Job Description

The mission of this role is to architect and develop firmware and microcontroller subsystems for Astera Labs’ SoC and systems products. Firmware is responsible for implementing the major differentiating features of Astera Labs’ products. As such, firmware is considered equally important to the hardware, and the firmware team is often customer-facing accordingly to ensure the needs of the customer are fully comprehended.

Basic qualifications

• Strong academic and technical background in Electronics/Electrical/Computer Science engineering. At a minimum, a Bachelor’s is required, and a Master’s is preferred.

• Minimum 5 years’ experience supporting or developing complex SoC/silicon products for Server, Storage, and/or Networking applications.

• Experience developing firmware to execute in on-chip microcontrollers as well as C-language software development kits (SDKs) to execute on system management controllers (e.g. BMC).

• Experience working with logic designers to architect and verify HW-SW interfaces on complex SoCs.

• Professional attitude with the ability to prioritize a dynamic list of multiple tasks, to plan and prepare for customer meetings in advance, and to work with minimal guidance and supervision.

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

Required experience

• MQX RTOS or ThreadX Development or enablement

• High level of proficiency in C (preferred) or C++, including development of C-based SDKs

• High level of proficiency in Python for automating pre-processors/post-processors and FW QC

• Working knowledge of software/firmware build environments, gcc/Make, Doxygen, and GitHub.

• Hands-on experience with Server, Storage, and/or Networking equipment (e.g. Network Switches).

• Familiarity with SoC interfaces to common IP blocks such as PCIe Controllers, DDR Controllers, NVME Controllers, AMBA/AHB interfaces, on-chip memory interfaces, and other similar interfaces

• Direct experience working on products with high-speed interfaces common in Data Center equipment: PCI- Express (Gen-3 and above), 100/400G Ethernet, Infiniband, DDR, NVMe, USB, etc.

• Deep understanding of the L1, L2 and L3(good to have), and solid understanding of the IEEE 802.3(802.3df, 802.3db (good to have), 802.3de, 802.33dd)
• Experience developing the firmware for any of the TCP/IP based SoC (switch SoC or NIC function SoC) focusing on all aspects of RAS and its interface development for better user experience. 

Preferred experience

• Experience developing firmware to execute in on-chip microcontrollers as well as C-language SDKs to execute on system management controllers (e.g. BMC)

• Experience developing embedded firmware for PCIe or Ethernet Switch products

• Experience with industry forums and collaboration workgroups such as OCP and OpenBMC

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

Director, Firmware Engineering (PCIe)

Astera Labs 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.

Job Description

The mission of this role is to lead and scale the firmware engineering organization responsible for architecting and delivering firmware and microcontroller subsystems for Astera Labs’ SoC and systems products.

As a Director of Firmware Engineering, you will own the technical vision, execution strategy, and organizational development of the firmware team. You will be responsible for delivering highly differentiated firmware capabilities that are foundational to Astera Labs’ products across networking and compute infrastructure platforms.

This is a hands-on leadership role requiring both deep technical expertise and strong people leadership. Firmware is considered equally important to hardware at Astera Labs, and this role will have significant customer visibility and cross-functional influence across silicon, systems, networking, and compute architecture teams.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor, and scale a high-performing firmware engineering team, including hiring and organizational development
• Define and drive the firmware architecture and roadmap aligned with product and company strategy across networking and compute platforms
• Partner with hardware, ASIC, and system architecture teams (including network and compute architects) to define and deliver robust HW-SW interfaces
• Oversee execution of firmware development across multiple programs, ensuring quality, scalability, and on-time delivery
• Drive customer engagement, including supporting bring-up, debugging, and feature enablement in networking and compute deployments
• Establish best practices for firmware development, validation, release processes, and CI/CD infrastructure
• Influence product direction through deep technical insight into PCIe, system architecture, and network/compute workloads
• Foster a culture of ownership, innovation, and execution excellence

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or related field; Master’s preferred
• 12+ years of experience in firmware/software development for complex SoC/silicon products in networking and/or compute systems (server, storage, hyperscale infrastructure)
• 5+ years of experience leading and managing high-performing engineering teams
• Proven track record of delivering complex firmware systems from architecture through production
• Strong understanding of modern data center architectures spanning networking and compute domains
• Strong ability to operate at both strategic and execution levels in a fast-paced environment
• Excellent communication skills and ability to engage effectively with customers and cross-functional teams

Required Experience

• Deep expertise in PCIe (Gen5 and beyond), including debugging with analyzers and exercisers
• Strong proficiency in C/C++ and experience building firmware SDKs
• Experience with Python for automation, validation, and firmware quality
• Experience working closely with ASIC/SoC teams to define and validate HW-SW interfaces
• Familiarity with firmware development environments (gcc/Make, GitHub, CI/CD pipelines, documentation tools)
• Experience with system-level interfaces including PCIe controllers, DDR, NVMe, and AMBA/AHB
• Hands-on experience with networking and/or compute system platforms, including server or hyperscale deployments

Preferred Experience

• Experience with PAM4 SerDes and understanding of link-level behaviors (equalization, CDR, link budgets)
• Hands-on experience with PCIe-based systems in server, storage, networking, and compute environments
• Experience with AIC firmware (NICs, switches) or PCIe/Ethernet switching stacks
• Experience working with data center networking stacks or compute acceleration platforms (e.g., GPU/AI systems)
• Background in embedded firmware for high-performance connectivity products

Principal Engineer, Ecosystem Partnership & Marketing – Asia Region 

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. Learn more at www.asteralabs.com. 

Are you passionate about creating differentiated products and working with hyperscale and AI platform providers to deploy the next generation of data center infrastructure?    

We are seeking a highly technical and experienced Principal Ecosystem Partnership & Marketing Manager drive business growth, product adoption, and ecosystem innovation across the Asia region, with an initial focus on China. This role will lead strategic engagement with key ecosystem partners—including CPU, GPU, and XPU platform providers—and customers, working closely with Astera Labs sales, field applications engineering (FAE), product management, engineering, and corporate marketing teams. 

This is a high-visibility role with regular interaction with executive leadership and requires a strong blend of technical depth, market insight, and leadership. The ideal candidate has deep experience in AI and cloud infrastructure, excels at cross-functional collaboration, and can translate complex technologies into compelling rack-scale solutions built on Astera Labs’ Intelligent Connectivity Platform. 

This position is based in Astera Labs’ Shanghai office and requires an in-person presence, with regular travel across the Asia region. 

Key Responsibilities  

• Define compelling product and solution positioning and messaging that differentiates our products in the market and resonates with our target partners and customers in the Asia region 

• Drive technology roadmap alignment with key CPU, GPU, and XPU ecosystem partners to ensure tight integration and long-term platform relevance 

• Collaborate with partners and internal teams to jointly create compelling rack-scale solutions built on Astera Labs’ Intelligent Connectivity Platform, increasing customer value and accelerating adoption 

• Drive competitive analysis and gather partner and customer insights to identify market trends, unmet needs, and opportunities for innovation 

• Act as the Voice of the Customer (VoC) for assigned strategic accounts, influencing product direction, platform strategy, and go-to-market execution 

• Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams including product line management, engineering, sales, field applications engineering and corporate marketing to align on product roadmap, features, and customer facing deliverables 

• Leverage, translate and customize high-impact marketing collateral including presentations, blogs, whitepapers, and case studies to support product sales and adoption in the Asia region 

• Develop engaging cross-product sales enablement collateral, perform regular training sessions with customer-facing teams and support strategic sales activities 

• Serve as a product evangelist internally and externally, representing our products at industry events, conferences, press/analyst presentations and customer engagements 
• Track and analyze key performance metrics to measure the effectiveness of product marketing initiatives and drive continuous improvement 

Qualifications  

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, or related field; MBA preferred 

• 7+ years of experience in product-focused, customer-facing roles within the semiconductor industry 

• Understanding of PCIe, CXL, Ethernet, and/or UALink technologies and their applications in AI and cloud infrastructure 

• Network of contacts in AI and cloud infrastructure industry in China 

• Previous experience in Business Development, Product Marketing, Product Management, Ecosystems Partnerships or similar roles  

• Strong strategic thinking and analytical skills, with the ability to translate market insights into actionable product and account strategies 

• Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to articulate complex technical concepts in a clear and compelling manner 

• Proven ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams and drive consensus in a fast-paced, dynamic environment 

• Results-oriented mindset with a focus on driving measurable impact and achieving business objectives 

• Experience working with customers and partners to understand their needs and drive product adoption 

• Experience with customer negotiation, influencing successful pricing strategies, and executing agreements 

• Willingness to travel up to approximately 25% for partner/customer meetings, company training, industry events, and conferences 

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.

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.