Principal Product Applications Engineer

Job Description

As an Astera Labs Product Application Engineer, you will be part of a team that designs-in and supports Astera Labs’ portfolio of connectivity products in the world’s leading cloud service providers, server and network OEMs. In this role, you will need to provide technical guidance to customers to overcome design challenges, generate collateral for existing and new products, and drive innovation by providing insightful feedback to other internal teams to continuously improve products and processes. There are opportunities to support key customers directly, and also to dive deep in the lab to address the challenges associated with leading edge semiconductor products.

Basic Qualifications

• Strong academic and technical background in electrical engineering. At minimum, a Bachelor’s in EE is required, Master’s is preferred.
• Minimum of 8 years’ experience working with Cloud service providers, server, or network OEM customers to design in complex SoC/silicon products for Server, Storage, and/or Networking applications.
• Entrepreneurial, open-mind behavior and can-do attitude. Think and act with the customer in mind!

Required Experience

• Hands-on, thorough knowledge of NRZ/PAM4 SerDes-based protocols like PCIe, Ethernet (25G and above), etc.
• Silicon/System bring-up and debug experience in customer systems.
• Firsthand experience with lab equipment including traffic generators, analyzers, and high-speed oscilloscopes.
• A strong background in high-speed board design techniques, and understanding of Data Center systems like Servers, JBOGs/JBODs, Networking switches/routers/interconnects etc.
• Technical writing skills to generate clear, precise documentation including datasheets, application notes, and similar guides for internal and customer-facing audiences.

Preferred Experience

• Development/support for PCIe or Ethernet Switch products.
• Working with silicon characterization/validation teams to ensure device performance is readily achievable in customer systems.
• Firmware development with C-language, scripting with Python or other equivalent programming languages.
• Knowledge of simulation/modeling, schematic capture, and PCB layout tools from Cadence, Altium and others.
• Knowledge of simulation tools such as Keysight ADS, SiSoft QCD, etc. for IBIS-AMI analysis.

The base salary range for this position is USD 160,000.00 – USD 240,000.00, determined based on location, experience, and comparable employee salaries.