Principal Hardware Validation Engineer

Astera Labs; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 185,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Astera Labs seeks a Principal Hardware Validation Engineer to bridge Hardware Electrical Design and Post-Silicon Validation. You will validate PCBAs, lead test plans, and debug complex hardware issues in a fast-paced lab environment.

You will bring up boards, de-risk power regulators and interfaces, and collaborate across teams to ensure robust product readiness for customers and partners.

Qualifications

• Bachelor degree in EE with 3+ years of hardware test or design experience.
• Expert understanding of design and test for power regulators, PDNs, Bode plots, and clock generators.
• Ability to create test descriptions from schematics and execute/document results.
• Knowledge of the full hardware product lifecycle from kickoff to RTM.
• Experience with lab equipment (oscilloscopes, e-loads, VNA, TDR, environmental chambers).
• Interest in automating lab equipment to optimize test processes (Python preferred).

Responsibilities

• Support hardware design teams by de-risking circuits and modules from project kickoff to gerber release.
• Develop comprehensive hardware validation plans using proper test methods.
• Bring up PCBAs and execute validation plans to verify all circuits.
• Debug complex multi-point hardware failures (power regulators, PDNs, clocks, I2C, SPI).
• Rework components on PCBAs to unblock debugging activities.
• Collaborate with System Validation to de-risk architectures.
• Support hardware activities in Post-Silicon Validation, Product Apps, System Validation, FAEs.
• Help de-risk new features using knowledge of existing products.
• Learn and apply new industry test standards and equipment.

Skills

Electronic circuit analysis

Hardware test & debug

Python programming

Lab automation

Education

Bachelor's degree in EE

Tools

Oscilloscopes

e-loads

VNA

TDR

Environmental chambers

Python scripting

Job description

Astera Labs (NASDAQ: ALAB) provides rack-scale AI infrastructure through purpose-built connectivity solutions. By collaborating with hyperscalers and ecosystem partners, Astera Labs enables organizations to unlock the full potential of modern AI. Astera Labs’ Intelligent Connectivity Platform integrates CXL®, Ethernet, NVLink, PCIe®, and UALink™ semiconductor-based technologies with the company’s COSMOS software suite to unify diverse components into cohesive, flexible systems that deliver end-to-end scale-up, and scale-out connectivity. The company’s custom connectivity solutions business complements its standards-based portfolio, enabling customers to deploy tailored architectures to meet their unique infrastructure requirements. Discover more at www.asteralabs.com. As a Principal Hardware Validation Engineer you will join the Hardware Electrical Validation team at Astera Labs, linking between the Hardware Electrical Design teams and Post-Silicon Electrical Validation teams, among others. Note: This role is not post-silicon electrical validation; it is electrical validation of PCBAs and related hardware products.

Key Responsibilities

• Support the Hardware Electrical Design teams with de-risking circuits and modules from project kick-off to gerber out.
• Develop comprehensive hardware electrical validation plans using correct test methods and processes.
• Bring up the PCBAs upon arrival in the lab, and execute the electrical validation plans to validate all circuits on the board.
• Debug complex multi-point failures in hardware - power regulators, DPMs, clock synthesizers, digital control paths, I2C, SPI, etc.
• Rework components on the PCBAs to unblock debugging activities.
• Pre-empt and de-risk system validation architectures - collaborate with the System Validation teams.
• Support hardware activities in auxiliary teams - Post-Silicon Electrical Validation, Product Apps, System Validation, FAEs, etc.
• Support the new designs using knowledge of existing products to de-risk new features and requirements.
• Self-informed of new industry test standards and equipment to introduce modern testing methodologies.
• Specify test equipment, develop test fixtures, help improve hardware lab functions.

Required Skills

• Demonstrated strong skills in electronic circuit analysis, comprehensive testing and debug
• Bachelor degree in EE with 3+ years of experience in hardware test or design
• Expert understanding of design and test for power regulators, PDNs, Bode, clock generators
• Ability to produce test description from a schematic design, and execute and document results
• Demonstrated knowledge of the full hardware product lifecycle from Project Kick-off to RTM
• Lab equipment for hardware test - oscilloscopes, e-loads, VNA, TDR, environmental chambers, etc.
• Automating lab equipment to optimize test processes, Python preferred

Preferred Skills

• Measurements of high-speed interfaces - PCIe, DDR, 25/50G/100G SERDES, etc.
• EMI/EMC compliance
• Technical writing skills - ECOs, Bug Reports, Rework WIs, MCOs, etc.
• PLM, Arena or equivalent
• Understanding of the ASIC/silicon product development process

The base salary range is $185,000 USD - $240,000 USD. Your base salary will be determined based on your location, experience, and the pay of employees in similar positions.

We know that creativity and innovation happen more often when teams include diverse ideas, backgrounds, and experiences, and we actively encourage everyone with relevant experience to apply, including people of color, LGBTQ+ and non-binary people, veterans, parents, and individuals with disabilities.