Microsoft Corporation is actively seeking an exceptional professional to join our organization as a Storage System Technical Lead within the Hardware Engineering division. Positioned at the core of Microsoft’s technological innovation, this role offers direct involvement in mission-critical engineering initiatives, planetary-scale cloud services, and next-generation product architectures.

Role Overview & Strategic Impact

As a Storage System Technical Lead based in Redmond, Washington, United States, you will play an integral role in architecting, engineering, and delivering transformative technology solutions. Operating within Microsoft’s Hardware Engineering practice, your efforts will directly shape the scalability, performance, and security of software systems and platforms trusted by billions of users worldwide.

Microsoft’s enduring mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. Team members thrive within an inclusive culture grounded in a growth mindset, cross-team empathy, and uncompromising customer focus. In this position, you will collaborate with industry-leading engineers, researchers, and product leaders to solve complex technical problems at unprecedented scale.

Technical Domain: Custom Silicon & Specialized Hardware Architecture

Microsoft’s Silicon Engineering organization designs purpose-built custom chips—including the Azure Maia AI accelerator, Azure Cobalt CPU, and advanced security processors—optimized specifically for cloud and frontier AI workloads. Specialists across signal integrity, power integrity, and ASIC verification collaborate closely with system architects and foundry partners. Their objective is maximizing compute density, optimizing power envelope efficiency, and delivering deterministic performance across planetary datacenter fleets.

Professionals in this specialization combine strong computer science fundamentals with practical, real-world systems engineering. Whether delivering distributed microservices, designing custom silicon interconnects, managing physical datacenter infrastructure, or scaling AI-powered customer workflows, you will operate within a mature engineering ecosystem supported by Microsoft’s global technical community.

Key Responsibilities & Scope of Work

In this capacity, your daily priorities and core technical contributions will center on the following key operational deliverables:

• Provide end-to-end system technical leadership for Azure storage platforms during hardware development and validation, translating approved requirements and architecture into an executable cross-functional technical strategy.
• Drive timely program-level technical decisions across hardware, firmware, software, validation, manufacturing, datacenter integration, and operations, balancing performance, capacity, reliability, availability, serviceability, security, power, cost, schedule, and implementation risk.
• Establish the quality bar for system specifications, subsystem interfaces, design documentation, design reviews, validation strategies, test plans, and launch criteria, and maintain traceability from requirements through validation and deployment evidence.
• Identify integration gaps and assess new, unique, difficult, or differentiated technologies and features across subsystems, suppliers, and lifecycle phases; define dependencies, owners, risks, mitigations, validation needs, and closure criteria.
• Lead cross-functional resolution of complex issues found during design, bring-up, validation, manufacturing, deployment, or fleet operation, driving root cause, corrective action, verified closure, and propagation of fixes and lessons learned.
• Partner with the Technical Program Manager and Product Owner to assess the technical impact of proposed changes, drive milestone readiness, provide technical approvals defined by program governance, and communicate concise status, risks, decisions, and help-needed items to leadership.
• Collaborate across architecture, silicon, electrical, mechanical, thermal, power, firmware, operating systems, validation, systems engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, datacenter engineering, operations, suppliers, ODMs, and customer-facing teams to align subsystem decisions, resolve cross-domain dependencies, and deliver an integrated storage platform.
• Maintain rigorous code quality, comprehensive automated test coverage, and security compliance throughout all phases of software delivery.
• Participate actively in technical design reviews, operational post-mortems, and architectural discussions across global engineering cohorts.

Candidate Profile & Experience Requirements

Candidates for the Storage System Technical Lead position are evaluated based on their practical experience, technical depth, and demonstrated track record of problem-solving:

• Professional Background: Minimum of 7 years (84 months) of verified experience directly relevant to hardware engineering or related technical specializations.
• Lead or sponsor system design reviews with Microsoft engineering teams, silicon and component partners, and original design manufacturers (ODMs), and confirm that qualification, interoperability, and manufacturing test coverage address system requirements and risks.
• Master’s Degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related field AND 7+ years technical engineering experience OR Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related field AND 8+ years technical engineering experience OR equivalent experience.
• Experience integrating silicon, systems on chip (SoCs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), controllers, or other complex components into high-volume systems.
• Technical Competence: Demonstrated mastery of programming environments, distributed systems, modern cloud infrastructure, or specialized analytical methodologies relevant to the domain.
• Cross-Functional Leadership: Strong written and verbal communication skills, with an established ability to articulate complex technical architectures clearly to engineering peers and executive stakeholders.
• Culture & Values: Demonstrated alignment with Microsoft’s core values of respect, integrity, and accountability, alongside a proactive dedication to diversity and inclusion.

Work Environment, Workplace Schedule & Location Structure

This position is designated with an official location in Redmond, Washington, United States. Work arrangements for this role are structured as Onsite Model with Hybrid Work Flexibility (Redmond, Washington). Microsoft provides modern, accessible work environments equipped with state-of-the-art developer tooling, ergonomic facilities, and collaborative hybrid infrastructure.

Compensation, Total Rewards & Comprehensive Benefits

Microsoft offers a comprehensive, highly competitive total rewards framework designed to support employees’ personal, professional, and financial well-being:

• Legally Disclosed Base Salary Range: USD $142,800 – USD $274,800 per annum across typical US geographic zones (regional geographic differentials apply for high-cost zones such as the San Francisco Bay Area and New York City metropolitan areas).
• Incentive & Equity Rewards: Eligibility for annual performance-based cash bonuses and Microsoft restricted stock units (RSUs).
• Comprehensive Healthcare: Premium medical, dental, and vision coverage, including mental health support programs and wellness reimbursements.
• Retirement & Financial Security: Robust 401(k) / national retirement savings plans with generous company matching contributions, alongside financial planning resources.
• Time Off & Work-Life Harmony: Generous paid time off, comprehensive parental leave programs, public holiday allowances, and caregiver leave support.
• Growth & Learning: Unlimited access to Microsoft Learn, internal technical conferences, tuition assistance, and structured career mobility pathways across worldwide business units.

Application Process & Requisition Reference

This position is actively open and monitored by Microsoft Talent Acquisition. In alignment with corporate hiring policies, applications are accepted on an ongoing basis with no rigid pre-determined closing deadline until a qualified candidate is formally selected (Open Until Filled).

To submit your application, select the Apply Now button on this listing to navigate directly to the official Microsoft Careers requisition portal. When submitting your candidacy, reference Requisition ID 200056804. Ensure your resume and supporting documentation highlight your relevant technical deliverables, system achievements, and professional qualifications.