below marketmost similar roles pay hereabove market
This role pays less than
52%
of similar roles. Most pay
$191,875–$274,775
— the blue band above.
At the midpoint, this role pays about
$231k
versus about
$233k
for comparable roles.
Based on 240 similar postings.
Employer
About Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is a global technology leader producing software, hardware, and cloud services including Windows, Office 365, Azure cloud platform, Xbox gaming, and Surface devices. Industry: Software & Cloud Computing
Microsoft currently has
694 open roles
on FindRole.
Listed pay typically runs
$119,800–$234,700
across 651 roles with salary data.
The Principal Silicon Systems Architect joins the Microsoft Windows & Devices team to shape future platforms by translating workloads and product goals into system and silicon requirements. This role involves leading silicon roadmap definition, defining architecture capabilities, and managing tradeoffs across compute, memory, power, performance, cost, thermal, and security. The architect will build workload and system models to guide product decisions and drive co-design across Windows, AI, device, platform, and silicon teams. Key technical domains include SoC architecture, heterogeneous compute across CPU, GPU, NPU, media, interconnects, and power management, as well as camera and display technologies. The position requires providing technical leadership through all phases of development, ensuring technical alignment from early definition through silicon and product execution to solve complex hardware and software integration problems.
Lead silicon roadmap definition and development in partnership with external silicon vendors.
Translate product goals and workloads into specific system and silicon requirements.
Define architecture capabilities and tradeoffs for compute, memory, power, performance, cost, and security.
Drive hardware and software co-design across Windows, AI, device, and platform teams.
Identify capability gaps in partner roadmaps to define Microsoft’s strategic requirements.
Build workload and system models to guide architecture and product decisions.
Communicate complex technical tradeoffs to drive decisions across engineering teams and executives.
What we're looking for
Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or related field and 12+ years of technical engineering experience.
Master's Degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or related field and 10+ years of technical engineering experience.
Doctorate in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or related field and 7+ years of technical engineering experience.
Equivalent experience to the above educational and experience requirements.
Track record of defining and delivering complex SoCs or systems from architecture through product launch (preferred).
Experience shaping silicon roadmaps and driving architecture decisions with silicon partners (preferred).
Experience with workload characterization, performance analysis, and system modeling (preferred).
Deep expertise in SoC architecture or a key system domain such as AI, compute, memory, power, or performance (preferred).
Linux
Red Hat
Python
Ansible
Bash
Shell
Docker
Kubernetes
Red Hat OpenShift
VMWare
KVM
Hyper-V
Splunk
DNS
BIND
DevSecOps
Agile
Model-based Engineering
iSCSI
Clonezilla
ASIC Design
System Architecture
Signal Integrity
Power Integrity
Thermal Design
Verification
System Bring-up
Debug
IC Package Design
2.5D Fanout
Heterogeneous System Integration
Networking