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Principal Performance Architect Microsoft Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Performance Architect (Remote)

Atlanta, GA · Remote

$160K/yr

Our client is seeking a highly skilled and experienced Performance Architect (Systems Performance Engineer OR Principal Performance Engineer) to join their team. The ideal candidate will possess a ...

Senior Performance Architect

Hillsboro, OR · On-site

$181K/yr

Overview Microsoft Silicon, Cloud Hardware, and Infrastructure Engineering (SCHIE) is the team ... We are looking for a Senior Performance Architect to join the team. Responsibilities * Develop ...

Lead Performance Architect

Mesa, AZ · On-site

$94K - $141K/yr

Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications; experience with Power BI and workforce analytics tools preferred. Our Lead Performance Architect jobs earn between $94,300.00 - $141,500.00 USD Annual.

Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications; experience with Power BI and workforce analytics tools preferred. Our Lead Performance Architect jobs earn between $105,600.00 - $158,400.00 USD Annual.

Lead Performance Architect

Tulsa, OK · On-site

$94K - $141K/yr

Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications; experience with Power BI and workforce analytics tools preferred. Our Lead Performance Architect jobs earn between $94,300.00 - $141,500.00 USD Annual.

Lead Performance Architect

Miami, FL · On-site

$94K - $141K/yr

Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications; experience with Power BI and workforce analytics tools preferred. Our Lead Performance Architect jobs earn between $94,300.00 - $141,500.00 USD Annual.

Lead Performance Architect

Charlotte, NC · On-site

$94K - $141K/yr

Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications; experience with Power BI and workforce analytics tools preferred. Our Lead Performance Architect jobs earn between $94,300.00 - $141,500.00 USD Annual.

Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications; experience with Power BI and workforce analytics tools preferred. Our Lead Performance Architect jobs earn between $105,600.00 - $158,400.00 USD Annual.

Lead Performance Architect

Atlanta, GA · On-site

$94K - $141K/yr

Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications; experience with Power BI and workforce analytics tools preferred. Our Lead Performance Architect jobs earn between $94,300.00 - $141,500.00 USD Annual.

Lead Performance Architect

Richardson, TX · On-site

$105K - $158K/yr

Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications; experience with Power BI and workforce analytics tools preferred. Our Lead Performance Architect jobs earn between $105,600.00 - $158,400.00 USD Annual.

Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications; experience with Power BI and workforce analytics tools preferred. Our Lead Performance Architect jobs earn between $94,300.00 - $141,500.00 USD Annual.

Lead Performance Architect

Orlando, FL · On-site

$94K - $141K/yr

Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications; experience with Power BI and workforce analytics tools preferred. Our Lead Performance Architect jobs earn between $94,300.00 - $141,500.00 USD Annual.

Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications; experience with Power BI and workforce analytics tools preferred. Our Lead Performance Architect jobs earn between $94,300.00 - $141,500.00 USD Annual.

Lead Performance Architect

Miami, FL · On-site

$94K - $141K/yr

Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications; experience with Power BI and workforce analytics tools preferred. Our Lead Performance Architect jobs earn between $94,300.00 - $141,500.00 USD Annual.

Performance Architects focus on performance outcomes-not just training-by evaluating root causes ... Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications; experience with Power BI and workforce analytics ...

Lead Performance Architect

Atlanta, GA · On-site

$94K - $141K/yr

Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications; experience with Power BI and workforce analytics tools preferred. Our Lead Performance Architect jobs earn between $94,300.00 - $141,500.00 USD Annual.

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Principal Performance Architect Microsoft information

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$80.5K

$171.4K

$231K

How much do principal performance architect microsoft jobs pay per year?

As of Jul 29, 2026, the average yearly pay for principal performance architect microsoft in the United States is $171,382.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $145,000.00 and $194,500.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is the difference between Principal Performance Architect Microsoft vs Performance Engineer?

AspectPrincipal Performance Architect MicrosoftPerformance Engineer
CredentialsTypically requires advanced degrees and certifications in performance analysis, cloud architecture, or related fieldsOften requires a bachelor's or master's degree in computer science or related fields, with certifications like ISTQB or performance testing certifications
Work EnvironmentStrategic roles within large organizations, focusing on system architecture and performance optimization at enterprise levelHands-on testing and analysis, often in development or QA teams, focusing on performance testing and troubleshooting
Employer & Industry UsagePrimarily in large tech companies like Microsoft, consulting firms, and enterprise IT departmentsUsed across software development, QA, and testing teams in various industries

The Principal Performance Architect Microsoft focuses on high-level system performance strategy and architecture, often in large enterprise environments, while Performance Engineers are more involved in hands-on testing and performance analysis during development. Both roles require strong technical skills but differ in scope and responsibilities.

What is a principal performance architect?

A principal performance architect is a senior technical professional responsible for designing and optimizing system performance, often within large organizations like Microsoft. They analyze system bottlenecks, develop performance strategies, and work with development teams to ensure scalable and efficient software or infrastructure. Strong expertise in performance testing tools, system architecture, and performance metrics is essential for this role.

What are some common challenges faced by a Principal Performance Architect at Microsoft, and how can they be addressed?

A Principal Performance Architect at Microsoft often encounters complex challenges such as optimizing large-scale systems for speed and scalability, ensuring compatibility across diverse platforms, and balancing performance improvements with security and reliability. Effective communication and collaboration with cross-functional teams—including developers, product managers, and operations—are essential to identify bottlenecks and implement solutions. Staying current with the latest performance engineering tools and methodologies, as well as fostering a culture of continuous improvement, can help address these challenges and drive impactful results.

How much does a principal performance architect make at Microsoft?

A Principal Performance Architect at Microsoft typically earns between $130,000 and $180,000 annually, depending on experience, location, and specific responsibilities. Compensation may also include bonuses, stock options, and other benefits common for senior technical roles.

What level is a principal architect at Microsoft?

A Principal Performance Architect at Microsoft is typically a senior-level role, often classified as a senior or lead position within the company's technical hierarchy. It involves high-level expertise, strategic planning, and leadership in performance optimization and architecture design. The role usually requires extensive experience and may be equivalent to senior or principal levels in other technical tracks.

What is a principal performance architect at Microsoft?

A principal performance architect at Microsoft is a senior technical role responsible for optimizing system and application performance across products and services. They analyze performance issues, develop strategies for improvement, and often work with development teams to implement best practices, utilizing tools like profiling and monitoring software. This role typically requires deep expertise in software architecture, performance tuning, and relevant certifications or experience in large-scale systems.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Principal Performance Architect at Microsoft, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Principal Performance Architect at Microsoft, you need deep expertise in software architecture, system performance analysis, and a strong background in computer science or a related field. Familiarity with performance profiling tools, cloud platforms like Azure, and advanced knowledge of programming languages such as C# or C++ are typically required. Exceptional problem-solving, cross-team collaboration, and communication skills help you influence technical direction and drive improvements across large-scale systems. These skills are crucial for optimizing complex architectures, ensuring scalability, and delivering high-performing solutions that meet organizational goals.
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What cities are hiring for Principal Performance Architect Microsoft jobs? Cities with the most Principal Performance Architect Microsoft job openings:
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Infographic showing various Principal Performance Architect Microsoft job openings in the United States as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% Locum Tenens, 94% Full Time, 1% Part Time, and 4% Contract. Highlights an 82% Physical, 5% Hybrid, and 13% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $171,382 per year, or $82.4 per hour.

Principal Performance Architect

Microsoft

Mountain View, CA • On-site

$188K - $304K/yr

Full-time

Posted 7 days ago


Microsoft rating

8.5

Company rating: 8.5 out of 10

Based on 131 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

78th of 246 rated software companies


Job description

Overview
Microsoft Silicon, Cloud Hardware, and 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, Teams, 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 engineers to help achieve that mission.
As Microsoft's cloud business continues to grow the ability to deploy new offerings and hardware infrastructure on time, in high volume with high quality and lowest cost is of paramount importance. To achieve this goal, the MAIA Architecture Team is instrumental in defining and delivering operational measures of success for hardware manufacturing, improving the planning process, quality, delivery, scale and sustainability related to Microsoft cloud hardware. We are looking for engineers with a passion for customer focused solutions, insight and industry knowledge to envision and implement future technical solutions that will manage and optimize the Cloud infrastructure.
We are looking for a Principal Performance Architect to join the team.
#SCHIE
Responsibilities
  • Actively collaborate with architects and provide critical feedback for future SoC

  • Use models to analyze performance bottlenecks in SoC for critical AI workloads

  • Prototype opportunities for performance and power optimizations, and trade-offs on AI accelerators

  • Develop and test SoC and IP models, including model integration

  • Continuous collaboration with design and performance verification teams to close on SoC performance

Qualifications
Required Qualifications:
  • Doctorate in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or related field AND 3+ years technical engineering experience OR Master's Degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or related field AND 6+ years technical engineering experience OR Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or related field AND 8+ years technical engineering experience OR equivalent experience.

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.
This role will require access to information that is controlled for export under export control regulations, potentially under the U.S. International Traffic in Arms Regulations or Export Administration Regulations, the EU Dual Use Regulation, and/or other export control regulations. As a condition of employment, the successful candidate will be required to provide either proof of their country of citizenship or proof of their US. residency or other protected status (e.g., under 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3)) for assessment of eligibility to access the export-controlled information. To meet this legal requirement, and as a condition of employment, the successful candidate's citizenship will be verified with a valid passport. Lawful permanent residents, refugees, and asylees may verify status using other documents, where applicable.
Preferred Qualifications:
  • Doctorate in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or related field AND 5+ years technical engineering experience OR Master's Degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or related field AND 8+ years technical engineering experience OR Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or related field AND 12+ years technical engineering experience OR equivalent experience.
  • 1+ year(s) experience working on or leading projects from beginning-to-end.
  • 4+ years of experience with Python, C, C++
  • 6+ years of experience with performance modeling at various levels of abstraction, and analysis

  • Experience in architecture and workload analysis on GPUs

Silicon Engineering IC5 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $142,800 - $274,800 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 $188,000 - $304,200 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
This position will be open for a minimum of 5 days, with applications accepted on an ongoing basis until the position is filled.
Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. 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 with religious accommodations and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application process, read more about requesting accommodations.

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About Microsoft

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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.

Industry

Computer and computer peripheral equipment and software wholesalers

Company size

10,000+ Employees

Headquarters location

Redmond, WA, US

Year founded

1975

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