Principal Hardware Systems Engineer

Entrada Ventures; Santa Clara (CA); Hybrid; USD 150,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

Entrada Ventures is seeking a Principal Hardware Design Engineer to lead the development of innovative hardware solutions at our Santa Clara, CA headquarters. You will play a pivotal role in architecting the physical foundation essential for our silicon-integrated AI accelerators.

The ideal candidate will have over 10 years of experience in high-complexity hardware design, especially in semiconductor or networking industries, and mastery of Cadence Allegro/Orcad. The position requires a hybrid work model with onsite presence 3-5 days per week.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in high-complexity hardware design within semiconductor, server, or networking industries.
• Mastery of tools for circuit design with a focus on power and signal integrity.
• Ability to communicate complex trade-offs effectively to executive leadership.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development of hardware platforms for AI compute.
• Architect the foundation for Chiplet-based NPU solutions.
• Ensure the design meets high performance and reliability standards.

Skills

Cadence Allegro/Orcad mastery

High-complexity hardware design

Understanding of SI/PI fundamentals

Proficiency with high-speed oscilloscopes

Education

BS/MS in Electrical Engineering or related field

Job description

About the Role

At d-matrix, we are redefining the architecture of AI compute. As a Principal Hardware Design Engineer, you will be a cornerstone of our hardware organization, leading the development of world‑class platforms for our silicon‑integrated AI accelerators. You aren’t just "designing boards"; you are architecting the physical foundation that allows our Chiplet‑based NPU (Neural Processing Unit) to solve the industry's most massive LLM inference challenges.

Location

Hybrid, working onsite at our Santa Clara, Ca headquarters 3-5 days per week.

Required Qualifications

• Education: BS/MS in Electrical Engineering or a related field.
• Experience: 10+ years of experience in high‑complexity hardware design, specifically within the semiconductor, server, or networking industries.
• Board Design: Mastery of Cadence Allegro/Orcad or similar high‑end EDA tools.
• Power & Signal Integrity: Deep understanding of SI/PI fundamentals, including jitter, crosstalk, and impedance control for 32Gbps+ signals.
• Laboratory Skills: Proficiency with high‑speed oscilloscopes, BERTs, and VNA/TDR for hardware bring‑up and validation.
• Communication: Ability to distill complex technical trade‑offs into actionable decisions for executive leadership.

Preferred Skills

• Experience with OCP (Open Compute Project) standards or large‑scale data center deployments.
• Knowledge of liquid cooling integration for high‑TDP hardware.
• Nice to have: Familiarity with FPGA prototyping and emulation platforms.

Equal Opportunity Employment Policy

d-Matrix is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and affirmative action employer. We’re committed to fostering an inclusive environment where everyone feels welcomed and empowered to do their best work. We hire the best talent for our teams, regardless of race, religion, color, age, disability, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, ancestry, genetic information, marital status, national origin, political affiliation, or veteran status. Our focus is on hiring teammates with humble expertise, kindness, dedication and a willingness to embrace challenges and learn together every day.