Electrical Senior Engineer - Cables & Optics

Dell Technologies; Santa Clara (CA); On-site; USD 133,000 - 173,000; Full time

Job summary

Dell Technologies Inc. in Santa Clara, CA is seeking an Electrical Senior Engineer to join the Cables & Optics team and contribute to high-speed hardware validation across server, storage, and networking platforms.

You will develop and execute test plans, perform lab validation and interoperability testing, and collaborate with Platform Engineering, Firmware, and Software teams to ensure reliable, scalable solutions for Dell's next-generation infrastructure.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of experience in hardware validation, qualification, or testing of server, storage, or network hardware, including high-speed networking, optical transceivers, and cable technologies.
• Familiarity with server, storage, and network hardware platforms and their interconnects, such as NICs, switches, PCIe, and optical and copper solutions (e.g., SFP+, QSFP+, QSFP28, QSFP-DD, OSFP, DAC, AOC).
• Experience developing and executing test plans and performing hands-on laboratory validation, interoperability testing, and troubleshooting of server, storage, and network hardware, including server-to-switch and switch-to-switch connectivity.
• Working knowledge of Ethernet networking concepts and experience using common lab equipment and test tools for server, storage, and network hardware.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, communication, and documentation skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional engineering teams and external suppliers.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute test plans to verify server, storage, and network hardware across speeds and protocols.
• Perform hands-on laboratory validation, interoperability testing, performance characterization, and failure analysis.
• Collaborate with platform, networking, firmware, and software engineering teams to ensure successful integration and deployment of hardware components within compute, storage, and networking products.
• Work with server, storage, network, cable, optical module, NIC, switch, and silicon vendors to evaluate product capabilities, review technical specifications, and support qualification, production readiness, and sustaining activities.
• Ensure qualified hardware solutions meet system requirements for performance, reliability, manufacturability, and serviceability while supporting new product introductions and sustaining programs.

Skills

Hardware validation

Test plan development

Lab validation

Interoperability testing

Analytical thinking

Education

Bachelor's in Electrical Engineering

Master's degree preferred

Tools

NIC interconnects

PCIe

Optical transceivers

Cabling technologies

Job description

Infrastructure Solutions Group (ISG) builds the products that power infrastructure, solutions, and data management our customers need most. Our teams design and develop the hardware and software that connect infrastructure, accelerate computational workloads, integrate across the stack, protect data continuity, and deliver the platforms, applications, and diagnostics our customers rely on every day at enterprise scale. Some product builders follow the rules. Ours rewrite them. Within ISG, innovation isn't just about creating new technology- it's about challenging assumptions and reimagining how work gets done. Engineers define intent, author precise specifications, and orchestrate AI agents that execute at speed and scale. AI is embedded throughout our development process, helping us move faster, learn quicker, and deliver greater impact. Yet the most important contribution remains uniquely human: deciding what to build, designing how it should work, and applying the judgment needed to earn our customers' trust. When your products power critical infrastructure around the world, that responsibility matters. We move quickly toward the work that matters most. We reward experimentation, encourage bold thinking, and remove unnecessary barriers so great ideas can become reality faster. Our teams embrace a customer-first, first-to-market mindset, transforming rapid feedback into better products and better outcomes. We aren't looking for people who are content with the status quo- we look for builders who question it, improve it, and occasionally rewrite it. If you're energized by solving complex systems challenges, excited to work alongside AI to amplify your impact, and motivated by the opportunity to shape what's next instead of simply maintaining what's been done before, you'll find your place here.

Electrical Senior Engineer - Cables & Optics

Join us as a Electrical Senior Engineer on our Cables & Optics team in Santa Clara, CA to do the best work of your career and make a profound social impact.

Responsibilities

What you'll achieve

As a member of the Network Hardware Engineering team, you will be responsible for the verification and qualification of server, storage, and network hardware, including NICs, switches, copper cables, and optical transceiver modules, primarily in the 10 Gbit/s to 1600 Gbit/s range. This role involves validating the performance, interoperability, and reliability of hardware and connectivity solutions and supporting their integration into Dell products. You will collaborate with cross-functional teams, including Platform Engineering, Solutions Engineering, COMMs, Network Software, and Product Management, on matters related to datacenter and GenAI-focused network, compute, storage, and switch platforms. As an Electrical Senior Engineer, you will help ensure the successful deployment of high-speed server, storage, and network technologies across Dell's next-generation infrastructure portfolio.

You will:

• Develop and execute test plans to verify and qualify server, storage, and network hardware, including cables and optical modules, across a wide range of speeds and protocols
• Perform hands-on laboratory validation, interoperability testing, performance characterization, and failure analysis of server, storage, and network hardware; analyze test results and drive issue resolution with internal teams and suppliers
• Collaborate with platform, networking, firmware, and software engineering teams to ensure successful integration and deployment of hardware components within compute, storage, and networking products
• Work with server, storage, network, cable, optical module, NIC, switch, and silicon vendors to evaluate product capabilities, review technical specifications, and support qualification, production readiness, and sustaining activities
• Ensure qualified hardware solutions meet system requirements for performance, reliability, manufacturability, and serviceability while supporting new product introductions and sustaining programs

Qualifications

Take the first step towards your dream career

Every Dell Technologies team member brings something unique to the table. Here's what we are looking for with this role:

Essential Requirements

• 3+ years of experience in hardware validation, qualification, or testing of server, storage, or network hardware, including high-speed networking, optical transceivers, and cable technologies
• Familiarity with server, storage, and network hardware platforms and their interconnects, such as NICs, switches, PCIe, and optical and copper solutions (e.g., SFP+, QSFP+, QSFP28, QSFP-DD, OSFP, DAC, AOC)
• Experience developing and executing test plans and performing hands-on laboratory validation, interoperability testing, and troubleshooting of server, storage, and network hardware, including server-to-switch and switch-to-switch connectivity
• Working knowledge of Ethernet networking concepts and experience using common lab equipment and test tools for server, storage, and network hardware
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, communication, and documentation skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional engineering teams and external suppliers

Desirable Requirements

• BS in Electrical Engineering or a related field; MS preferred
• Familiarity with data center server, storage, and networking technologies and key industry suppliers of servers, storage systems, switches, NICs, optical transceivers, and cables
• Experience with Broadcom-based networking platforms and SDKs, Ethernet and InfiniBand technologies, or AI/HPC networking environments is a plus

Compensation

Dell is committed to fair and equitable compensation practices. The salary range for this position is $133k - $173k.

Benefits and Perks of working at Dell Technologies

Your life. Your health. Supported by your benefits. You can explore the overall benefits experience that awaits you as a Dell Technologies team member - right now at MyWellatDell.com