Senior Staff Engineer - High-Speed Validation & Signal Integrity

semtech; West of England; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Semtech in Bristol, UK, is seeking a Senior Staff Engineer to lead high-speed validation and signal integrity initiatives. You will shape how next-generation semiconductor devices are validated before they reach hyperscale data centres and networks, working across design meetings and hands-on lab work at data rates of 10Gbit/s and beyond.

You will own validation solutions end-to-end, influence product strategy, and mentor engineers while collaborating with cross-functional teams.

Qualifications

• BSc/MSc in Electrical/Electronic Engineering or equivalent (or HNC/HND).
• 6+ years of relevant experience in high-speed validation or lab-based test engineering.
• Ability to thrive under pressure in a fast-paced R&D environment.
• Strong collaboration and influence across technical and business audiences.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
• Self-starter, comfortable mastering new tools and techniques independently.
• Analytical mindset with attention to detail and a creative approach to challenges.

Responsibilities

• Drive test feature development and strategy in new product design meetings, shaping how next-generation devices get evaluated
• Architect validation solutions for new products end-to-end - software, hardware, and documentation
• Identify and specify the bench-top test equipment needed to validate cutting-edge products
• Build sophisticated test automation software using Python or LabVIEW
• Collaborate closely with designers, product, test, and applications engineers as a trusted technical voice
• Lead validation review meetings and influence key product decisions
• Produce clear, authoritative validation reports that others rely on
• Get hands-on testing high-speed optical components, ICs, and modules at the bleeding edge of the industry
• Take precision lab measurements on products operating at data rates of 10Gbit/s and above
• Apply deep knowledge of high-speed signal integrity to schematic entry and layout using Altium PCB tools

Skills

High-speed validation

Lab-based testing

Collaboration

Communication

Problem solving

Education

BSc/MSc Electrical/Electronic Engineering

HNC/HND with equivalent work experience

Tools

Python

LabVIEW

Altium

Oscilloscope

Job description

Location: Bristol, UK

Hybrid: Office: Monday - Thursday

Our Team

Fancy being at the sharp end of how the world actually connects? Join an ambitious and collaborative engineering team at the cutting edge of global data communications.

Based in Bristol, we work closely with a world-renowned design group to develop advanced semiconductor solutions that power the digital infrastructure of tomorrow. Our culture is open, inclusive, and driven by innovation.

Here, your ideas matter, your expertise is valued, and your work has a real-world impact - on the chips inside the networks that move the world's data.

Job Summary

Think you've seen it all in the lab? This role will put that to the test.

As a Senior Staff Engineer - High-Speed Validation & Signal Integrity, you won't just be running test plans someone else wrote - you'll be shaping how next-generation semiconductor devices get validated before they ever reach the hyperscale data centres and networks that depend on them.

This is deep, technically demanding work at data rates of 10Gbit/s and beyond, where the margin for error is measured in picoseconds and the stakes are measured in billions of connected devices.

No two days will look the same: one week you're in new product design meetings, driving the test strategy for a device that doesn't exist anywhere else in the world yet; the next you're elbow-deep in the lab, pulling real signal integrity data out of silicon that's pushing the boundaries of what's physically possible.

You'll have the technical credibility to be heard in the room, the autonomy to own your validation solutions end-to-end, and the kind of influence that shapes not just how a product is tested - but how it's designed to be testable in the first place.

If you're the engineer other people come to when something doesn't make sense in the data, this is where that expertise finally gets the platform it deserves.

This is senior-level validation work for someone who wants to lead from the bench, mentor the next generation of engineers, and help define the technologies the world will be running on for the next decade.

Responsibilities

• Drive test feature development and strategy in new product design meetings, shaping how next-generation devices get evaluated
• Architect validation solutions for new products end-to-end - software, hardware, and documentation
• Identify and specify the bench-top test equipment needed to validate cutting-edge products
• Build sophisticated test automation software using Python or LabVIEW
• Collaborate closely with designers, product, test, and applications engineers as a trusted technical voice
• Lead validation review meetings and influence key product decisions
• Produce clear, authoritative validation reports that others rely on
• Get hands-on testing high-speed optical components, ICs, and modules at the bleeding edge of the industry
• Take precision lab measurements on products operating at data rates of 10Gbit/s and above
• Apply deep, hard-won knowledge of high-speed signal integrity to schematic entry and layout using Altium PCB tools

Minimum Qualifications

• BSc/MSc in Electrical/Electronic Engineering (EE/ECE) or a closely related discipline (or HNC/HND with equivalent work experience)
• 6+ years of relevant experience in high-speed validation or lab-based test engineering
• A proven ability to thrive under pressure in a fast-paced, high-stakes R&D environment
• A natural collaborator who elevates the people around them
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, able to influence across technical and business audiences
• A relentless self-starter, comfortable mastering new tools and techniques independently
• Sharp analytical and problem-solving instincts, with an obsessive attention to detail
• A creative, innovative approach to engineering challenges others might walk away from

Why Join Us?

• Work on products that quite literally power the infrastructure connecting the world - from hyperscale data centres to 5G and PON networks
• Join a world-class validation team where your technical judgement genuinely shapes product direction
• Be part of a global organisation big enough to offer real international scope, yet agile enough for your individual impact to be felt and recognised
• Collaborate with some of the sharpest engineering minds in the industry, across Bristol and our international partner sites
• Enjoy a competitive, pay-for-performance compensation package that rewards the expertise you bring to the table

Career Growth Philosophy

At Semtech, we believe that innovation starts with people - and that includes those who've already built real expertise and want to keep sharpening it.

That's why we're committed to empowering your professional development through mentorship, continued learning, and a collaborative, idea-rich environment at every stage of your career.

Our pay-for-performance culture rewards initiative and celebrates meaningful contributions, however senior you are. Join us, and be part of a team that's buildi