Firmware Engineer

The Microsoft Silicon Engineering Solutions and Cloud Hardware Infrastructure Engineering (SCHIE) team is responsible for developing and delivering the hardware and firmware that is 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 trusted experience to customers and partners worldwide and we are looking for passionate, motivated engineers to help achieve that mission.   

Are you passionate about working on cutting edge new technology in a team that embodies the growth mindset? Are you hoping to join an organization which is built on a mission “To empower every person and organization on this planet to achieve more”? 

The Firmware Center of Excellence is responsible for Hardware/Firmware for Azure Infrastructure. We are working on the next generation Hardware/Firmware for server, silicon and rack infrastructure with a focus on innovation in firmware technology. 

We are looking for a highly motivated Firmware Engineer with a strong background in AI and machine learning. You must also have basic knowledge of hardware system designing and conceptually understand modern computer architecture (CPUs and GPUs). You must be strong in software development skills and proficient with at least one major programming language.

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Required Qualifications: 

• Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or related field
  • OR equivalent experience.
• Experience with coding in languages including, but not limited to, C, C++
• Experience with AI & ML models (e.g., Agentic AI framework, AI Foundry, Semantic Kernel, Foundry SDK, Responsible AI, fine-tuning/inferencing, etc.)

Other Requirements

• Microsoft Cloud Screening  Cloud Screening:
  • This position will be required to pass the Microsoft Cloud background check upon hire/transfer and every two years thereafter.  

 Preferred Qualifications: 

• Master's Degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or related field OR Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or related field AND 2+ years technical engineering experience with coding OR equivalent experience.
• Problem solving, debugging troubleshooting skills, advanced design, and development skills.
• Self-motivated and able to work independently with minimal supervision.
• Experience in architecting, designing and developing firmware/software solutions.
• Experience with AI tools used in software development.
• Experience applying AI or data science concepts in academic, professional, or personal projects, particularly in the context of cloud-based systems.

Firmware Engineering IC2 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $68,300 - $137,900 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 $93,200 - $151,200 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 for the role until July 28th, 2025.

#SCHIE

• Design scalable, modular firmware that supports AI model deployment and real-time inference across cloud hardware platforms.
• Use AI-based tools for root cause analysis and anomaly detection to accelerate system-level debugging and troubleshooting.
• Partner with data scientists, hardware engineers, and product teams to align AI models with firmware and system requirements.
• Build ML frameworks for hardware failure prediction, telemetry filtering, and adaptive performance tuning.
• Incorporate AI-driven threat detection and behavioral analysis into platform security models.
• Implement firmware modules that support AI-enhanced diagnostics over interfaces like PCIe, I2C, and USB.
• Guide teams in integrating AI into firmware development, validation, and deployment pipelines.
• Contribute to the roadmap with AI-powered features like self-healing firmware and intelligent logging.
• Co-develop AI-enhanced server solutions with Microsoft product groups and external partners.
• Evaluate and adopt emerging AI technologies to improve firmware lifecycle, testing, and system reliability.
  
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