Principal Firmware Engineer

Job Title

Principal Firmware Engineer

Role Summary

Lead design, development, debug, and validation of low-level firmware for Microsoft AI accelerator and cloud SoC platforms. Serve as a technical lead across silicon programs, collaborating with hardware architects, validation, security, platform firmware and software teams.

Primary focus areas include firmware libraries for Compute domains, ANC (Accelerator Network Controller), HBM, DMA engines, boot and platform initialization, and first-silicon bring-up.

Experience Level

Senior-level. Typical background: 8+ years of technical engineering experience implied by the role; preferred candidates have 12+ years of firmware, embedded systems, or SoC development experience.

Responsibilities

Design, implement, and drive firmware architecture and delivery across silicon programs.

• Define firmware architecture for silicon firmware libraries (HBM, ANC, Compute, SoC infrastructure).
• Influence microarchitecture and collaborate with silicon architects during design/spec phases.
• Lead firmware strategy across multiple silicon generations and platform programs.
• Develop firmware in C/C++ (and supporting tools in Python) for compute engines, ANC, DMA, and similar IP blocks.
• Build scalable firmware frameworks, APIs, and verification test plans.
• Lead first-silicon bring-up, root-cause analysis, and cross-team debugging for firmware/hardware/performance issues.
• Coordinate cross-team initiatives spanning firmware, architecture, software, security, and systems integration.
• Represent firmware technical direction in leadership/architecture reviews and mentor engineers.

Requirements

Must-have technical skills, background, and screening requirements.

• Proven experience delivering production-quality firmware and leading complex silicon or firmware programs.
• Expert programming skills in C/C++; Python experience for tooling and automation.
• Deep knowledge of SoC architecture, CPU/accelerator architecture, memory and IO subsystems, and on-chip interconnects.
• Experience with boot loaders, platform initialization, silicon abstraction layers, and firmware frameworks.
• Hands-on silicon bring-up and debug experience; familiarity with JTAG, Lauterbach TRACE32, and other hardware debug tools.
• Experience with emulation/FPGA platforms (Zebu, HAPS, Palladium, Veloce) and firmware performance/telemetry optimization.
• Strong cross-functional collaboration, technical leadership, and mentoring ability across distributed teams.
• Ability to pass Microsoft Cloud background check and other required security screenings.

Nice-to-have:

• Experience with Azure hardware platforms and AI accelerator silicon.
• Experience with confidential computing, RAS (reliability/availability/serviceability) architecture, and high-performance network controllers.

Education Requirements

Doctorate (PhD) in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or related field plus 3+ years technical experience; OR Master’s degree in EE/CE/CS or related field plus 6+ years; OR Bachelor’s degree in EE/CE/CS or related field plus 8+ years; OR equivalent practical experience.

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.