Senior Hardware Engineer - Cambridge MA

Akamai; Cambridge (MA); On-site; USD 121,000 - 219,000; Full time

Job summary

Akamai is seeking a Senior Hardware Engineer in Cambridge to own platform development for compute and GPU servers, including power, thermal, and system validation.

You will collaborate with OEM/ODM partners, drive NPI from EVT to MP, manage firmware/BIOs and PCIe GPU topologies, and help shape scalable cloud server platforms for AI workloads. This role requires onsite presence five days a week in Cambridge and a strong hardware background.

Qualifications

• 8 years of relevant hardware engineering experience.
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering or related field.
• Experience with server architecture and board-level design/debug.
• Proficient with Linux and scripting (Python, Bash).
• Experience with vendor management and collaborating with partners.

Responsibilities

• Own platform development for compute and GPU servers.
• Define requirements, review schematics/layouts, guide DFM, and drive platform NPI from EVT DVT PVT MP.
• Lead bring-up and debug of boards and systems (power, thermal, storage, networking, manageability).
• Develop and execute validation plans; root-cause HW/FW/SW issues.
• Collaborate with OEM/ODM, silicon, and component suppliers to balance performance, cost, and supply.
• Manage firmware/BIOS/OpenBMC feature sets (performance/power/thermal, secure boot, provisioning, telemetry).
• Qualify PCIe Gen5/Gen6 GPUs, CPUs, NICs, DPUs, NVMe drives, DRAM.
• Design and validate GPU platforms including PCIe/NVLink/UALink topologies and reliability.

Skills

Server architecture

Board-level design

Low-level buses

Linux

Python

Bash

Vendor management

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering or related field

Job description

Are you excited about building the next generation of cloud servers?

Do you enjoy hands‑on hardware bring‑up?

Join our Server Team!

Our Hardware Engineering team designs, qualifies, and scales the server platforms that power Akamai Cloud. We partner closely with OEM/ODM manufacturers to deliver reliable, efficient, and secure platforms from concept through global deployment.

Partner with the best

You will develop new server platforms optimized for cloud workloads, and GPU‑accelerated configurations for AI inference. You will be at the forefront of the server lifecycle managing architecture, design for manufacturability, bring‑up, validation, and release ensuring our platforms meet demanding performance, cost, and reliability targets.

As a Senior Hardware Engineer, you will be responsible for:

• Owning platform development for compute and GPU servers.
• Defining requirements, review schematics/layouts, guide DFM, and drive platform NPI from EVT DVT PVT MP.
• Leading bring‑up and debug of boards and systems (power, thermal, storage, networking, manageability)
• Developing and execute validation plans, root‑cause issues across HW/FW/SW.
• Collaborating with partners (OEM/ODM, silicon, and component suppliers) to develop platform configurations that balance performance, efficiency, supply continuity, and TCO.
• Managing component firmware/BIOS/OpenBMC feature sets (performance/power/thermal, secure boot, provisioning, telemetry)
• Qualifying key technologies: PCIe Gen5/Gen6 GPUs, CPUs, NICs, DPUs, NVMe drives, DRAM.
• Designing and validating GPU platforms including PCIe/NVLink/UALink topologies, power/thermal envelopes, and reliability considerations for GPUs.

Do what you love

To be successful in this role you will:

• Have 8 years of relevant experience and a Bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering or a related field
• Have a foundation in server architecture and board‑level design/debug. Comfortable with low‑level buses and tools (IC, SPI, UART, oscilloscopes).
• Have practical experience with platform validation (power/thermal, signal integrity, storage and PCIe/NVMe qualification, system stress).
• Be proficient in Linux and scripting (Python, Bash). Ability to automate tests, parse logs, and build data‑driven reports.
• Have a track record of vendor management. Translating requirements into clear specifications, negotiating trade‑offs, and holding partners accountable to schedule and quality.
• Have excellent written and verbal communication skills, including being comfortable speaking in a group setting

This role will require your presence in our Cambridge office 5 days a week. Applicants should be aware that this office attendance will be required.

About us

At Akamai, we make life better for billions of people, trillions of times a day. Whether you're streaming live events, scrolling social media, watching your favorite series, or managing your savings, we're the engine behind the scenes. We provide the world's most distributed platform from Cloud to Edge to help the giants of the digital world work faster and stay more secure, making the internet a better experience for everyone.

Our focus is simple:

Cloud and Edge: Running apps closer to users for instant performance.

Security: Neutralizing threats before they ever reach your data.

Content Delivery: Scaling the world's biggest moments without a glitch.

AI: Enabling our customers to build, secure, and scale AI apps on the world's most distributed cloud platform.

At Akamai, we don't just support the internet; we power and protect it, because behind every great digital experience is a massive hidden challenge. And we're the ones who solve it. When millions of people hit play or pay, Akamai ensures it just works.

Benefits at Akamai:

We support your health, well‑being, finances, and life beyond work. See our benefits.

FlexBase adapts to your job's needs

Akamai's FlexBase program is yet another way we show our commitment to providing employees with an exceptional workplace experience. It's not about telling employees where to work; it's about supporting employees to do their best work.

We trust our incredible employees to work in ways that suit them best: at home, in an office, or a combination of both.

Connect with us on social and see what life at Akamai is like!

Compensation

Akamai is committed to fair and equitable compensation practices. For US based candidates only - the base salary for this position ranges from $121,400 - $218,600/year; a candidate’s salary is determined by various factors including, but not limited to, relevant work experience, skills, certifications and location. Compensation for candidates outside the US will vary. The compensation package may also include incentive compensation opportunities in the form of annual bonus or incentives, equity awards and an Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP). Akamai provides industry‑leading benefits including healthcare, 401K savings plan, company holidays, vacation (in the form of PTO), sick time, family friendly benefits including parental leave and an employee assistance program including a focus on mental and financial wellness; Eligibility requirements apply.