Senior Principal Hardware Engineer - Board & System Design
Overview
Senior Principal Engineer owns board and system hardware design for networking and AI infrastructure platforms. This role drives architecture from concept through production, supports customer engagements, and influences next-generation silicon. The engineer bridges silicon, hardware, and manufacturing teams with deep expertise in SerDes, PCB stack-up, and high-current power delivery. The role is a hands-on individual contributor with 15+ years of experience.
What You'll Do10
- 1Lead board and system hardware design reviews for customer platforms, covering architecture, schematics, PCB stack-up, and layout. Identify design risks and deliver production-ready recommendations.
- 2Define reference hardware designs for new semiconductor products, collaborating with silicon and packaging teams. Provide technical guidance for SerDes implementations up to 112G/224G PAM4.
- 3Drive PCB material selection and stack-up strategy, including low-loss laminates, copper roughness, and via structures for high-speed signals.
- 4Guide customers on power delivery architecture for high-current ASIC platforms, including PDN design, multi-rail sequencing, and decoupling strategies.
- 5Support thermal and mechanical design for high-power systems, covering air, liquid, and immersion cooling methods. Review mechanical integration with CAD tools.
- 6Review signal and power integrity simulations and provide targeted analysis for high-speed interfaces like Ethernet, PCIe, and DDR.
- 7Own hardware bring-up, debugging, and root-cause analysis during customer validation and production phases. Collaborate with SI/PI and software teams.
- 8Support ODM/CM partners during manufacturing transition, applying design-for-reliability, manufacturability, and testability principles.
- 9Deliver technical training on hardware design methodologies and reference platforms for customers and internal teams.
- 10Represent the organization in customer meetings and industry forums, providing technical leadership for future hardware platforms.
Requirements10
- 115+ years in hardware design, development, and validation of high-speed networking or compute systems.
- 27+ years focused on board and system design with SerDes technologies including 25G NRZ through 112G/224G PAM4.
- 3Bachelor's, Master's, or PhD in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field.
- 4Proven experience owning complex hardware designs through system architecture, schematic development, PCB design, bring-up, and production readiness.
- 5Expertise in PCB stack-up design, materials selection, and high-speed board implementation.
- 6Deep knowledge of power architecture for high-current ASIC platforms, including PDN design, sequencing, and tolerance analysis.
- 7Experience with thermal design and mechanical integration for high-power networking or AI systems.
- 8Hands-on validation, lab debugging, and root-cause analysis skills for high-speed interfaces.
- 9Strong understanding of signal and power integrity principles and ability to review simulations.
- 10Excellent communication skills with experience in customer-facing technical engagements.
Salary Insight
$200 - $266k per year
Location
Required Skills
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