Principal Reliability Engineer

Job Title

Principal Reliability Engineer

Role Summary

Principal-level individual contributor on the Silicon Manufacturing & Product Engineering (SMPE) team within Microsoft Silicon, Cloud Hardware, and Infrastructure Engineering (SCHIE). Lead supplier quality and reliability activities for Microsoft's custom and semi-custom SoC development and manufacturing ramps.

Experience Level

Senior (Principal). This is a senior technical role; candidates typically have substantial engineering experience consistent with a principal-level position.

Responsibilities

Lead and operationalize supplier quality and reliability practices across silicon manufacturing and packaging suppliers.

• Lead supplier quality engineering roadmap for custom and semi-custom SoC development.
• Define and drive onboarding and NPI ramp requirements for suppliers.
• Develop quality strategies and qualification plans for OSATs, ODMs, foundries and indirect-material suppliers.
• Define supplier benchmarking and conduct supplier audits as needed.
• Lead investigation and resolution of high-impact quality events; drive root-cause, corrective and preventive actions (RCCA/CAPA).
• Lead FMEA and NUDD risk-mitigation activities in NPI programs.
• Drive DFM, DFR and DFQ initiatives and coordinate system-level dependencies across silicon, system, and datacenter teams.

Requirements

Must-have experience, security eligibility, and operational expectations.

• Proven experience leading supplier quality engineering and reliability for SoC development and manufacturing.
• Experience managing NPI product ramps and supplier qualification at OSAT/ODM/foundry partners.
• Proven ability to lead high-impact quality investigations and implement RCCA/CAPA.
• Experience with FMEA and risk-mitigation processes in NPI contexts.
• Strong cross-functional collaboration skills across silicon, system, and datacenter teams.
• Ability to meet Microsoft Cloud Background Check and other customer/government security screening requirements.
• Eligible to access export-controlled information; must provide proof of citizenship or lawful residency as required for export-control assessment.
• Willingness to travel up to approximately 25%.

Education Requirements

Degree and certification guidance: Doctorate in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field (plus ~3 years technical experience), OR Master’s in those fields (plus ~6 years), OR Bachelor’s in those fields (plus ~8 years), OR equivalent practical experience. Preferred certifications and credentials mentioned: ASQ CQE, VDA audit certification, Six Sigma Black Belt; demonstrated experience with ISO certification processes.

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.