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Product Integration, Senior Principal - Active Electric Cable / Smart Cable Module Business

Astera Labs · San Jose, CA · 2 wk ago
EngineeringFull-time

About Astera Labs

Astera Labs is the connectivity backbone of rack-scale AI infrastructure. Our Active Electrical Cables (AEC), Smart Cable Modules (SCM), Silicon Evaluation Platforms, and rack-scale products deliver purpose-built, high-speed connectivity for the world's most demanding AI clusters.

Key Responsibilities

  • Own the technical integration of AEC products across all constituent domains: ASIC/retimer silicon, firmware, PCB/flex circuit, cable assembly, connector interface, mechanical housing, thermal management, and signal integrity.

  • Define and maintain the AEC product integration plan — identifying all cross-domain interfaces, dependencies, risks, and validation checkpoints from early design through mass production release.

  • Drive integration trade-off decisions when competing requirements across domains (e.g., signal integrity vs. mechanical, thermal vs. cost, firmware timing vs. test coverage) require resolution.

  • Own the AEC product-level specification, ensuring it flows coherently from system-level customer requirements down to component-level specifications for each engineering team.

  • Signal Integrity & Electrical Performance Integration: Ensure end-to-end channel performance meets target specifications across the full AEC link — from host connector, through PCB/substrate, retimer silicon, flex/cable medium, and far-end connector.

  • Hardware & Mechanical Integration: Coordinate the physical integration of retimer silicon, passive components, flex circuits or PCBs, cable assemblies, and mechanical housings into a unified AEC product form factor.

  • Firmware & Silicon Integration: Partner with Firmware Engineering to ensure retimer/re-driver firmware initialization, link training, equalization, and diagnostic features integrate correctly with the AEC hardware platform.

  • Test & Validation Integration: Define the AEC product-level validation plan — ensuring comprehensive coverage across electrical performance, mechanical durability, environmental reliability, firmware functionality, and interoperability.

  • Customer Integration & Interoperability: Serve as the senior technical interface for AEC product integration with customer platforms — understanding host ASIC requirements, switch/NIC compatibility, rack-level cabling architectures, and system-level thermal/mechanical constraints.

  • Mechanical & Electrical Integration: Drive resolution of mechanical-electrical conflicts (e.g., routing density vs. housing volume, thermal solution vs. weight/form factor, strain relief vs. cable flexibility).

  • Manufacturing & NPI Integration: Partner with Manufacturing Engineering and NPI teams to ensure that the integrated AEC product design is manufacturable, testable, and scalable at volume.

Basic Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related technical discipline

  • 15+ years of experience in hardware product development, with substantial focus on high-speed interconnect, cable assembly, transceiver/module, or mixed signal/digital system integration

  • Demonstrated track record as a technical integration leader — owning the full-product convergence across multiple engineering disciplines on complex hardware products

  • Deep understanding of high-speed serial link design (56G/112G PAM4 or above), including signal integrity, channel modeling, equalization, and link budgeting

  • Strong working knowledge of PCB/substrate design, cable assembly construction, connector technology, and mechanical packaging for high-speed interconnects

  • Experience with firmware/hardware integration on products containing retimers, re-drivers, or PHY-layer silicon

  • Proven ability to drive complex cross-functional debug and root-cause analysis spanning electrical, mechanical, firmware, and manufacturing domains

  • Excellent communication skills — able to distill complex multi-domain trade-offs for both technical peers and executive audiences

  • Willingness to travel (20–30%) to CM sites in Asia and customer locations as required

Preferred Qualifications

  • Master's or Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering with emphasis on high-speed interconnects, signal integrity, or mixed-signal systems

  • Direct hands-on experience with Active Electrical Cables (AEC), Active Copper Cables (ACC), Direct Attach Cables (DAC), or Smart Cable Modules (SCM)

  • Deep familiarity with relevant standards: IEEE 802.3ck (100G/lane), 802.3dj (200G/lane), OIF CEI-112G, CEI-224G, SFF-8636, CMIS, OSFP, QSFP-DD

  • Experience with 224G/lane (1.6T) interconnect technology and next-generation cable/connector architectures

  • Background in system-level integration for hyperscale data center or AI infrastructure applications

  • Experience with contract manufacturers in Asia for cable assembly or module production

  • Familiarity with environmental/reliability testing standards (GR-468, Telcordia, IEC) for interconnect products

  • Mandarin language proficiency for direct technical engagement with Asian manufacturing partners

  • Experience with simulation tools (HFSS, ADS, CST, or equivalent) and lab measurement equipment (oscilloscopes, BER testers, VNAs, TDR)

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