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.

Role Overview 

Astera Labs is seeking System Validation Engineers across multiple levels to lead post‑silicon bring‑up and system validation for high‑performance PCIe and CXL memory expansion products used in AI and cloud data centers. You will design and execute validation plans, automate data‑centric test flows, drive root‑cause investigations across silicon, firmware, hardware, and systems, and work directly with customers to validate real world performance and interoperability. 

This role is based in our Vancouver office, which is a strategic growth hub for Astera Labs' validation team. You'll have the opportunity to be a foundational member of this expanding site while collaborating closely with our core team in San Jose. This is a unique chance to help shape the team's culture, processes, and technical direction as we scale our validation capabilities to meet surging demand for AI infrastructure connectivity. 

What Success Looks Like: 

• New silicon and platforms brought up on schedule with reproducible validation results 
• Automated test suites that reduce manual effort and provide clear pass/fail and performance metrics 
• Rapid, data-backed root-cause resolution of system issues and strong customer satisfaction during integration 

Key Responsibilities 

• Validation Planning & Strategy 
• Create comprehensive validation plans for AI fabric switch products covering functionality, performance, reliability, and interoperability 
• Contribute to compliance testing strategies and adapt consortium test cases for execution from x86 and ARM platforms 
• Produce clear, data-driven validation reports and status updates for internal stakeholders and customers 
• Silicon & System Bring-Up 
• Lead silicon and platform bring-up activities, verify boot and runtime behavior on x86 and ARM systems 
• Ensure timely readiness for customer engagements and product launches 
• Debug complex issues across PCIe, CXL, NVMe, Ethernet, firmware, and hardware layers using protocol analyzers, logic analyzers, and CPU-based tool suites 
• Test Automation & Infrastructure 
• Develop robust, repeatable automation for IC and board testing with emphasis on execution efficiency, data collection, analysis, and automated reporting 
• Design experiments to root-cause unexpected behavior and report results and specification compliance in an automated fashion 
• Customer & Cross-Functional Collaboration 
• Collaborate directly with customers to capture system requirements, reproduce customer scenarios, and demonstrate product capabilities 
• Drive cross-functional root-cause analysis with silicon, firmware, hardware, and system teams and document findings and corrective actions 

Basic Qualifications 

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field 
• 2-12+ years of experience supporting or developing complex SoC or silicon products for server, storage, or networking domains (level dependent) 
• Working understanding of x86 and ARM architectures and UEFI/Linux boot sequences 
• Solid grasp of high-speed signaling principles 
• Hands-on experience with high-speed protocols such as PCIe, CXL, NVMe, or Ethernet 
• Proven experience in silicon and system bring-up, validation, and debug in lab and customer environments 
• Strong Python automation skills for bench control, test orchestration, data analysis, and reporting 
• Experience with lab equipment including protocol analyzers, logic analyzers, in-circuit debuggers, and CPU-based tool suites 
• Strong prioritization, planning, and independent execution skills with a customer-focused mindset 

Preferred Qualifications 

• Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field 
• Working knowledge of C or C++ for embedded firmware and device drivers 
• Familiarity with PCIe compliance standards and experience adapting consortium tests for platform execution 
• Advanced understanding of memory architectures, high-speed signaling, and system boot flows 
• Track record of influencing cross-functional teams and navigating complex matrixed organizations 
• Entrepreneurial, can-do attitude with ability to think and act with the customer in mind 

The base salary range for this role is $125,000 - $290,000 CAD depending on experience, level, and business need. This role may be eligible for discretionary bonus, incentives and benefits. 

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. 

Position Summary: 

Seeking a driven and motivated engineer to join our sales team focusing on growing business with existing customers and developing new business. This position will involve applications engineering, sales support and field service work. Sales Engineers should be comfortable working in a result-driven, fast-paced environment. 

Position will involve extensive formalized training plus work under a mentor, developing skills and gaining an understanding of CaptiveAire products, how we go to market, application engineering processes etc. as well as business development and sales strategies. 

Why Work for CaptiveAire? 

• Nation’s leading manufacturer of commercial kitchen ventilation systems, and now offering a complete solution of fans, heaters, ductwork and HVAC equipment.  Our primary purpose is to provide fully integrated, sustainable HVAC Systems.
• Leader in the industry for over 40 years with innovative technologies, unmatched service, competitive pricing, and rapid lead times.
• Mission: to provide the highest quality products and service to our users at the lowest possible price
• Strong commitment to the development of our employees, including continuous education opportunities like sponsorship for Professional Engineering license and continuous education through weekly webinars and company developed technical videos 

What our employees have to say: 

There is never a day you don’t learn something new at CaptiveAire. I am able to learn something new due to the freedom to take on new tasks independently and problem solve. 

I love the mindset of continuous learning and pushing the bounds of your capabilities and knowledge. I love the people I work with and the in-office work environment.I love how Captiveaire is all about connections, with customers, coworkers, end users, and everyone in between.  

One of the things I appreciate most about CaptiveAire is how strongly it embodies the entrepreneurial spirit. I’m empowered with the autonomy to manage my work independently, while also benefiting from the robust support and resources of a large, well-established company. 

CaptiveAire is fast-moving and no-nonsense. We operate differently than any other company that I've worked for with our decentralized structure. Quick action is taken when a good idea is presented. We are focused on end users where the rest of the industry is very short-sighted. We are on the front lines, actively changing the landscape of the HVAC industry. 

Learn more about CaptiveAire and our products here 

A Day in the Life: 

A technical sales role encompasses a wide variety of tasks where one day does not look exactly like the next. The projects our team handles are high in volume and unique from one another, spanning throughout the whole course of design, procurement, coordination, and post-sale support. 

Typical tasks include:

• Outside sales meetings and calls to build relationships with existing and new customers
• Application engineering to apply our products using sound engineering principles 
• Project management of installations in progress - Managing schedules/plans to guarantee we can get equipment on site when the site needs it, in turn creating satisfied and returning customers. 
• Service and technical support of existing equipment 
• Supporting end users to maintain high levels of customer service, from assisting contractors with wiring on site to remote troubleshooting for staff in the kitchen. 

Two to three full days per week in the office working on bids, one to two days on job sites, and dedicate another day to developing the territory. Territory development may include giving presentations to the engineering community, visiting new customers, or expanding contacts with an existing account.

Comments from some of our sales engineers:  

Every day I get to help someone. Whether it's an engineer with a design, a contractor with a troubleshooting issue, or an end user looking for help to obtain better indoor air quality. I get to use my engineering skills, people skills and business skills every day. 

Our main "role" is not to sell products but to provide solutions - kitchen ventilation solutions, commercial ventilation solutions, heating/air conditioning solutions. I enjoy getting to work directly with end users and helping them complete their business goals. Attending a soft opening after completing a full design-build project with an owner is rewarding. 

I love the balance between working on designs in the office and also having that face to face interaction with our customers. It's awesome to handle the design phase of a project, then also take charge of the procurement process with the end user/customer and lastly watch our equipment perform as designed once installed and the project is complete. I also love the growth aspect of my role, I enjoy molding and shaping our business in order to set it up for success and then see the value we are adding to the market. 

Primary Job Responsibilities: 

• Provide integrated application engineering and design support for a wide range of ventilation applications with the goal of providing sustainable products and the latest technologies best designed to meet the customers’ needs. 
• Work directly with Engineers, Contractors, End Users, and Food Service Dealers. 
• Daily tasks include inside sales support, application engineering and outside sales. 
• Responsibilities will vary and may include presentations, quotes, submittals, technical product support, job site visits and hands on troubleshooting as needed. 
• Educate and promote CaptiveAire products to users in your market.  This includes conference calls, meetings, organizing presentations, and product demos. 
• Research and develop new business opportunities with new and existing users. 
• Top notch customer service and willingness to go above and beyond to serve the customer. 
• Quick turnaround times a priority.  
• Continuously evaluate and improve processes as well as the customer experience. 

Required skills: 

• 2-3 years experience 
• 4 year technical degree in a mechanical, electrical, construction or science-oriented curriculum preferred 
• Excellent computer, organizational and communication/presentation skills 
• Problem solving with a passion for continuous learning 
• Strong desire to interface with the customer 
• Embrace new technologies and business savvy 
• Passion for work with aggressive nature to succeed 
• Willing to travel for various training opportunities 
• MUST BE A “GO GETTER”! 

Benefits: 

• Extended Health Care and Dental benefits
• Disability & life insurance 
• Retirement plan with employer match 
• Paid holidays 
• Paid time off (PTO) based upon tenure 
• Flexible spending account (FSA) 
• Tuition reimbursement, including for Professional Engineering (P.Eng) License  
• Relocation assistance 

 
Salary: 

$70k-$100k base, negotiable dependent on experience, with additional monthly bonus based on productivity and profits.  

Captive-Aire Systems, Inc. is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace. We review applications for employment without regard to their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, uniformed services, genetic information, physical or mental disability, medical condition, marital status, or any other basis prohibited by law. 

To qualify, applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States. At this time, we are not able to consider applicants that require sponsorship, now or in the future, for employment visa status. 

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