Principal Product Applications Engineer - Scorpio

Astera Labs is redefining the fabric of AI infrastructure with our Scorpio Smart Fabric Switches — purpose-built silicon that connects GPUs, CPUs, and accelerators at rack scale. As a Principal Product Applications Engineer on the Scorpio team, you will be the technical face of our switching portfolio to the world's leading hyperscalers, AI system builders, and platform partners, guiding them from first evaluation through production deployment.This is a high-impact, customer-facing role at the center of one of the fastest-growing categories in semiconductors. You will lead customer system design-in and Scorpio-related debug, develop customer-facing collateral, lead cross-functional Scorpio-related initiatives, and drive and validate new features across PCIe Gen 6 / Gen 7 & UALink platforms — directly influencing the roadmap of a hyper-growth company powering the next generation of AI compute.Key Responsibilities
Customer EnablementLead technical engagements with hyperscalers, ODMs, and AI system partners from architecture discussions through design-in and evaluationOwn on-site and remote bring-up, debug, and performance tuning of Scorpio-based platforms at customer sitesTranslate customer requirements into actionable feedback for product, silicon, and firmware teamsInfluence post-silicon validation plans and execute system-level integration on next-generation switching platformsDebug complex multi-domain issues spanning protocol (UALink, UCIe, PCIe Gen 6/7), signal integrity, firmware, and software stacksPartner with hardware, firmware, and SI/PI teams to root-cause issues and deliver production-ready solutionsTechnical Leadership & Cross-Functional InfluenceServe as the go-to Scorpio applications expert across sales, marketing, product, and engineeringMentor junior applications engineers and represent Astera Labs at industry forums, standards bodies, and customer executive reviewsAuthor white papers, technical collateral, and training materials that scale the team's impactBasic Qualifications
Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field8+ years of experience in product applications, systems engineering, or post-silicon validation on high-speed connectivity or networking siliconStrong understanding of the physical layer and high-speed serial interfaces (PCIe, Ethernet, UALink, UCIe, or similar)Hands-on experience with lab bring-up, debug, and system-level integration — including scopes, BERTs, and protocol analyzersProven track record engaging directly with hyperscaler, cloud, or Tier-1 OEM/ODM customers on complex technical deploymentsExcellent communication skills with the ability to translate deep technical detail into clear customer-facing narrativesPreferred Qualifications
MS or PhD in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related fieldDirect experience with PCIe Gen 6 / Gen 7, UALink, or UCIe protocols and compliance testingFamiliarity with AI/ML rack-scale architectures, GPU fabrics, and accelerator interconnectsScripting and automation experience (Python, shell) for validation and diagnosticsBackground contributing to standards bodies (PCI-SIG, UALink Consortium, UCIe) or authoring technical publicationsSalary range is $165,000 to $210,000 CAN depending on experience, level, and business need. This role may be eligible for discretionary bonuses, incentives, and benefits.
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