Principal Systems Engineer, Storage Accelerator

MaxLinear • Carlsbad, CA

9d

About The Position

MaxLinear is seeking a Principal Systems Engineer, Storage Accelerator to join our team. You will be responsible for architecting and developing cutting-edge hardware platforms optimized for high-performance storage accelerator solutions. This role demands deep expertise in PCIe Gen5/Gen6 protocols, hands-on debugging, and board-level design of PCIe, OCP, and EDSFF form factors. You will drive architecture, design, validation, compliance with industry standards, and support of at scale manufacturing.

Requirements

• Deep expertise in PCIe Gen5 and Gen6 protocols and OCP standards
• Proven track record of high-speed board design, SI/PI analysis, and board-level debugging
• Experience with compliance testing and certification processes
• BS in Electrical Engineering or related + 9 years of experience, or MS + 7 years of experience, or Ph.D. + 4 years of experience

Nice To Haves

• Familiarity with emerging technologies like CXL and UALink is a strong plus
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills

Responsibilities

• Serve as the subject matter expert on PCIe Gen5 and Gen 6 protocols and physical layer implementation
• Conduct hands-on debugging and root-cause analysis for development and field issues
• Provide guidance on emerging interface technologies such as CXL, UALink, and other high-speed interconnects
• Lead the design and development of PCIe HHHL, OCP 3.0 NIC, and EDSFF form factor boards for high-volume production
• Architect and implement high-speed interface designs, including PCIe Gen5 and OCP-compliant protocols
• Perform comprehensive Power Integrity (PI) and Signal Integrity (SI) analysis to ensure robust board-level performance
• Drive Design Validation Testing (DVT) and Production Validation Testing (PVT) processes
• Develop and execute thermal test plans in collaboration with an internal team as well as third-party thermal labs
• Ensure hardware designs meet industry standards and certifications including FIPS, RoHS, and other relevant regulatory requirements
• Own and manage Functional Circuit Test (FCT) and In-Circuit Test (ICT) processes
• Lead RMA analysis and work closely with customers and manufacturing teams to resolve board-level issues

Benefits

• health care benefits
• 401k savings plan
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP)
• paid time off

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Principal
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree