JOB DESCRIPTIONPrincipal Electrical Engineer - Smart Cable ModulesActive Copper Cable & Pluggable Module Design | Hardware Engineering
About the RoleWe are looking for a Principal Electrical Engineer to take strategic ownership of our Smart Cable Module (SCM) hardware platform. This is a senior individual-contributor role that combines deep technical leadership with cross-organizational influence - you will define the electrical architecture of our next-generation active copper cable assemblies and pluggable modules in OSFP, QSFP-DD, and emerging form-factor enclosures targeting 400G, 800G, and beyond.
As a Principal Engineer you will set design direction, establish engineering standards, and serve as the primary technical authority on module hardware across the full product lifecycle - from concept and architecture through production release and sustaining engineering. You will partner with cross functional team, contract manufacturers, firmware teams, and hyperscale customers to deliver differentiated, high-reliability products for data center AI/ML fabric and high-performance computing applications.
Key ResponsibilitiesArchitecture & Technical Leadership- Define and own the end-to-end electrical architecture for smart cable modules, including SerDes channel topology, power delivery strategy, and thermal budgeting for muti-Gig (112G PAM4 and 56G NRZ ) designs
- Establish and maintain internal electrical design standards, PCB layout rules, and SI/PI guidelines that the broader hardware team
- Lead technical reviews (architecture, schematic, layout, DVT) and provide authoritative sign-off on high-speed digital designs
- Contribute to the module hardware roadmap in alignment with host ASIC platform generations, MSA form-factor evolution, and customer requirements
- Evaluate and select components; engage directly with supplier engineering teams on reference design adaptation and silicon bring-up support.
Electrical Design Ownership- Drive schematic capture and PCB design for complex multi-layer modules housing muti-Gig SerDes retimer or DSP ASICs in thermally and spatially constrained OSFP/QSFP-DD enclosures
- Own power delivery design including multi-rail regulation, hot-plug sequencing, brownout protection, and inrush management within MSA-defined power envelopes.
- Review and recommendation on PCB stack-up, impedance targets, via structures, and differential-pair routing rules; review and approve layout execution with sufficient SI understanding to ensure first-pass compliance
- Define module management hardware architecture: I2C topology, register map implementation, microcontroller selection, and diagnostic monitoring interface circuitry
- Perform analog and mixed-signal sub-circuit design including clock distribution, oscillator selection, ESD protection, and supervisory logic
Validation & Bring-Up Leadership- Author/co-author hardware bring-up strategies, debug plans, and acceptance test procedures for new module designs; lead or directly execute board bring-up.
- Oversee firmware integration testing, control-interface validation, and module diagnostic monitoring verification
- Lead root-cause analysis on complex hardware failures; review failure analysis reports and implement changes.
- Define and champion DFT/DFM strategies with CM and PCB fabrication partners to improve yield and reduce manufacturing cost
Cross-Functional & Organizational Impact- Collaborate with firmware and software teams to define initialization sequences, power management schemes, and real-time diagnostic algorithms
- Represent the organization in relevant MSA, and IEEE standards working groups; influence specification development in support of company product strategy
- Mentor and technically develop senior and mid-level engineers; elevate the hardware team's collective capabilities in high-speed design
- Contribute to strategic hiring, technical onboarding, and department-level engineering process improvement
Required Qualifications- Bachelor's or Master's degree in electrical engineering or closely related field;
- 10-12+ years of progressive electrical engineering experience, with at least 5 years focused on high-speed SerDes-based interconnect, active copper cable, or optical/pluggable module products
- Demonstrated track record of architecting and delivering production hardware with 56G / 112G and faster SerDes interfaces (Ethernet, PCIe, or InfiniBand)
- Expert-level understanding of signal integrity principles - impedance control, differential pair management, eye mask budgeting, channel loss allocation - sufficient to author design rules and review layout without performing full SI simulation
- Proficiency with EDA tools: industry-standard schematic capture (Cadence Allegro / OrCAD) and PCB layout review
- Deep familiarity with OSFP, QSFP-DD800, and SFP-DD MSA mechanical, electrical, and management specifications
- Hands-on experience with CMIS 5.x / SFF-8636 module management and I2C/MDIO interface design
- Proven ability to lead hardware bring-up and debug complex mixed-signal failures using high-bandwidth oscilloscopes and protocol analyzers
- Strong PDN design fundamentals: multi-rail sequencing, transient response, decoupling strategy, and thermal-electrical co-analysis
- Experience interfacing with silicon vendors/teams on customizing reference design, silicon errata management, and platform bring-up
Preferred Qualifications- Experience at the architecture or lead engineer level on 800G or beyond module programs
- Familiarity with co-packaged optics (CPO) or linear drive (LPO) module electrical architecture
- Working knowledge of host-side switching ASIC electrical interfaces and SerDes equalization schemes
- Participation in OIF, IEEE 802.3, or QSFP/OSFP MSA standards bodies
- Experience with PCIe Gen 5/6 retimer module designs
- Scripting fluency in Python for lab automation, measurement data reduction, or hardware characterization workflows
Base salary range is $185,000 to $240,000 depending on experience, level, and business need. This role may be eligible for discretionary bonus, incentives and benefits.
