Job DescriptionWe are seeking a Principal / Lead DSP & Systems Architect to own the architectural direction of ultra high-speed SerDes platforms targeting 448G per lane and emerging post-448G standards, spanning both electrical (chip-to-chip, backplane, copper cable) and optical (IM-DD and coherent) interfaces. This individual will drive end-to-end link architecture, DSP algorithm design, and ADC/DAC-based transceiver partitioning, serving as the primary technical interface with strategic customers and standards bodies.
The ideal candidate combines deep expertise in high-speed link theory, advanced equalization and FEC, PAM/multi-level and coherent signaling, and hardware-aware DSP implementation, with a track record of delivering SerDes IP into silicon at the bleeding edge of the wireline and optical roadmap.
Key ResponsibilitiesArchitecture & Roadmap: Define DSP and system architecture for 448G and post-448G SerDes IP across electrical and optical interfaces - including ADC/DAC-based transceiver partitioning, modulation choice (PAM4/PAM6, IM-DD, coherent), and FEC strategy - and shape long-term roadmap toward 1.6T and 3.2T link aggregates.
Customer & Standards Engagement: Lead technical engagement with hyperscale, AI accelerator, and optical module customers; represent the company in OIF CEI, IEEE 802.3, and related standards activities.
End-to-End Link Modeling: Build and maintain MATLAB/Python models of the full link across electrical and optical media: channel response (backplane, copper cable, chip-to-chip, fiber), TX/RX impairments, jitter (RJ/DJ/BUJ), crosstalk, reflections, optical impairments (CD, PMD, laser phase noise, optical SNR), ADC/DAC quantization, and FEC performance under realistic BER/FLR targets.
DSP Algorithm Architecture: Own the DSP pipeline across electrical and optical paths - FFE, DFE, MLSE/MLSD, CTLE-DSP partitioning, adaptive equalization (LMS, sign-sign LMS, blind adaptation), timing recovery and CDR, baseline wander correction, IQ/skew calibration, PAM demapping, and integration with KP4 / concatenated / soft-decision FEC. For optical links, additionally drive chromatic dispersion (CD) compensation, polarization demultiplexing, carrier phase and frequency recovery, and nonlinear compensation.
Mixed-Signal Co-Design: Drive ADC/DAC architectural decisions - sample rate, resolution (ENOB), time-interleaving, calibration strategy - and align analog front-end, CTLE, and clocking specs with DSP performance budgets.
Fixed-Point & Implementation Trade-offs: Drive wordlength optimization, parallelism and pipelining strategies for multi-hundred-GSps datapaths, and float-to-fixed methodology to balance BER performance, area, and pJ/bit power efficiency.
Specifications & Cross-Domain Integration: Generate block-level specs for DSP datapaths, FEC, calibration, ADC/DAC, AFE, and clocking; align decisions across digital, mixed-signal, packaging, and SI/PI domains.
DSP-to-RTL Handoff: Translate DSP reference models into hardware-friendly architectures with bit-true/cycle-accurate alignment, and partner with RTL and verification teams on micro-architecture, latency, and memory trade-offs.
Silicon Bring-up & Validation: Partner with validation and lab teams to correlate post-silicon BER, eye, and link-training results with modeled assumptions; define KPIs (BER, FLR, link margin, power, latency) and debug methodologies.
Mentorship & Thought Leadership: Guide DSP, systems, and hardware engineers; develop reusable models and best practices; contribute to architecture reviews, IP innovation strategy, and customer-facing technical engagements.
Qualifications- Graduate degree in EE, Communications, or Signal Processing; PhD strongly preferred.
- 10+ years in high-speed SerDes or wireline/optical link DSP/systems architecture, with direct exposure to 112G/224G silicon and a clear path into 448G and beyond across electrical and optical interfaces.
- Proven ownership of end-to-end link budgets with cascaded impairment analysis across channel (electrical and/or optical), AFE, ADC/DAC, DSP, and FEC.
- Deep expertise in: PAM4/PAM6 and coherent wireline/optical signaling; advanced equalization (FFE, DFE, MLSE/MLSD, Tomlinson-Harashima); optical DSP (CD/PMD compensation, polarization recovery, carrier phase/frequency recovery) for candidates with optical exposure; adaptive algorithms and link training; KP4 and soft-decision FEC; high-speed ADC/DAC architectures (time-interleaved, calibration, ENOB-driven design); CDR and timing recovery at multi-hundred-Gbaud rates; jitter/crosstalk/SI and optical impairment modeling; fixed-point DSP and bit-true modeling; MATLAB/Python link simulation; DSP-to-RTL methodology.
- Familiarity with OIF CEI (CEI-224G, CEI-448G), IEEE 802.3 high-speed Ethernet, and relevant optical standards (e.g., OIF coherent agreements, IEEE 802.3 optical PHYs).
- Track record of defining specs consumed by RTL, DSP, mixed-signal, verification, and validation teams.
- Strong communication skills with VP- and CTO-level stakeholders at hyperscale and module customers.
What We Offer- Highly competitive compensation, performance incentives, and substantial technical influence.
- Direct ownership of DSP and systems architecture for SerDes IP at the bleeding edge of the wireline and optical roadmap.
- Strategic relationships with top-tier hyperscale, AI, and optical customers.
- A technical culture that values rigor, clarity, and architectural craftsmanship.
