Senior Computer Architect – Architecture Analysis

Microsoft; Hillsboro (OR); Hybrid; USD 119,800 - 234,700; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Training and mentorship programs

Career development opportunities

Job summary

A leading technology company is seeking a Hardware Engineering IC4 professional to strategize and architect compute platforms and storage technologies for cloud infrastructure. This hybrid role involves collaborating on innovative datacenter technologies and requires strong engineering experience. The position offers a salary range of $119,800 – $234,700 per year depending on experience and location.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of relevant experience in hardware engineering and computer architecture.
• 3+ years of experience with programming and scripting languages (C or Python).

Responsibilities

• Develop engineering-quality models evaluating TCO, performance, and sustainability.
• Build KPI models for Azure SaaS segments.
• Analyze workload taxonomy for architectural recommendations.
• Enhance TCO models using fleet telemetry data.
• Support development of sustainability metrics.

Skills

Technical engineering experience

Programming in C or Python

Analytical skills

Problem-solving skills

Documentation skills

Education

Master’s or Bachelor’s Degree in relevant field

Equivalent experience

Job description

As part of the Systems Planning and Architecture (SPARC) group, you will help strategize and architect compute platforms, storage and related technologies that create advantages for Azure and Microsoft. You will collaborate across the Azure organization to evaluate next‑generation datacenter technologies, influencing internal Microsoft silicon, systems development and industry partners. You’ll be at the forefront of innovation, shaping the future of cloud infrastructure.

You will play a critical role in identifying and analyzing architectural features for future datacenter platforms and SOC technologies. Your work will directly impact Microsoft’s cloud strategy, enabling smarter decisions for total cost of ownership, performance, power, cost, and sustainability. You’ll gain deep expertise in cloud usage, emerging technologies, and architectural modeling, with opportunities for continuous learning and growth. This is a hybrid role, supporting flexible work with up to 40% time work from home.

Microsoft’s mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. As employees we come together with a growth mindset, innovate to empower others, and collaborate to realize our shared goals. Each day we build upon our values of respect, integrity, and accountability to create a culture of inclusion where everyone can thrive at work and beyond.

Responsibilities

• Develop engineering‑quality high‑level models to evaluate total cost of ownership (TCO), performance, power, and sustainability, enabling data‑driven decisions to assess and compare platform and SOC technologies for future datacenter solutions.
• Build KPI models for Azure SaaS segments (such as M365, MS‑SQL, and CosmosDB) to guide architecture decisions and enable effective hardware/software co‑design.
• Analyze cloud workload taxonomy to identify and categorize different workload types, and determine which SOC or platform features best support each workload category, enabling targeted architectural recommendations for optimal performance and efficiency.
• Analyze fleet telemetry data to enhance Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) models.
• Support the development of sustainability metrics and integration into architectural tradeoffs.

Required Qualifications

• Master’s Degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related field AND 3+ years technical engineering experience
• Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related field AND 5+ years technical engineering experience
• Equivalent experience
• 3+ years of relevant experience in hardware engineering and computer architecture.
• 3+ years of experience with programming and scripting languages (C or Python).

Other Requirements

• Ability to meet Microsoft, customer and/or government security screening requirements, including the Microsoft Cloud Background Check, which must be passed upon hire/transfer and every two years thereafter.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with server platform and workload analysis.
• Experience with Compute SOC performance and power analysis.
• Experience with TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) modeling.
• Expertise in high‑level modeling and simulation of architecture features.
• Expertise in data analysis and knowledge of sustainability metrics.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills, and communication/documentation skills.

You’ll have significant opportunities to learn about cloud usage and emerging datacenter technologies. Microsoft supports your growth through training, mentorship, and career development programs.

Hardware Engineering IC4 – The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $119,800 – $234,700 per year. In certain locations such as the San Francisco Bay area and New York City metropolitan area, the base pay range is USD $158,400 – $258,000 per year.

Microsoft will accept applications for this role until October 31st, 2025.

Microsoft is an equal‑opportunity employer. Consistent with applicable law, all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, citizenship, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, immigration status, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran or military status, race, ethnicity, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable local laws, regulations and ordinances. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application process, read more about requesting accommodations.