Lead Compute System Architect

Job Title

Lead Compute System Architect

Role Summary

Join Microsoft's Systems Planning and Architecture (SPARC) team in Azure Hardware Systems and Infrastructure to define compute platform strategy and enable new server architectures across x86, Arm, and RISC-V. The role combines cross-functional technical leadership, hands-on bring-up/debug, and roadmap definition to support Microsoft’s cloud infrastructure.

Experience Level

Senior — typically requires 8+ years of technical engineering experience (see Requirements for details).

Responsibilities

Technical leadership and hands-on work to evaluate, enable, and operationalize new compute platforms for Azure.

• Drive pathfinding across server architectures; evaluate tradeoffs, platform readiness, ecosystem maturity, and workload fit.
• Define plans to close architecture and system software gaps: software bring-up, validation, and workload enablement.
• Design and build infrastructure software that supports multiple ISAs to improve portability and maintainability.
• Set roadmap direction by aligning silicon, system software, virtualization, cloud infrastructure, and workload priorities.
• Define specialized processors to offload and accelerate infrastructure tasks (networking, storage, security, management).
• Lead architecture bring-up and hands-on debug in pre-silicon and post-silicon environments (simulators, emulation, lab systems, prototypes).
• Coordinate cross-team development across silicon, firmware, OS, hypervisor, virtualization, and performance teams.
• Investigate platform issues across the stack and produce technical recommendations, risk assessments, and execution plans.

Requirements

Must-have technical experience and security eligibility.

• 8+ years technical engineering experience with coding in languages such as C, C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, or Python — or equivalent practical experience.
• Hands-on experience with architecture bring-up, system debug, root-cause analysis, and cross-functional issue resolution.
• Experience with simulators, emulation environments, pre-silicon or virtual platforms, and early hardware bring-up workflows.
• Deep practical knowledge of operating systems, hypervisors, virtualization, platform firmware, boot flows, and low-level system software.
• Practical understanding of I/O subsystems, I/O virtualization, and interactions with confidential compute.
• Proven ability to influence technical strategy, align senior stakeholders, and communicate data-driven recommendations.
• Ability to meet Microsoft Cloud Background Check and other required security screening for this role.

Nice-to-have:

• Broad cross-architecture experience spanning x86, Arm, and RISC-V and experience enabling workloads across multiple ISAs or heterogeneous environments.
• Experience with performance modeling, benchmarking, workload analysis, or platform readiness assessments.
• Experience applying AI-driven methods and tooling for software porting and tuning.
• Experience collaborating with silicon vendors, compiler/toolchain teams, and open-source ecosystem partners.

Education Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or a related technical field is listed in the source; the role also allows equivalent practical experience in lieu of a degree.

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.