San Jose, United States
Principal Design Engineer
Astera Labs · San Jose · United States
- Salary
- $185,000–$240,000 per year
- Occupation
- Mechanical Engineer
Posted: 11/6/2026 · Last checked: 11/10/2026
Job description
Quoted in full from Astera Labs's job posting. Gavroche does not edit it.
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. Discover more at www.asteralabs.com.
Job Description
We are looking for Principal Design Engineers with experience developing micro-architecture and implementation of the front-end circuit design, including RTL, synthesis, IP integration, and block-level verification for high performance network controllers. The candidate must have good knowledge of communication/interface protocols such as PCI-Express (Gen-3 and above), Ualink, Esun, Ethernet etc.
Basic Qualifications:
- Strong academic and technical background in electrical engineering. A Bachelor’s degree in EE is required, and a Master’s degree is preferred.
- +8 years’ experience supporting or developing complex SoC/silicon products for Switch ASIC, Networking applications and/or Server, Storage.
- Professional attitude with the ability to prioritize a dynamic list of multiple tasks, plan and prepare for customer meetings in advance, and work with minimal guidance and supervision.
- Entrepreneurial, open-mind behavior and can-do attitude. Think and act fast with the customer in mind!
- Authorized to work in the US and start immediately.
Required Experience:
- Hands-on, thorough knowledge of high-speed protocols like PCIe, Ualink, Esun, Ethernet, etc.
- Proven front end design expertise – architecture, RTL, simulations, synthesis, timing closure, GLS, DFT etc.
- Full chip or block level ownership from architecture to GDS, driving multiple complex designs to production
- Experience with Synopsys and/or Cadence digital design tools/flows
- Good knowledge of design for test (DFT), stuck-at and transition scan test insertion
- Familiarity with UVM based design verification
- Silicon bring-up and debug expertise
- Small-geometry CMOS (≤28nm) design
Preferred Experience:
- Firmware development with C-language, scripting with Python or other equivalent programming languages.
- Development/support for PCIe or Ethernet Switch products.
The base salary range is $185,000.00 USD – $240,000.00 USD. Your base salary will be determined based on your location, experience, and the pay of employees in similar positions.
We know that creativity and innovation happen more often when teams include diverse ideas, backgrounds, and experiences, and we actively encourage everyone with relevant experience to apply, including people of color, LGBTQ+ and non-binary people, veterans, parents, and individuals with disabilities.
From Gavroche data
Figures computed from live adverts on Gavroche; the job text above is the employer's.
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200 open roles like this one; at most three per employer shown.
What mechanical engineer adverts in San Jose state
Middle half: 159,500 – 208,750 USD a year; median 184,000 USD.
From 38 adverts by 10 employers that state a salary, annualised.
How mechanical engineer roles in the United States are worked
0% fully remote · 5% hybrid · 95% do not say
Of 304 adverts. An advert that does not state a work mode is counted as not saying, not as on-site.
New openings in San Jose, by week
- 8/17/2026 58
- 8/24/2026 48
- 8/31/2026 64
- 9/7/2026 46
- 9/14/2026 52
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880 openings over 12 weeks, by the week they were published.
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