Sr. Lab Support Hardware Engineer

Microsoft Silicon and Cloud Hardware Infrastructure Engineering (SCHIE) is the team behind Microsoft's expanding Cloud Infrastructure and responsible for powering Microsoft's "Intelligent Cloud" mission. SCHIE delivers the core infrastructure and foundational technologies for Microsoft's over 200 online businesses including Bing, MSN, Office 365, Xbox Live, Skype, OneDrive and the Microsoft Azure platform globally with our server and data center infrastructure, security and compliance, operations, globalization, and manageability solutions. Our focus is on smart growth, high efficiency, and delivering a trusted experience to customers and partners worldwide and we are looking for passionate, high energy engineers to help achieve that mission. As Microsoft's cloud business continues to grow the ability to deploy new offerings and HW infrastructure on time, in high volume with high quality and lowest cost is of paramount importance.

We are seeking a highly qualified candidate to join the team as a System Integration and Global Lab Support Hardware Engineer. As a System Integration and Global Lab Support Hardware Engineer within the Azure SES and Cloud Hardware Infrastructure Engineering (SCHIE) team, you will support innovative projects and apply your expertise in a fast paced & technically driven environment. You will work with a diverse set of teams supporting first and third-party designs in an R&D Lab environment, including system integration support for Microsoft programs across server benches, racks, and cooling solutions. This role ensures that lab operations are optimized and tuned to perform in a complex environment while continuing to scale space, capacity, and capability.

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 on our values of respect, integrity, and accountability to create a culture of inclusion where everyone can thrive at work and beyond.

Responsibilities

• Support R&D lab integration across servers, racks, benches, cooling, networking, cabling, power, and lab infrastructure.
• Plan and execute rack-and-stack work, including layout, equipment placement, cabling readiness, power alignment, and configuration checks.
• Inspect deliveries, verify assets/serials, document discrepancies, and confirm safe staging or deployment.
• Troubleshoot and maintain server racks, network connections, firmware/OS updates, liquid cooling, and supporting infrastructure.
• Apply server hardware, BIOS/BMC, Linux/Windows, CLI, scripting, automation, validation, and rack connectivity skills.
• Maintain rack elevations, cable maps, asset data, configurations, inspection notes, KPIs, and handoff records.
• Coordinate with engineering, lab ops, logistics, facilities, infrastructure, development teams, and stakeholders to remove blockers and escalate concerns.
• Complete required training and follow SOPs for break/fix, deployment, simple change, decommissioning, and IT Critical Environment work.
• Screen for rack install, inspection, safety, troubleshooting, cabling, power readiness, SOP discipline, and pre-production lab experience.

• Master's Degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field AND 3+ years of technical engineering experience; OR Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field AND 5+ years of technical engineering experience; OR equivalent experience.
• 5+ years of experience supporting server and infrastructure systems in lab or datacenter environments, including equipment deployment, rack-and-stack, cabling, power distribution, lifecycle management, and hardware installation/removal.
• 3+ years of experience administering and troubleshooting Linux and Windows operating systems, including command-line tools and scripting languages such as PowerShell.
• 5+ years of experience diagnosing and resolving hardware, software, and infrastructure issues in lab or datacenter environments.

Other Qualifications

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., * Experience with liquid-cooling systems, including liquid-loop preparation, assembly, and maintenance.
• Experience with system qualification and validation, including PCIe architectures, I/O interconnect technologies, and high-speed data switching.
• Experience with systems administration and automation, including Active Directory, Group Policy, MECM, OS imaging, virtual machine administration, PowerShell scripting, monitoring solutions, and operational automation.
• Experience configuring lab test environments and signal measurement equipment, including oscilloscopes, with the ability to read and interpret schematic diagrams.
• Knowledge of networking fundamentals, including routing, switching, and LAN technologies.
• Strong written and verbal communication, documentation, and organizational skills.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively both independently and within cross-functional teams, with a growth mindset and commitment to continuous learning.
• Customer-focused and results-oriented with a strong commitment to security, quality, safety, and operational excellence.

Hardware Engineering IC4 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $119,800 - $234,700 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 $160,200 - $261,000 per year.

Microsoft is a global technology company headquartered in Redmond, Washington. Our mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. We develop, license, and support a wide range of software products, services, and devices that help individuals and businesses realize their full potential.

Our flagship products include the Microsoft 365 productivity cloud, Windows operating system, Azure cloud platform, and Dynamics 365 business applications. We are also a leader in areas such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, developer tools, and gaming through Xbox and Game Pass.

With operations in more than 190 countries and over 220,000 employees worldwide, Microsoft is committed to responsible innovation, inclusive economic growth, and sustainability. We work closely with governments, industries, and communities to ensure that technology serves the public good and helps address some of the world’s most pressing challenges.

As we celebrate our 50th anniversary in 2025, we continue to look forward—investing in AI, cloud, and quantum computing to shape the future of work, education, and society at large scale.