Serdes Characterization & Post-Silicon Validation Engineer

K2 Space; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 170,000 - 250,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity in the company

Paid time off

Medical/dental/vision coverage

Life insurance

Paid parental leave

Job summary

K2 Space is seeking a hands-on SerDes Characterization & Post-Silicon Validation Engineer to bring up and characterize high-speed SerDes interfaces in complex SoCs. You will work closely with SerDes/IP, mixed-signal, digital, firmware, SI/PI, package, board, and systems teams to take high-speed interfaces from first silicon through product integration and system-level operation.

You will also help build our high-speed test and validation capability from the ground up.

Qualifications

• BS/MS in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field.
• 5+ years of high-speed SerDes characterization or post-silicon validation.
• Strong understanding of NRZ/PAM4 signaling, jitter, equalization.
• Hands-on experience with high-bandwidth oscilloscopes, BERTs, pattern generators, VNAs, TDR/TDT.
• Experience with eye diagrams, jitter decomposition, BER testing, stressed-eye testing.
• Experience with package/PCB channels and channel de-embedding.
• Experience with automated characterization environments using Python.

Responsibilities

• Lead post-silicon bring-up and characterization of high-speed NRZ and PAM4 SerDes, including 112G-class interfaces.
• Develop and execute electrical characterization plans across lanes, data rates, voltage, temperature, channels, and operating conditions.
• Characterize TX eye quality, jitter, output amplitude, linearity, equalization, RX sensitivity, BER, bathtub curves, CDR performance, and link margin.
• Validate TX/RX equalization including FFE, CTLE, DFE, adaptation, and link-training behavior.
• Perform BER and stress testing across representative and worst-case channels.
• Debug complex link issues spanning SerDes IP, clocks, power, package, PCB/channel, firmware, and digital logic.
• Correlate silicon measurements with SerDes models, simulations, and channel/SI analysis.
• Develop automated characterization environments and regression testing for instrument control, data collection, analysis, and reporting.
• Support transition from chip-level to product integration and system-level validation.

Skills

high-speed SerDes characterization

post-silicon validation

signal integrity

Python scripting

instrument-control interfaces

debugging across silicon, package, PCB

cross-functional collaboration

Education

BS/MS in Electrical Engineering or Computer Engineering

Tools

Oscilloscopes

BERTs

Pattern generators

VNAs

TDR/TDT

Job description

About the Role

We are looking for a hands-on SerDes Characterization & Post-Silicon Validation Engineer to bring up, characterize, andvalidatehigh-speed SerDes interfaces in complex SoCs.

You will work closely with SerDes/IP, mixed-signal, digital, firmware, SI/PI, package, board, and systems teams to take high-speed interfaces from first silicon through product integration and system-level operation. You will also help build our high-speed test and validation capability from the ground up.

Responsibilities

• Lead post-silicon bring-up and characterization of high-speed NRZ and PAM4 SerDes, including 112G-class interfaces.
• Develop and execute electrical characterization plans across lanes, data rates, voltage, temperature, channels, and operating conditions.
• Characterize TX eye quality, jitter, output amplitude, linearity, equalization, RX sensitivity, BER, bathtub curves, CDR performance, and link margin.
• Validate TX/RX equalization including FFE, CTLE, DFE, adaptation, and link-training behavior.
• Perform BER and stress testing across representative and worst-case channels.
• Debug complex link issues spanning SerDes IP, clocks, power, package, PCB/channel, firmware, and digital logic.
• Correlate silicon measurements with SerDes models, simulations, and channel/SI analysis.
• Partner with firmware and digital teams on SerDes configuration, initialization, diagnostics, adaptation, and system-level link bring-up.
• Develop automated characterization and regression environments for instrument control, data collection, analysis, and reporting.
• Support the transition from chip-level SerDes characterization to product integration and system-level validation.
• Contribute to building the high-speed validation lab, equipment, test infrastructure, measurementmethodology, and automation from the ground up.

Qualifications

• BS/MS in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field.
• 5+ years of high-speed SerDes characterization, post-silicon validation, signal integrity, or related experience.
• Strong understanding of high-speed serial-link fundamentals, including NRZ/PAM4 signaling, equalization, CDR, jitter, BER, channel loss, and link budgets.
• Deep hands-on experience with high-bandwidth oscilloscopes, BERTs, pattern generators, VNAs, TDR/TDT, and high-speed electrical measurement equipment.
• Experience with eye diagrams, jitter decomposition, bathtub curves, BER testing, stressed-eye testing, and receiver sensitivity characterization.
• Strong understanding of package/PCB channels, insertion/return loss, crosstalk, reflections, and channel de-embedding.
• Experience developing automated characterization environments using Python or similar scripting languages and instrument-control interfaces.
• Strong debugging skills across silicon, package, PCB, firmware, and system boundaries.
• Ability to work closely with SerDes IP/design, SI, package, board, firmware, and digital teams.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with112G+ PAM4 SerDescharacterization and validation.
• Experience with Ethernet, PCIe, JESD204, Interlaken, or chip-to-chip interfaces.
• Experience with compliance testing and high-speed interface standards.
• Familiarity with SerDes behavioral/channel models and simulation-to-measurement correlation.
• Experience with SerDes IP integration and validation from third-party IP vendors.
• Experience with advanced package and high-loss PCB channels.
• Familiarity with high-speed clocking, PLLs, reference-clock jitter, and power-supply noise effects on SerDes performance.
• Experience with automated PVT characterization and large-scale measurement data analysis.

Compensation and Benefits:

• Base salary range for this role is $170,000 – $250,000 + equity in the company
• Salary will be based on several factors including, but not limitedto:knowledge and skills, education, and experience level
• Comprehensive benefits package including paid time off, medical/dental/vision/ coverage, life insurance, paid parental leave, and many otherperks

Building a spacecraft unlike any other requires a team unlike any other and non-traditional career twists and turns are encouraged!

If you need a reasonable accommodation as part of your application for employment or interviews with us, please let us know.

Export Compliance

As defined in the ITAR, "U.S. Persons" include U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents (i.e., Green Card holders), and certain protected individuals (e.g., refugees/asylees, American Samoans). Please consult with a knowledgeable advisor if you are unsure whether you are a "U.S. Person".

The person hired for this role will have access to information and items controlled by U.S. export control regulations, including the export control regulations outlined in the International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR). The person hired for this role must therefore either be a "U.S. person" as defined by 22 C.F.R. § 120.15 or otherwise eligible for a federally issued export control license.

Equal Opportunity

K2 Space is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with K2 Space is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.