This role pays more than
69%
of similar roles. Most pay
$141,500–$188,796
— the shaded band above.
At the midpoint, this role pays about
$177k
versus about
$165k
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
633 open roles
on FindRole.
Listed pay typically runs
$119,800–$234,700
across 621 roles with salary data.
Senior Systems Engineer
The Senior Systems Engineer joins the Platform Systems Engineering team to develop hardware designs for the MAIA platform, which utilizes custom silicon and high-performance networking to power frontier AI models. This role involves collaborating with cross-functional teams, including silicon architects, compiler teams, and firmware developers, to translate requirements into scalable tools and infrastructure solutions. You will manage the full lifecycle from concept to datacenter deployment, focusing on hardware design, validation, and system integration for compute, storage, and networking. Key responsibilities include analyzing new interfaces, evaluating power efficiency, and performing root-cause analysis on complex issues. Required expertise includes ARM or x86 server architectures, high-speed interfaces like DDR, HBM, PCIe, and Ethernet. You will utilize tools such as Lauterbach, Arium, and OpenOCD while utilizing Python, Perl, or shell scripting to ensure reliable performance across the hardware and software stack.
What does a Systems Engineer earn?
Median $155000 from 199 postings across 33 companies.
Develop hardware designs for AI, compute, storage, networking, and accelerator systems from concept to deployment.
Analyze new interfaces and subsystems to develop integration plans and evaluate power efficiency.
Define system behavior and platform concepts to ensure compatibility with Azure datacenter software and serviceability.
Perform risk assessments and mitigation recommendations for complex or unique technology features.
Drive technical requirements across the hardware, firmware, and software stack to ensure scalable solutions.
Lead technical discussions regarding product architecture to meet goals for quality, reliability, and performance.
Partner with internal and external stakeholders to onboard innovative technologies into the platform.
What we're looking for
Master's degree plus 3 years of experience, Bachelor's degree plus 5 years of experience, or equivalent technical engineering experience.
5+ years of hands-on experience with ARM- or x86-based server hardware architecture and SoC development.
5+ years of experience with high-speed interfaces such as DDR, HBM, PCIe, or Ethernet.
5+ years of experience troubleshooting complex system-level issues across board hardware, signal integrity, CPLD/FPGA, thermal, firmware, or operating systems.
5+ years of experience with platform-level test architectures and debugging tools like Lauterbach, Arium, JTAG, or scripting in Python, Perl, or shell.
Ability to pass the Microsoft Cloud Background Check.
Experience with post-silicon validation, platform bring-up, system integration, or server platform validation (preferred).
Experience with OEM hardware designs, Windows/Linux OS, firmware, high-speed technologies like CXL, and AI/ML workloads (preferred).
Site Reliability Engineering
Linux
Windows
Kubernetes
Docker
Oracle
SQL Server
PostgreSQL
Infrastructure Automation
Monitoring
Observability
Incident Management
Root-Cause Analysis
APIs
Generative AI
C++
C
Metal
Unix
lldb
dtrace
Instruments
GPU Programming
Graphics APIs
System Programming
Performance Optimization
Frame Scheduling
Display Technologies
Event-driven Systems
iOS
macOS
tvOS
watchOS
Systems Engineering
EO/IR
System Integration
Validation
Verification
Simulation
Debugging
Technical Planning
Systems Analysis
Architecture
Specification