Packet Processor Architect

Eridu AI; Saratoga (CA); On-site; USD 215,000 - 300,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary based on experience

Job summary

A leading AI infrastructure startup is seeking a highly experienced Packet Processor Architect in Saratoga, California. This role involves defining and architecting high-performance networking ASICs, collaborating closely with system microarchitects, and driving architectural decisions. The ideal candidate has over 15 years of experience in networking ASIC architecture, a proven track record in packet-processing engine design, and a deep understanding of networking protocols. Join us to shape the future of AI infrastructure and impact data center performance significantly.

Qualifications

• 15+ years of experience in networking or data-path ASIC architecture and design.
• Proven success in architecting packet-processing engines in high-throughput ASICs.
• Deep understanding of networking protocols and their hardware implications.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.

Responsibilities

• Define and architect packet processing pipelines for high-performance networking ASICs.
• Translate high-level system requirements into detailed architecture and specifications.
• Collaborate with microarchitects to align packet processor architecture with system-level goals.
• Lead modeling and feasibility analysis of packet flow behavior across layers.
• Drive architectural decisions involving classification and resource allocation.

Skills

Architecting packet-processing engines

Networking protocols

Microarchitecture definition

Problem-solving abilities

High-speed I/O integration

Education

MSEE or equivalent

Job description

Eridu is a Silicon Valley-based hardware startup pioneering infrastructure solutions that accelerate AI data centers to deliver Faster AI. Today’s AI performance is frequently limited by communication bottlenecks. Eridu introduces multiple industry-first innovations across silicon, packaging, software, and systems to deliver an order of magnitude improvement in performance and unlock greater GPU utilization to speed training job completion times and tokens-per-second for more profitable inference. We do this while simultaneously reducing capital and power costs and improving reliability.

The company’s solutions and value proposition have been widely validated by leading hyperscalers.

Eridu has raised over $200M to date including its most recent, oversubscribed Series A round. The company is led by a veteran team of Silicon Valley executives who have delivered multiple billion dollar product lines and led multiple companies to billion dollar exits, including serial entrepreneur Drew Perkins, co-founder of Infinera (NASDAQ: INFN), Lightera (acq. by Ciena), Gainspeed (acq. by Nokia) and Mojo Vision (the world’s leading micro‑LED company). The company is in execution mode and has a world-class engineering team with decades of experience in state‑of‑the‑art silicon, packaging, optics, software, and systems. Eridu is working with best‑in‑class supply chain partners including silicon, packaging and systems.

We are looking for a highly experienced Packet Processor Architect to lead the definition and implementation of Eridu's industry leading Networking ASIC. This is a unique opportunity to help shape the future of AI Networking.

Responsibilities

• Define and architect packet processing pipelines including related lookup tables and metadata structures for high-performance networking ASICs, including ingress/egress processing, switching/bridging and routing, hash tables and memory lookups, classification, ACL, various tunneling protocols like VxLAN, GRE, IPinIP, QoS, scheduling, traffic management, and congestion control.
• Work closely with the CTO to translate high-level system requirements and customer use cases into detailed architecture and functional specifications.
• Collaborate with the chip and system microarchitects to align the packet processor architecture with system-level goals for throughput, latency, programmability, and power efficiency.
• Lead modeling and feasibility analysis of packet flow behavior across L2/L3/L4 layers to validate architectural choices, including throughput, latency, power and area efficiencies.
• Drive architectural decisions involving classification, table and lookup optimizations, resource allocation and scalability.
• Work closely with RTL, Verification, Firmware, and Physical Design teams to ensure seamless design implementation and handoff.
• Guide integration of internal and external IPs (e.g., TCAM, MAC, PCIe, SerDes, DMA) into the broader packet architecture.
• Participate in design reviews, performance modeling, Test and Verification strategies and architectural trade‑off analysis. Provide support for various networking protocols and standards related to packet processing.
• Contribute to post‑silicon validation and tuning of packet flows for performance and correctness. Investigate and resolve complex issues related to packet processing, working closely with cross‑functional teams including hardware engineers, firmware developers, and system architects.
• Define architecture-level development methodologies and influence cross‑functional design best practices.

Qualifications

• MSEE or equivalent with 15+ years of experience in networking or data‑path ASIC architecture and design.
• Proven success in architecting packet‑processing engines in high‑throughput ASICs or SoCs. Experience in designing hash functions, hash tables and lookup engine optimizations.
• Deep understanding of networking protocols (Ethernet, TCP/IP, UDP, VLAN, MPLS, RoCE, etc.) and their hardware implications.
• Familiarity with programmable pipelines, parser/deparser logic, and hardware scheduling engines.
• Demonstrated expertise in microarchitecture definition, performance modeling, and trade‑off analysis.
• Solid experience working across the ASIC development lifecycle, from concept through productization.
• Experience in high‑speed I/O integration(e.g., PCIe Gen5/Gen6, UCIe, SerDes, DMA engines) is a plus.
• Understanding of physical design implications on packet architecture (e.g., timing, area, power).
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving abilities, with meticulous attention to detail in troubleshooting and debugging complex networking issues. Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to document and present complex architectural concepts clearly.

Why Join Us?

At Eridu, you’ll have the opportunity to shape the future of AI infrastructure, working with a world‑class team on groundbreaking technology that pushes the boundaries of AI performance. Your contributions will directly impact the next generation of AI infrastructure solutions, transforming the performance of AI data centers.

The starting base salary for the selected candidate will be established based on their relevant skills, experience, qualifications, work location, market trends, and the compensation of employees in comparable roles.

Notice to Recruiting Agencies

Eridu does not accept unsolicited resumes or candidate profiles from staffing agencies or third‑party recruiters. Any candidate submitted to Eridu without prior written authorization from our recruiting team will be considered unsolicited and will become the property of Eridu. Eridu reserves the right to pursue and hire such candidates without any obligation to pay fees. Recruiting agencies are expressly instructed not to contact hiring managers, employees, or executives regarding open positions.

The pay range for this role is:

215,000 - 300,000 USD per year (San Francisco Bay Area)