Staff Hardware Validation Engineer

Key Responsibilities

• Define comprehensive board-level and inter-board level validation plans based on product requirements, design specifications, and customer use cases.
• Develop validation methodologies covering functional, electrical, thermal, power, signal integrity, reliability, and stress testing.
• Establish test coverage, acceptance criteria, and qualification requirements.
• Review hardware architecture and schematics to identify validation risks and test requirements early in the design cycle.
• Personally develop, automate, and execute validation tests on prototype and production-intent hardware.
• Perform board bring-up, functional verification, electrical characterization, and system-level validation.
• Use oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, spectrum analyzers, power analyzers, environmental chambers, and other laboratory equipment to collect and analyze data.
• Create custom test fixtures, scripts, and tools to improve test efficiency and coverage.
• Work directly with ODM partners to align validation plans, test procedures, and qualification activities.
• Review ODM validation reports and ensure consistency with internal quality standards.
• Drive issue resolution across ODM, design engineering, manufacturing, and quality teams.
• Investigate hardware failures and validation escapes through systematic root-cause analysis.
• Drive corrective actions with hardware design, firmware, manufacturing, and supplier teams.
• Validate fixes and verify closure of identified issues.
• Maintain detailed failure analysis documentation and lessons learned.

Documentation & Reporting

• Author test plans, validation procedures, test reports, and qualification summaries.
• Track validation status, risks, defects, and corrective actions.
• Present validation results, recommendations, and readiness assessments to engineering leadership and stakeholders.
• Ensure traceability between requirements, test coverage, and validation outcomes.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field.
• 7+ years (or appropriate level) of board-level hardware validation experience.
• Strong understanding of digital and mixed-signal electronic systems.
• Experience validating high-speed interfaces such as PCIe, USB, Ethernet, DDR, MIPI, SPI, I2C, UART, or similar technologies.
• Hands-on experience with laboratory instrumentation and measurement techniques.
• Experience working with ODMs, contract manufacturers, or external engineering partners.
• Strong hardware debugging and root-cause analysis skills.
• Experience developing test automation using Python, LabVIEW, MATLAB, or similar tools.
• Excellent technical documentation and communication skills.
• International and domestic travel as needed.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with server, networking, embedded, AI/ML hardware, or datacenter platforms.
• Experience supporting NPI and manufacturing ramp activities.
• Experience with schematic review and PCB design fundamentals.