Principal Verification Engineer

About the role

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. Astera Labs is seeking a Principal Design Verification Engineer with strong problem-solving abilities and a passion for developing robust verification methodologies for complex ASICs. The ideal candidate will have a solid background in SystemVerilog and experience with C/C++, Python, or similar scripting languages. This role involves full lifecycle verification—from planning and test development to debugging and coverage closure—contributing to the success of cutting-edge SoC designs.

Responsibilities

• Lead the functional verification of advanced ASICs, including test planning, development, execution, and coverage analysis.
• Collaborate closely with software and system validation teams to create and execute test plans on emulation platforms.
• Apply both directed and constrained-random verification techniques using SystemVerilog/UVM and other relevant tools.
• Debug test failures, analyze coverage results, and close functional coverage gaps to ensure comprehensive verification.
• Work with RTL designers to troubleshoot and resolve design issues.
• Drive verification strategy and methodology for SoCs in server and networking applications.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering (Master’s preferred).
• 8+ years of experience in SoC verification, particularly for server and networking applications.
• Expertise in SystemVerilog/UVM and hands-on experience across the full verification lifecycle.
• Proficiency with industry-standard simulators, version control, and regression systems.
• Strong debugging and coverage analysis skills.
• Experience developing and executing test sequences, generating stimuli, and identifying verification holes.
• Familiarity with verification of switching architectures, including packet processing and forwarding engines.
• Excellent communication skills and ability to work independently with minimal supervision.

Qualifications

• Experience with third-party Verification IP for protocols such as PCIe, Ethernet, and InfiniBand.
• Background in Network-on-Chip (NoC) architectures for smart NICs and AI accelerators.
• Knowledge of Ethernet/PCIe switching and central buffer architectures.
• Experience with emulation platforms and hardware-software co-verification.

Skills

• SystemVerilog/UVM
• C/C++, Python or similar scripting languages
• Industry-standard simulators, version control, regression systems
• Directed and constrained-random verification techniques
• Debugging and coverage analysis
• Test sequence development, stimulus generation, hole identification
• Verification of switching architectures, packet processing, forwarding engines
• Communication and independent work
• Third-party Verification IP (PCIe, Ethernet, InfiniBand)
• Network-on-Chip (NoC) architectures
• Ethernet/PCIe switching, central buffer architectures
• Emulation platforms, hardware-software co-verification

Pay

Salary range is $185,000 to $230,000 depending on experience, level, and business need. This role may be eligible for discretionary bonus, incentives and benefits.