Principal Silicon Design Methodology Engineer

Job Title

Principal Silicon Design Methodology Engineer

Role Summary

Join Microsoft's Front-End CAD team within Silicon, Cloud Hardware, and Infrastructure Engineering (SCHIE) to own and qualify front-end library IPs used across Microsoft’s cloud silicon programs. The role focuses on improving library quality, qualification pipelines, release readiness, and cross-team integration.

Work to deliver high-quality, scalable library IP and qualification tooling that enable large-scale cloud hardware delivery.

Experience Level

Senior (Principal) — typically 6+ years of front-end digital design experience; includes technical leadership and cross-team ownership.

Responsibilities

Primary responsibilities include library ownership, qualification, tooling, and technical leadership.

• Own design and front-end qualification of one or more shared libraries end-to-end: specification, RTL/behavioral modeling, verification, static qualifications, and release.
• Drive qualification through lint, CDC, RDC, synthesis, and low-power checks and produce clean, reproducible multi-project releases.
• Build and maintain qualification and regression pipelines; triage failures, determine root cause, and drive fixes to closure.
• Act as technical owner for partner-reported issues: reproduce failures against standalone libraries, identify root cause, and deliver fixes.
• Collaborate with SoC design, DV, methodology, physical design, and EDA vendors to align library behavior and release readiness.
• Provide functional leadership: set technical direction, review designs and PRs, mentor engineers, and improve backlog/sprint/release hygiene.
• Communicate status, risk, and release readiness clearly to engineering leadership and partner stakeholders across time zones.

Requirements

Must-have skills and experience for successful candidates; preferred items listed separately.

• Must-have: At least 6 years of front-end digital design and development experience and at least 2 years qualifying IP through front-end checks (lint, CDC, RDC, synthesis, low-power).
• Must-have: Strong understanding of standard cell mapping, memories, and behavioral design modeling.
• Must-have: Hands-on experience with IP design simulation and debugging workflows.
• Must-have: Experience building, maintaining, and triaging qualification and regression pipelines.
• Must-have: Proven ability to analyze existing IP functionality/connectivity and implement incremental improvements.
• Nice-to-have: Experience developing CI/CD pipelines for design and verification workflows and applying AI-assisted techniques to improve productivity.
• Nice-to-have: Demonstrated technical leadership and mentoring of engineering teams.
• Ability to meet Microsoft Cloud Background Check and other required security screenings.

Education Requirements

Required: BS in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or Computer Science, or equivalent practical experience. Preferred: MS in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or Computer Science, or equivalent work experience. Equivalent practical experience is accepted.

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.