# Principal Electrical Engineer – Smart Cable Modules at Astera

> United States · Principal · Software engineering · open. Source: https://alderhq.app/jobs/greenhouse%3Aasteralabs%3A4727465005 (read 2026-11-05).

## Facts (observed)

- Company: [Astera](https://alderhq.app/companies/astera)
- Location text: San Jose, California, United States; San Jose
- Where it can be done from (inferred): United States (evidence: "Location: San Jose, California, United States; San Jose")
- Posted: 2026-08-27 (70 days ago)
- First seen by alder: 2026-11-02 · last verified: 2026-11-04
- Reposted: 0 times · edited: 0 times
- Apply on the employer's site: https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/asteralabs/jobs/4727465005

## Pay and sponsorship

- Posted pay: not posted
- Market band for similar posted roles (SF Bay Area, n 173): p25 $227k, median $270k, p75 $320k
- H-1B filings at this company for similar roles, FY26: 1 ([US DOL OFLC LCA disclosure data](https://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/foreign-labor/performance))

## Description (the employer's text)

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

### Principal Electrical Engineer – Smart Cable Modules

Active Copper Cable & Pluggable Module Design \| Hardware Engineering

### About the Role

We 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 Responsibilities

### Architecture & 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

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Data: alder (https://alderhq.app). Cite https://alderhq.app/jobs/greenhouse%3Aasteralabs%3A4727465005 and the date you read it. Observed facts come from the employer's own listing; location reach, level, family and skills are inferences.