Firmware Engineer

Job Title

Firmware Engineer

Role Summary

Develop, debug, and validate firmware libraries and platform initialization flows for Microsoft AI accelerators and cloud SoC platforms within Microsoft Silicon and Cloud Hardware Infrastructure Engineering (SCHIE). Own multiple IP/subsystems and collaborate with silicon architects, validation, security, and platform software teams.

Experience Level

Mid-level. Preferred 3–5 years of firmware, embedded, or SoC experience; minimum 1–2 years depending on degree or equivalent experience.

Responsibilities

Primary responsibilities include firmware design, silicon bring-up, verification, and cross-team collaboration.

• Design and implement silicon firmware libraries for HBM, compute, and SoC infrastructure subsystems.
• Collaborate with silicon architects during specification and design phases.
• Develop scalable firmware frameworks and public APIs.
• Lead first-silicon bring-up activities for assigned IP libraries.
• Perform debug and root-cause analysis for firmware, hardware, performance, and validation issues.
• Define firmware verification requirements and test plans.
• Validate firmware on pre-silicon simulation and emulation platforms.
• Coordinate with security, platform firmware, and software teams on integration and delivery.

Requirements

Degree and field details are listed under Education Requirements. Below are technical and other mandatory requirements; preferred skills follow.

• Strong understanding of SoC architecture, memory and I/O subsystems, and platform initialization sequences.
• Hands-on experience with low-level firmware, bootloader design, and silicon bring-up.
• Proficiency in C/C++ and Python for firmware development.
• Experience using JTAG, Lauterbach TRACE32, or similar hardware debugging tools.
• Experience with pre-silicon validation platforms (e.g., ZeBu, FPGA) and hardware emulation.
• Ability to define verification requirements and produce test plans and validation artifacts.
• Ability to meet Microsoft security screening requirements, including the Microsoft Cloud background check.

Nice-to-have:

• Experience with AI accelerator silicon and platform firmware for high-performance computing.
• Familiarity with hardware emulation platforms such as HAPS, Palladium, or Veloce.
• Background in confidential computing, hardware-based security, telemetry, and RAS design principles.
• Experience optimizing firmware performance and large-scale platform integration.

Education Requirements

Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Electronics Engineering, or a related technical field plus 1+ year technical engineering experience; OR Bachelor's degree in those fields plus 2+ years technical engineering experience; OR equivalent practical experience. Preferred qualifications reference Bachelor's or Master's degrees in the same technical fields.

About the Company

Company: Microsoft

Headquarters: Redmond, Washington, United States

Microsoft is a global technology company that develops and sells software, services, devices, and solutions. Known for its Windows operating system, Office suite, and Azure cloud platform, Microsoft aims to empower individuals and organizations around the world to achieve more. The company fosters a culture of innovation and inclusion, focusing on delivering trusted experiences to customers and partners globally.