Principal Firmware Development Engineer

Quick Facts

• Role: Principal Firmware Development Engineer

Description

Define and lead architecture for pre-silicon software development for Microsoft custom silicon, with a focus on SystemC/TLM-2.0 virtual platforms. Lead resolution of complex system-level challenges across virtual platforms, firmware, validation infrastructure, and hybrid execution environments, then transition ownership to development teams for long-term delivery.

Responsibilities

• Lead complex system-level problem solving spanning virtual platforms, firmware, silicon architecture, validation infrastructure, software enablement, and hybrid execution environments.

• Define architectural direction for SystemC/TLM-based virtual platforms supporting multiple generations of Azure silicon.

• Identify technical risks, technology gaps, and scaling challenges, then drive practical solutions that can be adopted by multiple teams.

• Establish engineering standards, modeling practices, reusable frameworks, debug strategies, and validation approaches to improve quality and reduce duplicated effort.

• Model and develop SystemC/TLM-2.0 models for complex SoC subsystems (PCIe, memory, boot infrastructure, compute clusters, interconnect, and platform services).

• Develop and debug low-level firmware and validation software running on virtual platforms.

• Support firmware bring-up and integration: UEFI, Windows Boot, PCIe initialization, platform enumeration, early driver enablement, and operating system integration.

• Debug complex interactions across hardware, firmware, OS, virtualization environments, simulation infrastructure, host systems, and modeling frameworks.

• Analyze and optimize simulation performance, scalability, usability, and debug productivity across large SoC and multi-SoC environments.

• Contribute to hybrid platform strategy by integrating virtual platforms with emulation/prototyping systems (ZeBu, HAPS, Helium, Palladium, Protium).

• Mentor engineers through design reviews and architecture guidance; prototype, prove, and de-risk solutions before transitioning ownership to development teams.

Benefits

• Base pay range (U.S.): USD $142,800–$274,800 per year; Bay Area/NYC metro: USD $188,000–$304,200 per year.

• Certain roles may be eligible for additional benefits and compensation (per Microsoft pay information).

Requirements

• PhD in EE/CE/CS (or related) with 3+ years technical engineering experience, or Master’s with 6+ years, or Bachelor’s with 8+ years (or equivalent experience).

• Ability to meet Microsoft security screening requirements, including passing the Microsoft Cloud Background Check and re-checking every two years.

• Ability to access export-controlled information; must provide proof of citizenship or U.S. residency/other protected status for eligibility verification.