging tools that support scalable and reliable development. The role demands deep technical expertise, a bias for action, and a strong sense of ownership. You’ll be expected to balance fast-paced delivery with engineering rigor, and over time, grow into owning a major technical area within our firmware stack.

This is a hands-on role for someone who thrives in low-level systems work, understands the trade-offs between speed and quality, and is excited to help shape the future of Azure’s silicon strategy. If you’re looking to work at the intersection of firmware, operating systems, and AI hardware—this is the place to be.

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.

Responsibilities

• Develop firmware for telemetry systems, platform initialization, and board support packages across Azure’s custom silicon programs, including Cobalt and MAIA.
• Design and implement low-level inter-core messaging services and support SSIO interfaces such as I3C, I2C, UART, SPI, and others.
• Own and evolve the RTOS and driver frameworks, ensuring high performance, reliability, and scalability.
• Build and maintain OS-level performance infrastructure and debugging tools to accelerate development and root-cause analysis.
• Collaborate with silicon, hardware, and software teams to deliver secure, production-grade firmware that powers Azure’s infrastructure.
• Take ownership of a major technical area and drive its roadmap, contributing to long-term strategy and mentoring others.
• Embody our culture and values.
  
  

Qualifications

Required Qualifications:

• Doctorate in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or related field AND 1+ year(s) technical engineering experience
• OR Master's Degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or related field AND 4+ years technical engineering experience
• OR Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or related field AND 5+ years technical engineering experience
• OR equivalent experience.
• 4+ years of experience in Firmware Engineering.
• Proficient in C/C++.
• Experience debugging and resolving issues spanning multiple subsystems in the embedded ecosystem.
• Experience with one or more of the following: Platform initialization, low level device drivers for peripherals/protocols such as I3C, I2C, SPI, USB, UARTs as well as Memory Management, Scheduling, Interrupts or multi-threading
  

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:

• 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

• Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or related field AND 5+ years firmware engineering experience with focus on embedded systems and RTOS
• OR Master's Degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or related field AND 4+ years firmware engineering experience with focus on embedded systems and RTOS.
• Proficient in embedded RUST, RUST RTOS’s and toolchains
• Hands-on experience with SoC bring-up, OS primitives, memory management, and multi-threading.
• Experience with one or more of the following: Platform initialization, low level device drivers for peripherals/protocols such as I3C, I2C, SPI, USB, UARTs as well as Memory Management, Scheduling, Interrupts or multi-threading.
• Experience in working in pre silicon environments.
• Proficient in embedded RUST, RUST RTOS’s and toolchains
• Hands-on experience with SoC bring-up, OS primitives, memory management, and multi-threading.
  

Software Engineering IC4 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $117,200 - $229,200 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 $153,600 - $250,200 per year.

Certain roles may be eligible for benefits and other compensation. Find additional benefits and pay information here: https://careers.microsoft.com/us/en/us-corporate-pay

Microsoft will accept applications and processes offers for these roles on an ongoing basis.

#SCHIE

Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. Consistent with applicable law, all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, citizenship, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, immigration status, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran or military status, race, ethnicity, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable local laws, regulations and ordinances. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application process, read more about requesting accommodations.