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Principal Firmware Architect

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Microsoft

3mo ago

  • Job
    Full-time
    Expert Level
  • Software Engineering
    IT & Cybersecurity

AI generated summary

  • You need 12+ years in software architecture, experience with SoC, device drivers, C/C++, ARM, platform SW, and security protocols. Strong problem-solving skills and team collaboration are essential.
  • You will design firmware architecture, develop firmware components, ensure hardware integration, troubleshoot, and coordinate feature development across stakeholders for productization and Azure deployment.

Requirements

  • 12+ years of professional experience architecting, designing, developing software solutions.
  • Bachelor’s or higher in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electronics Engineering, or similar.
  • Experience with SoC bring-up, platform initialization, Board support package porting, low level drivers for peripherals such as PCIe, I2C, SPI, USB, UARTs etc as well as Memory Management, Scheduling, Interrupts, and multi-threading.
  • Experience with PCIe driver/firmware development in virtualized environment.
  • Experience with Device Drivers, U-Boot, TFA, UEFI and bootloader design to boot from external media such as eMMC, SDCard etc.
  • Experience with RAS Management
  • Ability to debug and resolve issues spanning multiple subsystems.
  • The candidate should have strong defensive coding skills.
  • Excellent C/C++ programming skills.
  • Experience with ARM Cortex-A/M/R.
  • Experience with design and development of platform SW development technologies like – IPMI, Redfish, Thermal Control, Power capping, PCIe card telemetry, etc.
  • Experience with design and development of firmware update protocols like – MCTP, PLDM.
  • Experience with platform management security protocols like – SPDM.
  • Collaboration (aligned with team, across teams).
  • Experience with coaching team members and helping them grow.
  • Wants new technological challenges and able to deal with ambiguity.
  • Strong problem solving, debugging & troubleshooting skills, advanced design, and development skills.
  • The candidate should have the capability to drive design and development of features by co-ordinating across various stakeholders and deploy the same onto Azure fleet.
  • Ability to meet Microsoft, customer and/or government security screening requirements are required for this role. These requirements include but are not limited to the following specialized security screenings: Microsoft Cloud Background Check: This position will be required to pass the Microsoft Cloud Background Check upon hire/transfer and every two years thereafter.

Responsibilities

  • We are looking to hire a Principal Firmware Architect to join our team. This role is for a highly motivated Firmware Engineer with a background in Firmware development for embedded systems.
  • You will be contributing to all phases of product development, from design through manufacturing and productization.
  • You will create the firmware architecture for key systems and work closely with hardware teams to ensure hardware integrates well with the firmware.
  • You will contribute to design of various firmware components, including driver interface, system libraries needed for SoC bring-up, protocol and feature development of low-level hardware.
  • The candidate should have strong technical leadership skills, coding skills, debugging, and troubleshooting abilities, with experience in firmware development.
  • The successful candidate should have experience with some or all the following: firmware development, SOC bring-up, bootloaders, platform initialization, board support package porting, peripherals such as PCIe, NVMe, I2C, SPI, USB, UARTs.
  • OS primitives, memory management, scheduling, interrupts, threading.
  • The candidate should have the capability to drive design and development of features by coordinating across various stakeholders and deploy the same onto Azure fleet.

FAQs

What is the role of a Principal Firmware Architect at Microsoft?

The Principal Firmware Architect is responsible for designing and developing server and rack infrastructure firmware to support Microsoft's cloud services, ensuring that hardware integrates well with the firmware and contributing across all phases of product development.

What qualifications are required for this position?

Candidates need 12+ years of experience in software solutions architecture, a Bachelor's or higher in relevant fields, experience with SoC bring-up, platform initialization, low-level drivers, and excellent C/C++ programming skills, among others.

What experience is preferred for the Principal Firmware Architect role?

Preferred qualifications include experience with ARM Cortex architectures, platform software technologies like IPMI and Redfish, firmware update protocols, platform management security protocols, and mentoring team members.

Will the candidate need to pass any security screenings?

Yes, the candidate will be required to pass the Microsoft Cloud Background Check upon hire and every two years thereafter.

What specific technical skills are important for this role?

Important skills include expertise in firmware development, PCIe driver/firmware development in virtualized environments, device driver design, and strong debugging and troubleshooting abilities.

Is the Principal Firmware Architect role focused solely on firmware development?

No, the role also entails collaboration with hardware teams, contributing to design, and ensuring the overall integration of firmware with server hardware solutions.

What is the work environment like within the Silicon and Cloud Hardware Infrastructure Engineering team?

The team environment is collaborative and encourages learning, innovation, and a willingness to take risks while recognizing that failure is part of the path to mastery.

Are there opportunities for professional growth in this role?

Yes, the position includes opportunities for coaching team members and tackling new technological challenges, allowing for personal and professional growth.

Does Microsoft provide accommodations for applicants with disabilities?

Yes, Microsoft offers reasonable accommodations for applicants who need assistance due to a disability during the application process.

Is prior cloud or Azure experience required for this position?

While previous experience with cloud infrastructure, particularly Azure, is beneficial, the essential qualifications focus primarily on firmware development skills and technical experience.

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Microsoft

Technology
Industry
10,001+
Employees
1975
Founded Year

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