Senior Principal Electrical Engineer

Primary Duties & Responsibilities

• Lead complete RF/microwave and high-speed mixed-signal hardware architecture for next-generation optical transceivers, evaluation boards, reference platforms, and production hardware.
• Design high-speed schematics and PCBAs for 100G/lane, 200G/lane, 400G/lane and beyond interconnects, supporting 800G, 1.6T, 3.2T and future architectures where applicable.
• Own board-level tradeoffs for signal integrity, power integrity, EMI/EMC, grounding, return path control, isolation, thermal performance, manufacturability, serviceability, cost, reliability, and schedule.
• Architect and design high-performance instrumentation used for validation, characterization, calibration, automation, manufacturing, and sustaining support of fiber optic transceiver modules.
• Select and qualify high-speed, RF, microwave, analog, precision measurement, clocking, DSP, control, sensing, connector, cable, interconnect, and power components.
• Define PCB stackups, materials, copper weights, dielectric selection, via structures, backdrill strategy, impedance targets, loss budgets, fabrication rules, assembly constraints, and acceptance criteria.
• Partner with SI/PI, packaging, optics, firmware, software, mechanical, thermal, reliability, manufacturing, supply chain, and operations teams to deliver complete product and solution sets.
• Lead schematic capture, layout strategy, layout review, RF structure review, BOM review, DFM/DFT review, design verification, bring-up, debug, characterization, and production release.
• Develop validation plans, methods, calibration approaches, correlation methods, guardband strategies, and production screening methods for high-volume environments.
• Perform hands-on lab measurements and debug using oscilloscopes, VNAs, spectrum analyzers, BERTs, pattern generators, optical power meters, optical spectrum analyzers, thermal chambers, power supplies, SMUs, and automated systems.
• Lead design reviews, risk reviews, failure analysis, root cause analysis, corrective actions, and lessons-learned across programs.
• Mentor senior and mid-level engineers; establish hardware design best practices, checklists, libraries, reuse blocks, and review criteria.
• Engage with suppliers and technical partners on advanced components, connectors, PCB materials, laminates, cable assemblies, sockets, fixtures, and precision measurement technologies.
• Support critical customer discussions, roadmap evaluations, architecture tradeoffs, and executive-level technical reviews as required.

  Education & Experience

  • 15+ years of direct experience designing RF/microwave, high-speed mixed-signal, analog, digital, and precision measurement hardware.
  • 15+ years of hands-on schematic, PCB layout guidance, bring-up, debug, and verification experience for complex high-speed PCBAs.
  • 15+ years of experience designing or architecting equipment, validation hardware, manufacturing boards, automation fixtures, or instrumentation for high-performance electronics and/or optical communications.
  • Deep knowledge of high-speed PCB design for very-low-loss channels, including impedance control, crosstalk, skew, return loss, insertion loss, via transitions, connectors, cable launches, package breakout, return current, and reference plane management.
  • Proven understanding of RF/microwave design practices including controlled impedance transmission lines, RF launches, baluns, couplers, filters, attenuators, terminations, clock distribution, shielding, isolation, and grounding.
  • Expertise selecting PCB materials and stackups for high-frequency applications, including Rogers, Panasonic and equivalent low-loss laminate families, hybrid stackups, prepreg/core choices, resin systems, glass weave effects, fabrication tolerances, and cost/performance tradeoffs.
  • Strong command of precision analog design including low-noise sensing, voltage/current/temperature measurement, ADC/DAC interfaces, op amps, references, power monitoring, calibration, offset/gain error, noise, drift, and thermal effects.
  • Experience with optical module and networking ecosystems including OSFP, QSFP-DD and earlier MSA form factors; familiarity with CPO, XPO, NPO and 3.2T-class architecture challenges is strongly preferred.
  • Ability to evaluate high-speed ICs, drivers, TIAs, DSPs, retimers, clocking devices, power devices, sensors, controllers, and RF/microwave components across major suppliers.
  • Ability to create clear engineering documentation including architecture specifications, schematics, layout guidance, design review packages, validation plans, reports, BOM rationale, risk registers, and manufacturing release documentation.
  • Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Electronics Engineering, Computer Engineering or related technical discipline; advanced degree preferred.

  Skills

  • High-speed serial links, PAM4/NRZ concepts, SerDes channel design, equalization-aware hardware design, eye/jitter/noise concepts, and link budget thinking.
  • SI/PI simulation literacy and ability to interpret S-parameters, TDR/TDT, channel operating margin, power rail impedance, decoupling strategy, and package/connector/PCB interactions.
  • RF/microwave interconnect knowledge including Amphenol, Rosenberger, Samtec, Hirose, Cinch, SV Microwave, HUBER+SUHNER and equivalent connector/block ecosystems.
  • Working knowledge of major precision analog/RF component suppliers such as ADI, TI, Skyworks, Silicon Labs, Z-Communications and equivalent suppliers.
  • Working knowledge of DSP/high-speed processing ecosystems used in optical networking, including Marvell, Nvidia, Broadcom and equivalent suppliers.
  • Experience with EDA/CAD workflows such as Siemens/Mentor PADS, Xpedition, Cadence Allegro/OrCAD, Altium or equivalent tools; ability to guide layout engineers at expert level.
  • Experience with simulation and analysis tools such as CST, HFSS, ADS, HyperLynx, Sigrity, Keysight PathWave, MATLAB/Python or equivalent is preferred.
  • Strong technical leadership, decision making, communication, and cross-functional influence in a fast-paced engineering environment.