Principal Engineer, Hardware Design - Networking

Celestica Inc.; Town of Texas (WI); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Celestica is seeking a Principal Hardware Systems Architect for Networking Platforms to provide senior technical leadership for the architecture and development of next‑generation AI, cloud, and high‑performance data center networking platforms.

This role focuses on networking-system architecture spanning Ethernet/InfiniBand, switches, NICs/DPUs, SerDes, interconnects, and scale-out fabrics, while collaborating with peer domain architects to define comprehensive rack and multi-rack systems

Qualifications

• Strong technical communication and presentation skills.
• Proven ability to influence cross-functional technical teams without direct authority.
• Direct experience engaging with customers, silicon vendors, and partners.

Responsibilities

• Define architecture for next-generation AI, cloud, hyperscale, and high-performance data center networking platforms.
• Own architectural definition of Ethernet and InfiniBand networking, switch architectures, and NIC/DPU designs.
• Lead switching silicon/NPU integration and high-speed SerDes, optical and electrical interconnects.
• Develop scalable networking-platform architectures and reusable building blocks.
• Lead early architecture studies, feasibility assessments, and platform definition.

Skills

Technical communication

Cross-functional influence

Customer/vendor engagement

Education

BS/MS in Electrical/Computer Eng or related

Job description

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Principal Engineer, Hardware Design - Networking

Date: Aug 27, 2026

Location: Remote Employee US, TX, US

Req ID: 140081
Region: Americas
Country: USA
State/Province: New Hampshire
City: Remote Employee US

Summary

Celestica is seeking a Principal Hardware Systems Architect for Networking Platforms to provide senior technical leadership for the architecture and development of next-generation AI, cloud, and high-performance data center networking platforms.

This role will lead networking-platform architecture spanning high-performance Ethernet and InfiniBand-class fabrics, switching systems, NICs/DPUs, high-speed SerDes, optical and electrical interconnects, and scale-out network architectures, while collaborating with peer domain architects and engineering leaders to define complete rack and multi-rack systems incorporating compute, power, thermal, mechanical, firmware, and system-management technologies.

This is a system and platform architecture role, not an ASIC/chip-design role or enterprise IT/network-operations role. The successful candidate will operate above the component level, translating customer requirements, technology roadmaps, and AI workload needs into scalable networking-platform architectures.

A critical aspect of the position is understanding that next-generation AI networking cannot be optimized independently from compute. The Network Architect will partner closely with Celestica’s Compute Architect and other domain experts to optimize the complete AI system from compute connectivity through rack and multi-rack network fabrics.

Skills & Responsibilities:

• Define architecture for next-generation AI, cloud, hyperscale, and high-performance data center networking platforms.
• Own architectural definition of:
  • Ethernet and InfiniBand-class networking
  • Switch architectures
  • Switching silicon/NPU integration
  • NIC, SmartNIC, SuperNIC, and DPU architectures
  • High-speed SerDes
  • Optical and electrical interconnects
  • Scale-out network fabrics
  • Network topology
  • Inter-rack connectivity
• Establish networking-system requirements, interfaces, partitioning, and architectural tradeoffs.
• Evaluate alternatives based on bandwidth, latency, congestion, power, thermal density, reliability, cost, scalability, serviceability, and manufacturability.
• Develop reusable networking-platform architectures and building blocks that can be leveraged across customers and programs.
• Lead early architecture studies, feasibility assessments, proof-of-concept development, and platform definition.

Experience Requirements

• BS or MS in Electrical, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Physics, or a related field.
• Typically 12+ years in hardware development with strong focus on networking, switching, AI, or cloud platforms.
• Deep knowledge of Ethernet/InfiniBand, switch architectures, NICs/DPUs, PCIe, SerDes, and optical/electrical interconnects.
• Strong understanding of switching NPUs/ASICs, CPUs, accelerators, PCIe/CXL, and system integration.
• Solid grasp of networking, compute, power, thermal, and mechanical architecture interplay.
• Track record of taking complex platforms from early architecture to production.
• Ability to evaluate tradeoffs across bandwidth, latency, cost, power, thermal, reliability, and schedule.
• Excellent technical communication and presentation skills.
• Proven ability to influence cross-functional technical teams without direct authority.
• Direct experience engaging with customers, silicon vendors, and partners.

Typical Education & Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Physics, or related technical field. Educational Requirements may vary by geography
• Architecting networking systems for large-scale AI training or inference clusters.
• High-performance Ethernet or InfiniBand architectures.
• Modern switching silicon, NIC, SmartNIC, SuperNIC, or DPU technologies.
• 800G, 1.6T, and next-generation high-speed networking.
• Advanced optics and evolving electrical/optical interconnect architectures.
• GPU scale-up fabrics and accelerator interconnect architectures.
• Rack-scale and multi-rack AI infrastructure.
• High-power, liquid-cooled networking or compute systems.
• Collaboration with hyperscale or cloud service provider customers.
• Contributing to roadmaps, standards, patents, or advanced development.

Notes

This job description is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities of the position. Employees are held accountable for all duties of the job. Job duties and the % of time identified for any function are subject to change at any time.

Celestica is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, pregnancy, genetic information, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other protected category under applicable federal, state, and local laws.
This policy applies to hiring, promotion, discharge, pay, fringe benefits, job training, classification, referral and other aspects of employment and also states that retaliation against a person who files a charge of discrimination, participates in a discrimination proceeding, or otherwise opposes an unlawful employment practice will not be tolerated. All information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.
Celestica is an E-Verify employer.

COMPANY OVERVIEW:
Celestica (NYSE, TSX: CLS) enables the world’s best brands. Through our recognized customer-centric approach, we partner with leading companies in Aerospace and Defense, Communications, Enterprise, HealthTech, Industrial, Capital Equipment and Energy to deliver solutions for their most complex challenges. As a leader in design, manufacturing, hardware platform and supply chain solutions, Celestica brings global expertise and insight at every stage of product development – from drawing board to full-scale production and after-market services for products from advanced medical devices, to highly engineered aviation systems, to next-generation hardware platform solutions for the Cloud.Headquartered in Toronto, with talented teams spanning 40+ locations in 13 countries across the Americas, Europe and Asia, we imagine, develop and deliver a better future with our customers.

Celestica would like to thank all applicants, however, only qualified applicants will be contacted.
Celestica does not accept unsolicited resumes from recruitment agencies or fee based recruitment services.

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