About the Role

As a Principal Product Applications Engineer on the Leo team, you will sit at the intersection of firmware engineering and customer-facing technical engagement. You will be a key technical resource for enabling Leo CXL Smart Memory Controllers at hyperscale customers and OEM partners — owning firmware bring-up, validation, and customer issue resolution from early silicon through production ramp.

Firmware is considered equally important to hardware at Astera Labs, and this role reflects that. You will work directly with customers to ensure their needs are fully understood and translated into firmware solutions, while collaborating closely with the internal firmware, hardware, and systems engineering teams.

This position is required onsite in San Jose, CA.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead firmware-focused customer engagements for Leo CXL Smart Memory Controllers, including bring-up support, feature enablement, and issue triage on customer platforms
• Develop, validate, and debug firmware using C and Python across Leo's PCIe/CXL and DDR memory subsystems
• Spearhead internal and external discussions on design requirements of DDR4/DDR5 DRAM interfaces, including initialization, training, RAS (Reliability, Availability, Serviceability) features, and performance tuning 
• Serve as the primary firmware technical point of contact for key customer accounts (hyperscalers, OEMs), driving issue resolution and feature demonstrations
• Interpret and implement requirements from CXL, PCIe, and JEDEC DDR specifications into robust firmware solutions
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams (FW engineering, HW, systems, product management) to deliver firmware releases and customer collateral on schedule
• Develop and maintain Python-based test scripts, automation frameworks, and diagnostic tools to support validation and customer debug workflows
• Contribute to technical documentation including application notes, release notes, design guides, and customer-facing collateral
• Represent the Leo team in customer technical reviews, design-in engagements, and industry forums

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or a related technical field; Master's degree preferred
• 8+ years of experience in firmware development, product applications engineering, or a related technical role supporting complex SoC/silicon products for Server, Storage, and/or Networking applications
• Professional attitude with the ability to prioritize a dynamic list of tasks and work with minimal guidance
• Entrepreneurial, open-minded behavior and can-do attitude — think and act fast with the customer in mind!
• Authorized to work in the US and available to start immediately

Required Experience

• High proficiency in C for embedded firmware development in RTOS environments
• Working knowledge of CXL (Compute Express Link) — CXL 1.1/2.0/3.0 — including memory expansion, pooling, and sharing concepts
• Proficiency in Python for scripting, test automation, and diagnostic tooling
• Deep hands-on knowledge of high-speed memory interfaces — DDR4 and/or DDR5 DRAM — including initialization sequences, training algorithms, timing margins, and ECC/RAS features
• Experience with firmware bring-up, debug, and validation of memory or I/O subsystems on server platforms
• Strong debugging skills with the ability to triage and root-cause issues in complex embedded systems
• Familiarity with SoC interfaces including DDR controllers, PCIe controllers, and on-chip memory subsystems
• Experience working with developer workflows: SCM (preferably Git), code reviews, CI/CD pipelines

Preferred Experience

• Experience with PCIe endpoint firmware at the PHY, Link, and Transaction layers; familiarity with PCIe enumeration, MSI/MSI-X, SR-IOV, and error handling
• Hands-on experience with PCIe/CXL protocol analyzers, BERT, and other lab debug equipment
• Familiarity with BIOS/BMC/OS interactions with PCIe/CXL devices and MMIO/RAS concepts
• Experience with server memory performance tuning — latency and bandwidth optimization
• Prior customer-facing or field applications experience in a semiconductor or systems company is a strong plus

Compensation

The base salary range for this role is $175,000 – $230,000 USD. Your base salary will be determined based on your location, experience, and the pay of employees in similar positions.

Astera Labs is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

Role Overview

Astera Labs is seeking a Principal Product Applications Engineer to join our Taurus Ethernet Smart Cable Modules team and drive customer success at the forefront of AI infrastructure connectivity. As data centers scale to meet explosive AI workload demands, our Taurus products are enabling the high-bandwidth, low-latency Ethernet fabric connections that power next-generation GPU clusters and disaggregated computing architectures.

In this role, you'll be the technical expert customers rely on to successfully deploy Taurus Ethernet solutions in their most demanding environments. You'll work hands-on with hyperscalers, OEMs, and AI system builders to debug complex physical layer challenges, deliver technical enablement, and ensure seamless product integration. Your customer insights will directly influence how we evolve our products to meet the market's most pressing connectivity needs.

This is a unique opportunity to combine deep Ethernet and physical layer expertise with meaningful customer impact at a hyper-growth company defining the future of AI connectivity. You'll collaborate across engineering, sales, and product teams while building relationships with the world's most innovative technology companies.

Key Responsibilities

· Customer Technical Engagement

o Serve as the primary technical resource for customers evaluating and deploying Taurus Ethernet Smart Cable Modules

o Deliver technical presentations, product training, and hands-on demonstrations to customer engineering teams

o Build trusted relationships with key accounts and drive successful product adoption

· System-Level Debug & Validation Support

o Lead root cause analysis and debugging of complex Ethernet physical layer and link issues in customer systems

o Support customer lab bring-up, characterization, and system validation activities

o Develop and execute test plans to reproduce and resolve customer-reported issues

o Experience with firmware handling preferred

· Technical Documentation & Enablement

o Create application notes, integration guides, and best practices documentation for Ethernet system implementation

o Develop technical collateral that accelerates customer time-to-deployment

o Contribute to product documentation including datasheets and user guides

· Cross-Functional Collaboration

o Partner with product management and engineering to translate customer feedback into product requirements

o Support sales teams with technical expertise during pre-sales and post-sales engagements

o Represent voice of the customer in internal roadmap discussions and feature prioritization

Basic Qualifications

· Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field

· 8+ years of experience in applications engineering, technical support, or system engineering roles

· Strong understanding of Ethernet physical layer specifications (100G/200G/400G/800G)

· Hands-on experience with lab equipment including oscilloscopes, protocol analyzers, and BER test tools

· Experience debugging high-speed serial interfaces and signal integrity challenges

· Excellent written and verbal communication skills with ability to convey complex technical concepts

· Ability to travel within mainland China and Asia for customer debug

Preferred Qualifications

· Experience with optical modules, active cables, or similar high-speed connectivity components

· Familiarity with AI/ML system architectures, GPU clusters, or data center networking

· Background in signal integrity analysis and simulation

· Scripting proficiency (Python, TCL) for test automation and data analysis

· Prior experience working with hyperscale or enterprise data center customers

· Knowledge of Ethernet consortium specifications and industry standards

Role Overview

As a Principal Product Applications Engineer at Astera Labs, you will be at the forefront of enabling the world's leading cloud service providers and server/network OEMs to successfully deploy connectivity solutions. This high-impact role sits at the intersection of cutting-edge silicon, firmware, and customer success—where you'll tackle complex technical challenges that push the boundaries of AI infrastructure connectivity.

You will serve as a trusted technical advisor to strategic customers, guiding them through design-in, bring-up, and optimization of Astera Labs products. With a strong firmware orientation, you'll dive deep into embedded systems, debug intricate firmware-hardware interactions, and drive issues to resolution across the full stack. Your insights from the field will directly influence product roadmaps and engineering priorities, making you a critical bridge between customers and our R&D teams.

This is an opportunity to work on industry-defining connectivity products that power next-generation data centers and AI platforms—all within a fast-paced, hypergrowth environment where your contributions have immediate and visible impact.

Key Responsibilities

• Customer Technical Engagement
  • Provide expert technical guidance to tier-1 customers throughout the design-in lifecycle, from early evaluation through production deployment
  • Build trusted relationships with customer engineering teams, serving as the go-to resource for product integration
  • Deliver technical presentations, training sessions, and design reviews to accelerate customer success
• Firmware Debug & Issue Resolution
  • Investigate and reproduce customer-reported issues involving firmware, silicon, hardware design, and system-level interactions
  • Drive root cause analysis and coordinate cross-functional teams to deliver timely resolutions
  • Develop firmware-based tools, scripts, and utilities to streamline debug and validation workflows
• Technical Collateral & Knowledge Sharing
  • Create high-quality application notes, integration guides, and technical documentation for internal and external audiences
  • Provide actionable feedback to product, firmware, and silicon teams to continuously improve products and customer experience
  • Contribute to the development of reference designs and best practices for product deployment
• Lab Validation & Bring-Up
  • Execute hands-on silicon and system bring-up activities, including firmware validation and performance characterization
  • Utilize lab equipment such as protocol analyzers, high-speed oscilloscopes, and traffic generators to diagnose complex issues
  • Support interoperability testing across diverse customer platforms and configurations

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field
• 8+ years of experience in product applications, field applications, or systems engineering roles supporting complex semiconductor products
• Strong firmware development and debugging skills, including proficiency in embedded C and Python
• Experience with high-speed interfaces such as PCIe Gen5/6/7 or Ethernet
• Demonstrated ability to triage and resolve multi-layer issues spanning silicon, firmware, and system environments
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with a track record of producing clear technical documentation

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field
• Experience with Ethernet products, retimers, or PCIe connectivity solutions
• Hands-on experience with protocol analyzers, high-speed oscilloscopes, and BERTs
• Background working directly with cloud service providers, server OEMs, or networking equipment manufacturers
• Understanding of data center architectures including servers, AI platforms, JBOGs/JBODs, and network switches
• Familiarity with physical layer concepts and signal integrity fundamentals

The base salary range for this role is CAD 180,000 – CAD 205,000. Your base salary will be determined based on your location, experience, and the pay of employees in similar positions. You will also be eligible for a performance bonus, equity, and benefits.

Job Description: 

As an Astera Labs Early Career Product Application Engineer, you will need to provide technical guidance to customers to overcome design challenges, generate collateral for existing and new products, and drive innovation by providing insightful feedback to other internal teams to continuously improve products and processes. There are opportunities to support key customers directly, and also to dive deep in the lab to address the challenges associated with leading edge semiconductor products. 

Basic Qualifications 

• Strong academic and technical background in electrical engineering.
• Entrepreneurial, open-minded behavior and can-do attitude. Think and act with the customer in mind!  

Required Experience  

• Technical ownership of issue resolution
• Firsthand experience with lab equipment such as protocol analyzers/exercisers, high-speed oscilloscopes, or BERTs.  
• Technical writing skills to generate clear, precise documentation including application notes and similar guides for internal and customer-facing audiences. 

Preferred experience 

• Triaging complex customer reported issues which require taking into account multiple layers of conditions; for instance, silicon, firmware, hardware board design, and system environment. 
• Development/support for PCIe or Ethernet Switch or Retimer products. 
• PCIe compliance testing methodology and troubleshooting. 
• Comfort working with software/firmware associated with semiconductor products, such as; Firmware development with C-language, scripting with Python or other equivalent programming languages. 
• Understanding of Data Center systems like Servers, JBOGs/JBODs, Networking switches/routers/interconnects etc. 

The base salary range is $104k USD - $150k USD. Your base salary will be determined based on your location, experience, and the pay of employees in similar positions.

Job Description: 

As an Astera Labs Principal Product Application Engineer, you will need to provide technical guidance to customers to overcome design challenges, generate collateral for existing and new products, and drive innovation by providing insightful feedback to other internal teams to continuously improve products and processes. Astera Labs is seeking a Principal Product Applications Engineer in Shanghai, China with experience supporting the development and designing-in of semiconductor products for PCIe/CXL. There are opportunities to support key customers directly, and also to dive deep in the lab to address the challenges associated with leading edge semiconductor products.

Basic Qualifications

· Strong academic and technical background in electrical engineering. At minimum, a Bachelor’s in EE is required, Master’s is preferred.

· Minimum of 10 years’ experience designing in complex SoC/silicon products with a high speed (preferably PCIe) interface.

· Entrepreneurial, open-minded behavior and can-do attitude. Think and act with the customer in mind!

Required Experience

· Strong working knowledge of PCIe LTSSM at a physical layer level, associated standards, and debug. Most recent experience with PCIe 5.0 at a minimum, some experience with 6.0/CXL preferred.

· Silicon/System bring-up and debug experience in customer systems.

· Technical ownership of issue resolution: Driving and directing internal teams toward issue resolution. Driving communication with customers, FAEs, and sales team members

· Firsthand experience with lab equipment such as protocol analyzers/exercisers, high-speed oscilloscopes, or BERTs.

· Comfort working with software/firmware associated with semiconductor products, such as: Firmware development with C-language, scripting with Python or other equivalent programming languages.

Preferred experience

· Triaging complex customer reported issues which require taking into account multiple layers of conditions. For instance, silicon, firmware, hardware board design, and system environment.

· Experience with common data center BMC implementation, and BIOS configuration

· Development/support for PCIe or Ethernet Switch or Retimer products.

· PCIe compliance testing methodology and troubleshooting.

· Understanding of Data Center systems like Servers, JBOGs/JBODs, Networking switches/routers/interconnects etc.

At Astera Labs, we design cutting-edge connectivity solutions that power the world’s largest cloud service providers, server, and networking OEMs. As a Platform Engineer, you’ll play a pivotal role in building and supporting the platforms that enable these products to thrive in real-world deployments through. 

You’ll create and maintain tools that make our products seamless to integrate, highly debuggable, and delightful to use for both customers and internal engineering teams. Your work will span software, systems, and silicon – developing automation, diving into labs with state-of-the-art equipment, and collaborating closely with customers to solve the toughest technical challenges. Beyond execution, you’ll influence product direction by driving innovation, providing feedback to design teams, and streamlining validation and deployment processes. 

This is a high-impact, hands-on role at the intersection of hardware and software, where curiosity, creativity, and technical depth come together to define the next generation of data center infrastructure. 

Basic Qualifications 

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or Computer Science. 
• 5+ years of experience in software development with C, C++, C#, and/or Python. 
• Entrepreneurial mindset with a customer-first attitude and a bias toward action. 

Required Experience 

• Building and maintaining complex applications using .NET technologies (e.g., WPF, Avalonia, Blazor, MAUI). 
• Strong background in C and Python programming for tool development, automation, and system interaction. 
• Hands-on silicon/system bring-up and debug experience in customer environments. 
• Proficiency with lab equipment such as traffic generators, analyzers, and high-speed oscilloscopes. 
• Excellent technical writing skills for clear, concise documentation (datasheets, app notes, internal guides). 

Preferred Experience 

• Front-end technologies (React, Angular, Node.js). 
• Cloud development platforms (Azure, AWS). 
• Experience with high-speed I/O products (PCIe, Ethernet Switches). 
• Familiarity with data center architectures: servers, storage (JBOD/JBOG), and networking gear. 

What You’ll Gain 

• Impact: Influence the design and usability of products deployed at hyperscale. 
• Breadth: Work across hardware, firmware, and software layers. 
• Growth: Collaborate with world-class engineers and customers solving real-world challenges at scale. 
• Innovation: Freedom to prototype, improve, and bring new ideas into production. 

The base pay range for this role is between $140,000 and $175,000. Your actual base pay will depend on variables that may include your background, qualifications, and experience. 

Astera Labs is a global leader in purpose-built connectivity solutions that unlock the full potential of cloud and AI infrastructure. Our Intelligent Connectivity Platform integrates PCIe, CXL and Ethernet semiconductor-based solutions based on a software-defined architecture that is both scalable and customizable. Inspired by trusted partnerships with hyperscalers and the data center ecosystem, we are an innovation leader with products that are flexible, interoperable, and reliable. We are headquartered in the heart of California’s Silicon Valley, with R&D centers and offices in Texas, Taiwan, China, Canada, and Israel. 

As an Astera Labs Product Applications Engineer, you will be part of a team that supports design-in of Astera Labs’ portfolio of connectivity products by the world’s leading cloud service providers and server and network OEMs. In this role, you will need to provide technical guidance to customers to overcome design challenges, generate collateral for existing and new products, and drive innovation by providing insightful feedback to other internal teams to continuously improve products and processes. You will investigate and duplicate issues reported by customers, and drive critical issues to resolution. There are opportunities to support key customers directly, and also to dive deep in the lab to address the challenges associated with leading edge semiconductor products.

Basic Qualifications

• Strong academic and technical background in electrical, electronics, or computer engineering or a closely related field. At a minimum, an engineering bachelor’s degree is required. A master’s degree is preferred.
• A minimum of 12 years’ experience working with cloud service providers or server or network OEM customers to design in complex SoC/silicon products for server, storage, and/or networking applications.
• Entrepreneurial spirit, open-minded approach, and can-do attitude. Think and act with the customer in mind!

Required Experience

• Silicon/system bring-up and debug experience in customer systems.
• Strong knowledge of embedded FW development and in-system debug
• Firmware development with C-language, scripting with Python or other equivalent programming languages.

• Strong knowledge of PCIe protocol, including LTSSM, EQ, DMA, etc.
• Strong knowledge of NRZ/PAM4 SerDes level debugging (TX/RX Equalization) in PCIe, Ethernet (25G and above), etc.
• Firsthand experience with lab equipment including traffic generators, analyzers, and high-speed oscilloscopes.

• Broad knowledge of NRZ/PAM4 SerDes-based protocols such as PCIe or Ethernet (25G and above).
• Understanding of Data Center systems such as servers, compute nodes, JBOGs/JBODs, and networking switches/routers/interconnects, etc.
• Technical writing skills and the ability to generate clear, precise documentation including datasheets, application notes, and similar guides for both internal audiences and customers.

Preferred Experience

• Broad knowledge of signal processing and ECC coding for communications
• Device driver development
• Development/support for PCIe or Ethernet switch products
• Working with silicon characterization/validation teams to ensure desired device performance is readily achievable in customer systems.
• Knowledge of simulation/modeling, schematic capture, and PCB layout tools from Cadence, Altium and others.
• Knowledge of simulation tools such as Keysight ADS, SiSoft QCD, and others, for IBIS-AMI analysis.
• A strong background in high-speed board design and techniques for preserving signal integrity.

Role Overview

Astera Labs is seeking a Principal Product Applications Engineer to join our Aries PCIe Retimer team and serve as a critical technical bridge between our customers and engineering organization. As AI infrastructure demands explode, our Aries Smart Retimers are enabling the high-speed, low-latency PCIe connectivity that powers the world's most advanced data centers—and you'll be at the center of that growth.

In this high-impact role, you'll work directly with hyperscalers, OEMs, and system builders to drive successful adoption of our Aries PCIe products. You'll combine deep technical expertise with customer-facing skills to solve complex system-level challenges, create compelling technical documentation, and influence product direction based on real-world customer needs. This is an opportunity to shape how next-generation AI and cloud infrastructure connects and scales.

You'll collaborate cross-functionally with design engineering, validation, sales, and marketing teams while building strong relationships with customers who are defining the future of computing. If you thrive at the intersection of cutting-edge silicon and customer success, this role offers exceptional visibility and impact.

Key Responsibilities

Customer Technical Engagement

• Serve as the primary technical resource for customers during pre-sales evaluation and post-sales deployment of Aries PCIe retimers
• Deliver technical presentations, product training, and demonstrations to customer engineering teams
• Build trusted advisor relationships with key accounts and drive product adoption

System-Level Debug & Validation Support

• Lead root cause analysis and debugging of complex PCIe signal integrity and protocol issues in customer systems
• Support customer lab bring-up, characterization, and validation activities
• Develop and execute test plans to reproduce and resolve customer-reported issues

Technical Documentation & Enablement

• Create application notes, reference designs, and best practices guides for PCIe system implementation
• Develop collateral that accelerates customer time-to-deployment
• Contribute to product documentation including datasheets and user guides

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with product management and engineering to translate customer feedback into product requirements
• Support sales teams with technical expertise during customer engagements
• Represent the voice of the customer in internal roadmap and feature discussions

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field
• 8+ years of experience in applications engineering, technical support, or system engineering roles
• Strong understanding of PCIe architecture, protocol, and electrical specifications (Gen4/Gen5/Gen6)
• Hands-on experience with lab equipment including oscilloscopes, protocol analyzers, and BERT tools
• Experience debugging high-speed serial interfaces at both the physical and protocol layers
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with ability to explain complex technical concepts
• Develop and modify firmware using C to implement features, optimize performance, and resolve technical issues
• Travel to customer sites worldwide to provide on-site technical support, conduct system integration, and drive issue resolution

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with PCIe retimers, redrivers, or similar connectivity components
• Familiarity with server, storage, or GPU system architectures
• Background in signal integrity analysis and simulation tools
• Scripting proficiency (Python, TCL) for test automation and data analysis
• Prior experience working directly with hyperscale or enterprise data center customers
• Track record of creating high-quality technical documentation and application notes

Salary range is $158,400 to $220,000 depending on experience, level, and business need. This role may be eligible for discretionary bonus, incentives and benefits.

Job Description: 

As an Astera Labs Principal Product Application Engineer, you will need to provide technical guidance to ODMs to overcome design challenges, generate collateral for existing and new products, and drive innovation by providing insightful feedback to other internal teams to continuously improve products and processes. We need experience supporting the development and designing-in of semiconductor products for PCIe/CXL. There are opportunities to support key ODMs directly, and also to dive deep in the lab to address the challenges associated with leading edge semiconductor products. 

Basic Qualifications 

• Strong academic and technical background in electrical engineering. At minimum, a Bachelor’s in EE is required, Master’s is preferred. 
• Minimum of 10 years’ experience designing in complex SoC/silicon products with a high speed (preferably PCIe) interface. 
• Entrepreneurial, open-minded behavior and can-do attitude. Think and act with the customer in mind!  

Required Experience 

• Strong working knowledge of PCIe LTSSM at a physical layer level, associated standards, and debug. Most recent experience with PCIe 4.0 at a minimum, some experience with 5.0/CXL preferred. 
• Silicon/System bring-up and debug experience in customer systems.  
• Technical ownership of issue resolution: Driving and directing internal teams, and driving communication to customers through FAE and sales teams. 
• Firsthand experience with lab equipment such as protocol analyzers/exercisers, high-speed oscilloscopes, or BERTs.  
• Technical writing skills to generate clear, precise documentation including application notes and similar guides for internal and customer-facing audiences. 
• Global customer engagement support, with travel as required for on-site activities, reviews, and system bring-up.

Preferred experience 

• Triaging complex customer reported issues which require taking into account multiple layers of conditions; for instance, silicon, firmware, hardware board design, and system environment. 
• Development/support for PCIe or Ethernet Switch or Retimer products. 
• PCIe compliance testing methodology and troubleshooting. 
• Comfort working with software/firmware associated with semiconductor products, such as; Firmware development with C-language, scripting with Python or other equivalent programming languages. 
• Understanding of Data Center systems like Servers, JBOGs/JBODs, Networking switches/routers/interconnects etc.