Principal Azure Storage Validation Architect at Microsoft
Redmond, WA
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Aug 18, 2026
Redmond, WA
Sep 25, 2026
What this job asks for AI summary
A hardware validation engineering role focused on qualifying memory and storage components and systems for Microsoft's Azure hyperscale cloud infrastructure. The position owns qualification frameworks, reliability requirements, telemetry strategy, and deployment readiness processes, while also leading cross-functional root-cause investigations spanning hardware, firmware, OS, and drivers. It suits a deeply experienced hardware systems engineer comfortable influencing OEM/ODM/silicon supplier roadmaps and writing automation scripts to accelerate validation workflows.
Senior level · 8+ years · Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA · Full-time
“or” means any one of them counts — you don't need all of them.
We read this from the posting text with AI. Skim the description below before ruling yourself out.
How this req sits in the market our data
Roughly 360 people in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA area plausibly meet what this posting asks for (software quality assurance analysts and testers). range 130–470
Applicant volume Moderate — A normal amount of company. The rare requirements below are what will separate a shortlisted application from the rest.
Most people in this occupation already list these. Still required — just not what gets you shortlisted.
What the occupation pays Median $132,542 (middle half $100,574–$171,909).
Estimated from BLS employment for this occupation and area, per-skill prevalence across our listing corpus, and published wage benchmarks — as of Aug 20, 2026. It is a model, not a headcount.
Why we read it this way (6)
The posting lists two overlapping degree+experience ladders (one for a standard level and one for a more senior level), suggesting this may be a dual-level or leveled requisition. The minimum experience floor used here (8 years) reflects the lower of the two ladders; the higher ladder requires 12 years with a Bachelor's.
The scripting requirement (PowerShell, Python, Perl) is framed as 'familiar with and able to develop' — a soft gate — but it appears within the body of stated requirements rather than a separate preferred section, so it is treated as required. All three languages are listed as interchangeable alternatives for the same scripting capability.
Networking, power, rack management, and remote access are described as 'familiar with' — explicitly softer language — and are marked preferred accordingly.
SOC classification is Medium confidence: the role is primarily hardware validation/qualification (closest to 15-1253 QA Analysts and Testers), but its deep focus on server/memory/storage systems administration and infrastructure readiness also has affinity with 15-1244. It is not a pure software QA role.
No work location is explicitly stated in the posting; Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA is inferred as the most likely CBSA given this is an Azure infrastructure role at Microsoft.
Ignored 5 non-technology phrase(s) as skills (responsibilities/concepts, not named tools): server system architecture, memory architecture, storage architecture, power management, rack management.
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