Microsoft

Principal Hardware Engineer

Microsoft$142K — $274K *
Enterprise Technology
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Master's or Bachelor's Degree in a relevant engineering field with 7-8+ years of technical experience.
  • Proficiency in enterprise storage technologies including HDDs, SSDs, SAS, SATA, NVMe.
  • Experience in leading validation strategies and test methodologies for hardware products for 5+ years.
  • Strong collaborative skills for cross-functional technical initiatives across suppliers and internal teams.
  • Expertise in HDD technologies and protocols like HAMR, SMR, SAS/SATA.

Responsibilities

  • Translate platform requirements into HDD validation strategies and test plans.
  • Develop and maintain automated HDD test suites for various validation scenarios.
  • Analyze incidents to identify coverage gaps and improve HDD qualification methods.
  • Collaborate with suppliers on qualification results and quality assessments.
  • Lead discussions to align HDD qualifications with Azure deployment needs.
  • Perform technical analysis of HDD failures using diagnostic data.
  • Drive qualification readiness for new HDD technologies to meet Azure requirements.
  • Mentor engineers in storage validation and HDD technology advancements.

Benefits

  • Opportunity to influence industry specifications and Microsoft validation standards.
  • Access to mentorship and technical leadership opportunities.
  • Involvement in cutting-edge data storage technologies and innovations.
  • Collaborative environment with cross-functional teams and suppliers.
Full Job Description
Responsibilities
  • Translate Microsoft, OCP, security, reliability, and platform requirements into comprehensive HDD validation strategies, test plans, and qualification procedures.
  • Design, develop, and maintain automated HDD CDL test suites covering functionality, performance, reliability, power, security, interoperability, and fleet-specific validation scenarios
  • Analyze fleet learnings, field incidents, and validation escapes to identify coverage gaps and drive continuous enhancement of HDD qualification methodologies and test content.
  • Partner closely with HDD suppliers to review qualification results, debug failures, assess corrective actions, and ensure compliance with Microsoft quality and certification requirements
  • Lead technical discussions with cross-functional teams including platform engineering, storage architecture, reliability engineering, and datacenter operations to align qualification requirements with Azure deployment needs.
  • Perform deep technical analysis of HDD failures using protocol traces, logs, telemetry, and diagnostic data to identify root causes and drive issue resolution with suppliers
  • Drive qualification readiness for next-generation HDD technologies and ensure new devices meet Azure requirements for reliability, performance, compatibility, security, and serviceability
  • Influence industry specifications, Microsoft validation standards, and supplier test methodologies by identifying opportunities to improve qualification coverage and overall device quality.
  • Mentor engineers and provide technical leadership in storage validation, test development, qualification practices, and HDD technology advancements.


Qualifications

Required/minimum qualifications
  • 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


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
  • 8+ years of experience working with enterprise storage technologies, including HDDs, SSDs, SAS, SATA, or NVMe devices, with demonstrated expertise in storage architecture, performance, reliability, and failure analysis.
  • 5+ years of experience leading development of validation strategies, qualification programs, test methodologies, or automated test frameworks for hardware products.
  • Proven experience leading cross-functional technical initiatives and influencing product quality, validation requirements, or engineering roadmaps across suppliers, partners, and internal engineering organizations.
  • Master's Degree or PhD in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or related technical field.
  • Deep expertise in HDD technologies, including HAMR, SMR, PMR, SAS/SATA protocols, storage reliability, firmware behavior, and large-capacity enterprise storage systems.
  • Experience defining device qualification strategies, certification programs, or validation standards for hyperscale cloud, datacenter, or enterprise storage deployments.
  • Experience collaborating directly with storage device suppliers to influence product design, validation methodologies, debugging efforts, and quality improvement initiatives.
  • Proficiency in test automation, software development, and data analysis using Python, C#, PowerShell, or similar languages.
  • Experience with industry standards and specifications, including OCP, NVMe, SPC, SCSI, ATA, TCG, and related storage technologies.
  • Proven track record of driving complex technical decisions, influencing engineering direction across organizations, and delivering large-scale quality or reliability improvements.
  • Experience leveraging AI, automation, or advanced analytics to improve engineering productivity, qualification efficiency, or failure analysis workflows.


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Hardware Engineering IC5 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $142,800 - $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:
https://careers.microsoft.com/us/en/us-corporate-pay

This position will be open for a minimum of 5 days, with applications accepted on an ongoing basis until the position is filled.

About Microsoft

Microsoft is an American multinational corporation that develops, manufactures, licenses, supports, and sells a range of software products and services. Microsoft’s devices and consumer (D&C) licensing segment licenses the Windows operating system and related software, Microsoft Office for consumers, and the Windows Phone operating system. The company’s computing and gaming hardware segment provides Xbox gaming and entertainment consoles and accessories, second-party and third-party video games, and Xbox Live subscriptions; surface devices and accessories; and Microsoft PC accessories. Its phone hardware segment offers Lumia smartphones and other non-Lumia phones. Its D&C segment provides Windows Store, Xbox Live transactions, and Windows phone store; search advertising; display advertising; Office 365 Home and Office 365 Personal; first-party video games; and other consumer products and services as well as operating retail stores. Microsoft’s commercial licensing segments license server products, including Windows Server, Microsoft SQL Server, Visual Studio, System Center, and related Client Access Licenses (CALs); Windows Embedded; Windows operating system; Microsoft Office for business, including Office, Exchange, SharePoint, Lync, and related CALs; Microsoft Dynamics business solutions; and Skype. Its commercial segment offers enterprise services, including premier support services and Microsoft consulting services; commercial cloud comprising Office 365 Commercial, other Microsoft Office online offerings, Dynamics CRM Online, and Microsoft Azure; and other commercial products and online services. The company markets and distributes its products through original equipment manufacturers, distributors, and resellers, as well as online.

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Learn more about Microsoft
Size
181,000 employees
Market Cap
$1,762.4 billion
Industry
Net Income
$51.3 billion
Founded
1975
5 Year Trend
+15.5%
Revenue
$153.2 billion
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