Senior Hardware Validation & SI Correlation Engineer

SambaNova Systems • Palo Alto, CA

4d

About The Position

SambaNova Systems is redefining what’s possible in AI infrastructure—and the hardware that powers it has to be flawless. As a Senior Hardware Validation & SI Correlation Engineer, you will own the technical bridge between simulation and silicon, ensuring that every high-speed link, control bus, and power rail in our next-generation AI server systems performs without compromise.
This is a high-impact, highly visible role that blends deep Signal Integrity (SI) expertise with rigorous system-level hardware validation. You will work at the frontier of AI compute—validating PCIe Gen5/6, DDR5, and 112G/224G Ethernet interfaces on systems pushing the limits of what data center hardware can do. If you thrive in a fast-paced lab environment, love digging into root cause, and want your work to directly accelerate the future of AI, this role is built for you.

Requirements

• B.S. or M.S. in Electrical Engineering (M.S. preferred).
• 10+ years of experience in high-speed digital design or hardware validation within a data center, systems architecture, or server bring-up environment.
• Expert-level proficiency in SI/EM tools: Ansys HFSS/SIwave, Cadence Sigrity/Allegro, or Keysight ADS.
• Hands-on mastery of high-bandwidth real-time oscilloscopes, VNAs, and logic analyzers.
• Deep knowledge of high-speed protocol physical layers (PCIe, IEEE 802.3) and low-speed control buses (I2C, SPI).
• Strong fundamentals in digital circuit design, debug, and computer architecture.
• Familiarity with the unique power and thermal challenges of high-density AI clusters—including 48V power delivery and high di/dt transients.
• Programming fluency in Python or equivalent scripting languages (Perl, Shell).

Nice To Haves

• M.S. or Ph.D. with emphasis in Electromagnetics, Computer Architecture, or Power Electronics.
• Hands-on experience validating GPU/TPU modules or AI-specific interconnects such as NVLink or CXL.
• Ability to build end-to-end automated test frameworks in Python or TCL, integrating lab equipment with Pandas/NumPy for rapid correlation.
• Transaction- and link-layer expertise in PCIe Gen5/6 and DDR5—not just physical layer knowledge.

Responsibilities

• Drive the correlation between pre- and post-layout SI simulations and physical lab measurements, closing the loop between theory and hardware reality.
• Quantify simulation-vs-measurement gaps for PCIe Gen5/6, DDR5, and 112G/224G Ethernet using S-parameters, TDR, and eye diagram analysis.
• Develop and refine EM models for PCB discontinuities, high-speed connectors, and vias using Ansys HFSS, Cadence Sigrity, or equivalent tools.
• Investigate discrepancies caused by manufacturing tolerances, material properties (Dk/Df), or de-embedding inaccuracies and drive them to resolution.
• Lead validation of housekeeping and control buses—I2C, SPI, eSPI, UART, SMBus—ensuring protocol compliance and robust timing margins.
• Validate complex power-on/off sequences and correlate VR control loop simulations with physical transient response and ripple measurements.
• Ensure reliable operation of sideband signals, reset logic, and BMC hardware interfaces under intensive AI workloads.
• Work cross-functionally with SI, Power Integrity (PI), and Firmware teams to resolve system-hang and link-training failures rooted in electrical noise or power instability.
• Author comprehensive Hardware Validation Plans (HVP) with full coverage of critical electrical test points.
• Build Python-based automation scripts to drive data collection from VNAs, BERTs, and oscilloscopes—accelerating validation throughput and repeatability.

Benefits

• SambaNova offers a competitive total rewards package, including the base salary, plus equity and benefits.
• We cover 95% premium coverage for employee medical insurance, and 77% premium coverage for dependents and offer a Health Savings Account (HSA) with employer contribution.
• We also offer Dental, Vision, Short/Long term Disability, Basic Life, Voluntary Life, and AD&D insurance plans in addition to Flexible Spending Account (FSA) options like Health Care, Limited Purpose, and Dependent Care.
• Our library of well-being benefits available to you and your dependents includes a full subscription to Headspace, Gympass+ membership with access to physical gyms, One Medical membership, counseling services with an Employee Assistance Program, and much more.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Number of Employees: 101-250 employees