Principal Hardware Architect - Optical Technologies

Job Title

Principal Hardware Architect - Optical Technologies

Role Summary

Principal-level individual contributor on the Strategic Planning and Architecture (SPARC) team within Azure Hardware Systems and Infrastructure. Drive evaluation and adoption of emerging optical interconnect technologies for AI-centric datacenters, define proof-of-concept (POC) strategies, and translate technical tradeoffs into architecture and product requirements.

Experience Level

Senior. See Education Requirements for degree/years guidance.

Responsibilities

Key responsibilities include technical leadership, cross-team collaboration, and delivering requirements and evaluation frameworks for optical technologies.

• Define design methodologies to characterize optical performance, loss budget, power, and reliability.
• Produce detailed optical interconnect requirements: RFIs, RFPs and product specifications.
• Propose and execute POC/prototyping frameworks for rigorous evaluation of optical technologies and architectures.
• Engage with vendors, analyze competing technologies, and recommend technology adoption paths.
• Communicate technology direction and educate internal stakeholders to create line-of-sight to deployment.

Requirements

Required skills and constraints (education degree details are summarized under Education Requirements).

• Must-have: Proven technical experience evaluating optical interconnects, optical transceiver components, and system-level tradeoffs for datacenter hardware.
• Must-have: Experience defining POC scopes, prototyping methods, and measurable evaluation criteria for new hardware technologies.
• Must-have: Ability to engage and influence vendors and internal stakeholders; strong written and verbal communication.
• Must-have: Ability to meet Microsoft security screening requirements (Microsoft Cloud Background Check) and willingness to travel up to ~25%.
• Nice-to-have: Familiarity with QSFP/OSFP modules, Near-Packaged Optics (NPO) or Co-Packaged Optics (CPO) approaches.
• Nice-to-have: Experience architecting optical transceivers (EIC, PIC, drivers, TIAs, modulators, lasers) for power, density, BER and reliability targets.
• Nice-to-have: Background in computer/systems architecture, AI or HPC systems at datacenter scale.
• Nice-to-have: Proven ability to lead complex technical projects and operate in ambiguous, cross-functional environments.

Education Requirements

Doctorate (PhD) in Optical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related field with 3+ years' technical engineering experience; or Master’s degree in Optical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related field with 5+ years' experience; or Bachelor’s degree in Optical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related field with 7+ years' experience; 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.