Hardware Principal Engineer

Dell Technologies

Confirmed live today High trust

Quick summary

Work type: On-site
Location: Hopkinton, MA
Salary: $161,500–$209,000 / yr
Posted: 19 days ago
Freshness: Confirmed live today
Closes: Dec 31, 2026
Nearby: 99+ roles within 25 mi

Market check

Salary context

Competitive pay

How this pay compares to similar roles

Similar $198k

This role $185k

$131k $255k

below market most similar roles pay here above market

This role pays less than 59% of similar roles. Most pay $169,550–$225,712 — the blue band above. At the midpoint, this role pays about $185k versus about $198k for comparable roles.

Based on 240 similar postings.

Employer

About Dell Technologies

Dell Technologies is a US-based technology company that designs and sells PCs, servers, storage and networking hardware, along with related software and IT services. Its product lines include the XPS, Latitude and Alienware PCs and the PowerEdge server and PowerStore storage families.

Dell Technologies currently has 118 open roles on FindRole.

Listed pay typically runs $176,000–$236,500 across 105 roles with salary data.

Most-posted roles

View all roles at Dell Technologies

At a glance

TL;DR · Hardware Principal Engineer

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The Hardware Principal Engineer joins the Systems Development Engineering team to build ruggedized servers designed for extreme telecom and far-edge environments. In this role, you will configure, build, and test new server configurations in a hands-on lab while leading system-level validation and integration. You will deploy and validate firmware, BIOS, BMC, and OS stacks, translating ambiguous customer issues into actionable validation plans and root cause analyses. Key technical requirements include expertise in computer architecture such as x86 and ARM, electrical engineering, motherboard, PCIe, and DDR components. You will also perform environmental, thermal, and EMC/regulatory validation against standards like NEBS, ETSI, and MIL-STD. This position ensures that hardware design choices successfully withstand real-world edge conditions like shock, vibration, and power constraints.

What does a Hardware Engineer earn?

Median $174375 from 34 postings across 11 companies.

See salary data

Skills

Firmware BIOS BMC x86 ARM Linux Windows PCIe DDR Root Cause Analysis System-level Validation EMC NEBS ETSI MIL-STD Computer Architecture

What you'll do

Configure, build, and test new ruggedized server configurations in a hands-on lab.
Develop and execute system-level test and validation plans for new server products.
Deploy and validate firmware, BIOS, BMC, and OS stacks across new hardware configurations.
Translate ambiguous customer issues into actionable validation plans and diagnose root causes.
Represent telco and service-provider customer requirements in technical discussions with global engineering teams.
Perform root cause analysis on complex failures across hardware, firmware, BIOS, and OS layers.
Balance and prioritize concurrent validation workloads across multiple stakeholders and program deadlines.

What we're looking for

8+ years of related experience with a Bachelor's degree; 6+ years with a Master's; 3+ years with a PhD; or equivalent experience.
Knowledge of computer architecture (x86, ARM), electrical engineering, hardware development (motherboard, PCIe, DDR), and hardware/firmware diagnostics.
Experience developing and executing test strategies and system-level validation for hardware, firmware, BIOS, and OS.
Experience with environmental, thermal, and EMC/regulatory validation (e.g., NEBS, ETSI, MIL-STD).
Hands-on experience validating server hardware, including firmware/BIOS/BMC bring-up, OS deployment, and multi-layer system diagnostics (preferred).
Exposure to ruggedized, telecom, or edge platforms and familiarity with NEBS, ETSI, or MIL-STD requirements (preferred).
Proficiency in operating systems (OS) installation, configuration, and troubleshooting for Windows and Linux (preferred).

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