# Principal Product Applications Engineer – Scorpio at Astera

> United States · Principal · Software engineering · open. Source: https://alderhq.app/jobs/greenhouse%3Aasteralabs%3A4740715005 (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: 2026-10-07 (29 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/4740715005

## 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.

Role Overview

As a Principal Engineer on the Scorpio Product Applications team, you will help customers and internal teams deploy high-performance PCIe fabric solutions for rack-scale AI infrastructure. You will translate complex system requirements into practical architectures, lead platform bring-up, and guide the integration of Scorpio switches across demanding CPU, GPU, NIC, storage, and accelerator designs.

This role connects product strategy, firmware, and real-world system behavior. You will work across hardware, firmware, validation, and customer-facing teams to solve interoperability challenges, accelerate adoption, and shape the next generation of PCIe Gen 6/Gen 7 connectivity. Your work will directly influence how AI systems scale using purpose-built fabrics, UALink, and UCIe.

Key Responsibilities

- Product Applications and Customer Enablement
- Lead technical engagements with customers and ecosystem partners to define Scorpio-based PCIe Firmware architectures and deployment requirements.
- Develop reference designs, application guidance, technical presentations, and system-level collateral that accelerate customer adoption.
- Translate customer use cases into clear Scorpio Firmware requirements, integration plans, and prioritized technical actions.
- PCIe and Firmware Bring-Up
- Drive system bring-up, debug, and interoperability across PCIe hosts, BMCs, GPUs, NICs, storage devices, and other high-performance endpoints.
- Partner with firmware teams to define, implement, and validate device configuration, traffic routing, boot flows, telemetry, recovery mechanisms, and field-debug capabilities.
- Analyze link training, enumeration, performance, error handling, data traffic and system stability issues using protocol traces, logs, and lab instrumentation.
- Build and maintain firmware, validation, and automation workflows that improve debug efficiency and product readiness.
- Cross-Functional Product Leadership
- Partner with firmware, architecture, design, validation, and FAE teams to resolve complex issues from prototype through mass production.
- Lead root-cause analysis, communicate risks and recommendations, and drive issues to closure with clear ownership and measurable outcomes.
- Influence customer decisions on product enhancements and ecosystem interoperability plans for next-generation AI infrastructure connectivity.
Basic Qualifications

- Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or a related technical field.
- 8–12 years of experience in product applications, firmware development, systems engineering, platform validation, or a related semiconductor domain.
- Strong understanding of PCIe Switch Firmware, PCIe architecture (including link training, enumeration, configuration space, error handling, performance, and system interoperability).
- Experience with firmware development or debug, including the ability to read code, interpret logs, and collaborate effectively with firmware developers.
- Hands-on experience with system bring-up, lab debug, protocol analysis, and root-cause investigation across complex hardware and software stacks.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain technical issues to both engineering teams and customers.

---
Data: alder (https://alderhq.app). Cite https://alderhq.app/jobs/greenhouse%3Aasteralabs%3A4740715005 and the date you read it. Observed facts come from the employer's own listing; location reach, level, family and skills are inferences.