Principal Post-Silicon Validation Engineer

SambaNova is a leader in next-generation AI infrastructure, delivering a full-stack inference platform for customers worldwide. At the core of SambaNova's technology is the RDU (Reconfigurable Dataflow Unit) — a chip built on a dataflow architecture rather than the traditional GPU model. Its decode performance is especially strong for agentic workloads like multi-turn agents, code generation, and long-running applications. RDUs are packaged into SambaRack, rack-scale hardware that lets customers deploy state-of-the-art models with better performance, greater energy efficiency, and faster time to value.

We're the team behind post-silicon bring-up, debug, and validation for the high-speed IO and memory subsystems in SambaNova's DataScale platform. We own the path from first silicon power-on through field deployment: characterization, stress testing, performance validation, and root-causing issues across silicon, board, and software. We work directly with design, firmware, verification, and system engineering to keep bring-up on schedule, and partner with customer engineering on deployment and RMA debug. We build our own debug tooling and automation, and apply what we learn to pre-silicon verification to improve coverage on future programs.

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SambaNova is seeking a Principal Engineer to own post-silicon bring-up, debug, and validation of high-speed IO and memory subsystems within the DataScale® platform. This role is central to delivering reliable, high-performance AI systems at scale. You'll lead system-level debug across silicon, board, and software layers, driving issues to root cause from first silicon through field deployment. This is a hands-on role for an engineer with deep expertise in high-speed interfaces and hardware debug, who can operate in ambiguity and execute with high ownership.

• Own post-silicon bring-up and validation of high-speed IO and memory subsystems, spanning characterization, functional validation, stress testing, and performance analysis
• Establish power-on readiness ahead of first silicon, including debug infrastructure, tooling, and contingency planning
• Lead system-level debug to root cause complex issues spanning silicon, board, and software layers
• Drive resolution with design, firmware, verification, and system teams to close issues and keep bring-up on schedule
• Partner with system and customer engineering teams on product validation, deployment, and RMA debug
• Own validation sign-off for product release against stability, performance, and field reliability targets
• Review SoC and board design and SI/PI analysis through a post-silicon debug and deployment lens
• Contribute to pre-silicon verification and emulation to improve bring-up efficiency and coverage
• Build scripts and tooling that automate validation, debug, and data analysis, and scale test coverage across systems
• Advance post-silicon validation methodology and debug infrastructure across programs

• M.S. in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field
• 7+ years of experience in post-silicon validation or system bring-up
• Experience with two or more high-speed IO or memory protocols such as PCIe, Ethernet, HBM, CXL, or UCIe
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional debug efforts to root cause and closure
• Strong analytical skills for test development and data analysis
• Proficiency in scripting such as Python and bash
• Clear and effective communicator with a proactive, collaborative approach to problem-solving

• Deep understanding of high-speed SerDes training and adaptation
• Experience with mixed-signal IO design and validation
• Hands-on lab experience with oscilloscopes, protocol analyzers, and BERTs
• Experience with optical interconnect
• Ability to read and debug C/C++