Sr. Principal Hardware Engineer - Santa Clara, CA - Hybrid
Description
- Define and drive hardware system architecture for next-generation networking and datacenter platforms, including routers, switches, and interconnect systems.
- Develop detailed system-level design specifications aligned with product and technology roadmaps.
- Influence and guide strategic silicon, optics, and interconnect technology selection and adoption.
- Create comprehensive hardware functional specifications and interface definitions.
- Lead component selection and qualification for networking and datacenter use cases, ensuring scalability, performance, and cost-effectiveness.
- Perform board-level digital circuit design using OrCAD or similar EDA tools; lead board bring-up, debug, and system validation.
- Collaborate with Product Management, Software/Firmware Engineering, Mechanical Design, and Operations teams across the full product lifecycle.
- Evaluate and qualify optical technologies (e.g., transceivers, AOCs, DACs, splitters) for use in datacenter interconnects.
- Design and support both new and existing hardware platforms, with a focus on performance, thermal efficiency, and regulatory compliance.
- Lead environmental, EMI/EMC, and safety compliance testing; manage certification processes and provide customer support for compliance-related inquiries.
- BS in Electrical Engineering or related discipline (MS preferred).
- 15+ years of experience designing embedded systems or hardware platforms for networking/datacenter infrastructure.
- Extensive experience in high-speed digital board design (10G–400G+, SerDes, PCIe, DDRx, etc.).
- Strong knowledge of power architecture and design for high-efficiency, low-noise on-board power systems.
- Experience integrating and validating FPGAs, SoCs, and programmable logic in networking systems.
- Skilled in board-level debug and validation using oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and high-speed test equipment.
- Strong understanding of datacenter networking technologies and protocols, including Ethernet, optical networking, and switch fabric design.
- Demonstrated ability to write clear technical specifications, test plans, and validation reports.
- Proven track record of cross-functional collaboration across hardware, software, and operations/manufacturing teams.
- Strong organizational and analytical skills with the ability to manage multiple complex programs simultaneously.
- Experience with scripting for test automation and board bring-up (Tera Term, Shell, Python).
- Familiarity with compliance and certification processes relevant to networking/datacenter products (e.g., NEBS, CE, FCC, RoHS).
- Exposure to hyperscale datacenter requirements or working directly with cloud service providers (e.g., AWS, Azure, Google Cloud).
As an equal opportunity employer, all applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, national origin, age, sexual orientation, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or any other protected characteristic under applicable federal, state, and/or local law. For more information, please refer to Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination is Illegal.
We are committed to providing reasonable accommodation for all qualified individuals with disabilities. If you require a reasonable accommodation, please contact us at (669) 240-2248.
If your experience and skills closely match our job description but may not necessarily fulfill all requirements, please still apply. Gigamon is on a continued mission to grow and scale an innovative organization. We believe this is best achieved by hiring, celebrating, and respecting people with diverse backgrounds, skills, perspectives, and experiences.
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