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Microsoft

Principal AI Network Technical Lead

Career Insights for Hardware Engineer (General)

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What they do

A Hardware Engineer designs and develops computer hardware such as circuit boards, chips, modems, and keyboards. Works with computer software engineers and developers to improve technology.

$159,037 / year median in Washington

+2% projected growth

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Job Description

Drive network switch requirements, specifications, and technical decisions based on AI workload and system requirements. Lead switch vendor selection, RFIs/RFQs/RFPs, technical evaluations, and supplier engagement strategy. Own switch hardware development including ASICs, SerDes, retimers, connectors, SI/PI, mechanical, thermal, and power design. Drive development of next-generation optical scale-up solutions including OCI, XPO, CPO, fiber management, and optical interconnect technologies. Partner with software teams on SONiC, control plane, telemetry, diagnostics, fleet management, and operational readiness. Lead switch bring-up, validation, DVT/PVT, system integration, qualification, and production readiness activities. Own integration of scale-up switches into compute racks, switch racks, pods, and AI clusters. Drive ODM/JDM development models and manage technical engagement with switch vendors, ODMs, and ecosystem partners. Lead cross-functional teams spanning networking, systems, silicon, optics, firmware, software, operations, and manufacturing. Drive system-level optimization across performance, reliability, serviceability, manufacturability, power, cost, and time-to-market. 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. These requirements include, but are not limited to, the following specialized security screening: 10+ years of experience in networking, AI infrastructure, or large-scale system architecture. 10+ years of relevant experience in system (compute, storage, networking, and/or accelerator) level design and/or implementation across the hardware development lifecycle. 10+ years of hands-on experience in server hardware architecture, design, and development with solid understanding of hardware, firmware, and Operating System (OS). Proven experience delivering AI and GPU-based systems to production. Experience developing high-performance network switches, AI fabrics, or hyperscale networking solutions. Deep understanding of scale-up and scale-out networks, Ethernet switching, RDMA/RoCE, and SONiC. Knowledge of switch ASICs, 112G/224G SerDes, PAM4, retimers, PHYs, and high-speed interconnects. Experience with optical networking technologies such as OCI, XPO, CPO, OBO, and DR optics. Experience leading hardware development from architecture through validation and production. Familiarity with rack-scale systems, power, thermal, reliability, and serviceability design. Experience working with ODM/JDM partners and external suppliers. Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams across hardware, firmware, software, and systems engineering. BS / MS in Electrical/Computer Engineering or equivalent industry experience.