Principal Engineer — High-Speed Copper Technology

Infraeo; Round Rock (TX); On-site; USD 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Job summary

Infraeo is seeking a Principal Engineer, High-Speed Copper Technology to lead the full copper portfolio, from strategy to end-of-life. Based onsite in Round Rock, TX, you will direct signal integrity, board-level architecture, and firmware/hardware teams, while managing external semiconductor partnerships and ensuring smooth technology transfer to manufacturing.

You will mentor engineers across firmware and hardware disciplines, drive roadmap directions, and oversee product qualification, cost

Qualifications

• Deep signal integrity expertise at 56G/112G PAM4; channel modeling, insertion/return loss, crosstalk, skew, impedance control.
• Hands-on experience with passive DAC and active copper architectures (AEC/ACC) including retimers and DSP-based designs.
• Experience bringing products through qualification and into volume production with external contract manufacturers.

Responsibilities

• Own copper product portfolio strategy from development through lifecycle management.
• Guide design validation, testing, and qualification for copper products.
• Drive vendor/partner engagement and technical transfer to manufacturing.
• Mentor US-based firmware and hardware teams; align with product management and manufacturing.
• Lead technology roadmaps and ensure compliance with industry standards.

Skills

Signal integrity

PAM4 56G/112G

Board-level architecture

Firmware & hardware leadership

Standards knowledge (IEEE 802.3 / OIF-

Education

BSEE or equivalent

MSEE preferred

Tools

HFSS

ADS

VNA

TDR

BERT

High-bandwidth scope

Job description

Infraeo’s senior technical authority for the copper portfolio — technical leadership without the headcount and budget ownership.

About Infraeo

Infraeo Inc. is a global AI cluster connectivity company developing and licensing cutting-edge connectivity technologies and products. Our solutions help customers ship optical transceivers and cable assemblies with superior cost and performance, enabling 400G, 800G, and 1.6T AI cluster networking.

We provide engineering design, IP licensing, field engineering services, and logistics solutions to accelerate the deployment of AI infrastructure worldwide. With a global team across the US and Asia, we serve customers around the world.

About the role

The Principal Engineer, High-Speed Copper Technology is Infraeo’s senior technical authority for the full copper portfolio — passive DAC and active AEC/ACC solutions — from technology strategy and architecture through qualification, launch, production, and end-of-life.

This is a technical leadership role. You will set the direction for signal integrity, materials, active electronics, firmware, and board-level architecture; own the technical relationship with our semiconductor partners; and mentor the U.S.-based firmware and hardware design team. Because our designs are licensed and transferred to customers and manufacturing partners rather than built in-house, success depends as much as design-for-manufacturability, defensible IP, and clean technical transfer as on bench results. The team is global, spanning the US and Asia. This position is based onsite at our Round Rock, TX office; it is not a remote or hybrid role.

Key responsibilities

Portfolio & technology strategy

• Own the full copper product portfolio — passive and active — across technology strategy, product development, qualification, launch, production, and lifecycle management.
• Lead research, development, and product strategy for high-speed copper technologies and related solutions.
• Establish technology and product roadmaps aligned with business objectives, customer requirements, and industry standards.
• Monitor industry trends, technical standards, competitive developments, and emerging technologies, and translate them into portfolio direction.

Technical direction

• Provide technical direction for signal integrity and transmission performance, thermal management, materials, components, active electronics, firmware, and board-level architecture.
• Guide design validation, testing, qualification, reliability assessment, and product-launch activities for passive and active copper products.
• Ensure products meet applicable performance, reliability, cost, quality, manufacturing, and regulatory requirements.
• Drive root-cause analysis and corrective action on escalated technical issues across development and production.

Semiconductor & technology partners

• Own all technical relationships with semiconductor partners from a new-design perspective: evaluating and selecting semiconductor technologies, defining technical requirements, coordinating architecture and design activities, reviewing partner roadmaps, supporting component qualification, and ensuring alignment between partner capabilities and Infraeo’s product-development objectives.
• Develop and maintain strong technical relationships with customers, suppliers, technology partners, and relevant industry organizations.

Team leadership & mentorship

• Set technical priorities and provide design direction to the U.S.-based engineering team responsible for firmware development and hardware design.
• Mentor engineering, product-development, firmware, and hardware-design staff; raise the technical bar through design reviews, standards, and knowledge transfer.
• Foster cross-functional collaboration and support timely delivery of high-quality products.
• Partner with product management, manufacturing, quality, supply chain, sales, and major customers.

Lifecycle & innovation

• Oversee product lifecycle management: product enhancements, cost optimization, sustaining engineering, end-of-life planning, and customer technical support.
• Support intellectual-property development and identify opportunities for innovation across the copper-product portfolio.

Required

• BSEE or equivalent; MSEE preferred.
• 12+ years in high-speed interconnect, cable assembly, or optical/copper transceiver development, including senior technical ownership of shipping products.
• Deep signal integrity expertise at 56G/112G PAM4, with working knowledge of 224G PAM4 challenges: channel modeling, insertion/return loss, crosstalk, skew, impedance control, and connector/cable launch design.
• Hands-on experience with passive DAC and active copper (AEC/ACC) architectures, including retimer, linear redriver, and DSP-based designs.
• Working command of relevant standards and specifications — IEEE 802.3, OIF-CEI, and the applicable MSA form factors (OSFP, QSFP-DD, QSFP112, QSFP56) — plus CMIS-based management interfaces.
• Proficiency with EM simulation and lab characterization: 3D field solvers (HFSS, ADS, or equivalent), VNA, TDR, BERT, and high-bandwidth scope work.
• Demonstrated experience bringing products through qualification and into volume production with external contract manufacturers.
• Proven ability to lead technically without direct authority and to mentor engineers across firmware and hardware disciplines.

Preferred

• Direct experience managing technical engagements with semiconductor suppliers (DSP, retimer, redriver vendors).
• Familiarity with cable materials and construction — twinax design, dielectric and shielding selection, bonding, and terminations.
• Firmware and embedded systems exposure sufficient to direct firmware architecture decisions.
• Thermal and mechanical design experience for dense, high-power pluggable form factors.
• Issued patents or contributions to industry standards bodies.
• Experience supporting hyperscale or Tier-1 OEM customer qualification programs.
• Experience in a fabless, joint-design, or IP-licensing business model, including transferring designs to customers or manufacturing partners.
• Experience working across US and Asia time zones.

What success looks like

• A credible, customer-validated copper roadmap covering the current generation and the next speed transition.
• Designs that clear qualification and customer validation the first time, with margin.
• Semiconductor partner selections that hold up over the product’s life — technically and commercially.
• A stronger engineering team than the one you inherited.

Compensation & benefits

Compensation is determined on an individual basis, commensurate with experience and qualifications. Infraeo offers a comprehensive benefits package.

Infraeo Inc. 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, disability, or protected veteran status.