Microsoft’s Cloud Operations & Innovation (CO+I) is the engine that powers our cloud services. As a Principal Network Architect in the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Office of CO+I, you will be responsible for responding to future market and business requirements to innovating new network architectures and product solutions that enable new capabilities and improve the performance, efficiency, and reliability of Microsoft's data center. You will work with a cross-functional team of engineers, researchers, and business partners to identify customer needs, generate innovative ideas, and deliver high-quality solutions. You will also collaborate with external vendors and suppliers to ensure alignment with Microsoft's standards and specifications.

Our infrastructure is comprised of a large global portfolio of more than 100 Datacenters and 1 million servers. Our foundation is built upon and managed by a team of subject matter experts working to support services for more than 1 billion customers and 20 million businesses in over 90 countries worldwide. With environmental sustainability and optimization at the forefront of our Datacenter design and operations, we continue to grow and evolve as we meet the ever-changing business demands that hold Microsoft as a world-class cloud provider.

In alignment with our Microsoft values, we are committed to cultivating an inclusive work environment for all employees to positively impact our culture every day.

• This role is located either in one or all hub locations - Atlanta, GA, Washington, D.C., Redmond, WA, San Antonio, TX or Phoenix, AZ.

• Relocation support will be provided, and successful candidates must ​relocate or reside within 50 miles of the hub office location.

• This role is eligible for hybrid or remote work, up to 50%.

Responsibilities

• Actively refines how customer, business, and technical requirements influence large-scale network architectures by working with engineering and Program Management teams. Drives architecture reviews across organizations to open dialogue and ensure networks meet compliance standards and can deliver on Key Performance Indicators (KPIs); directs action in response to feedback to enable timely and cost-effective implementations.

• Develops high-level designs of highly complex datacenters or network sites based on an end-to-end expertise in network infrastructure, operational needs, functions and capabilities of network equipment, power and cooling systems, floor plan layouts, and the movement of people and equipment. Defines mutual objectives and expectations for partnerships with internal (e.g., data center engineering teams, procurement, sourcing) and external partners (e.g., architects, contractors, hardware suppliers) to implement design solutions that meet functional, operational, and customer or business requirements; articulates the impact of design choices and defines new standards and best practices for the development of datacenters or network sites across the business and industry.

• Identifies gaps in network technologies and defines Key Performance Indicator (KPI) metrics that drive a long term strategic direction to define reliable, scalable, cost effective, and high-performance network architectures and designs; drives the industry to the formulation problem statements and gains community consensus for solutions.

• Defines and influences standards for design, network or code, and security reviews across the business by applying expertise in large-scale network implementation, available technologies, aggregate insights from telemetry and production data, and root cause analysis, as well as best practices in identifying and implementing solutions. Drives the adoption of practices across the business to improve capabilities to identify risks and prevent classes of bugs, as well as standards that emphasize customer value and service quality without allowing for compromising exceptions; holds engineers across the business accountable for all facets of functionality, performance, scale, operations, cost, and customer impact.

• Leads the development of reliable, scalable, cost effective, and high-performance large-scale network architectures and designs across the business; identifies gaps in existing industry standards and drives requirements internally and into industry; develops solutions for common monitoring and operations systems, and advises on the development of design documents and implementation plans across organizations.

Other

• Embody our culture (https://careers.microsoft.com/us/en/culture) and values (https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/about/corporate-values)

Qualifications

Required Qualifications:

• 9+ years technical experience in network design, development, and automation

• OR Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering, Optical Engineering, Computer Science, Engineering, Information Technology, or related field AND 6+ years technical experience in network design, development, and automation.

• OR Master's Degree in Electrical Engineering, Optical Engineering, Computer Science, Information Technology, or related field AND 4+ years technical experience in network design, development, and automation

• OR Doctorate Degree in Electrical Engineering, Optical Engineering, Computer Science, Information Technology, or related field AND 3+ years technical experience in network design, development, and automation.

• 5+ years experience with mission-critical systems like datacenter, healthcare, oil, military, or utilities

• 5+ years experience with designing systems and/or developing products for industrial or mission-critical environments. 

Other Requirements:

• Ability to meet Microsoft, customer and/or government security screening requirements are required for this role. These requirements include, but are not limited to the following specialized security screenings: 

• Microsoft Cloud Background Check: This position will be required to pass the Microsoft Cloud Background Check upon hire/transfer and every two years thereafter.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in mechanical, electrical engineering, computer science,architecture

• Experience with cross-disciplined systems design (electrical, Information Technology (IT)/Telecom, supervisory control and data acquisition).  

• Experience with Data center thermal systems design, analysis, and optimization of cooling systems for data center environments, hydronics, cooling distribution, liquid to liquid and liquid to air heat exchangers. 

• Data Center Electrical Systems design, energy back-up and uninterrupted power supply, medium voltage switch gear, low voltage power distribution

Cloud Network Engineering IC5 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $137,600 - $267,000 per year. There is a different range applicable to specific work locations, within the San Francisco Bay area and New York City metropolitan area, and the base pay range for this role in those locations is USD $180,400 - $294,000 per year.

Certain roles may be eligible for benefits and other compensation. Find additional benefits and pay information here: https://careers.microsoft.com/us/en/us-corporate-pay

Microsoft will accept applications for the role until September 20. 2024.

#COICareers

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 (https://careers.microsoft.com/v2/global/en/accessibility.html) .