Principal Digital RTL Engineer

Astera Labs (NASDAQ: ALAB) provides rack-scale AI infrastructure through purpose-built connectivity solutions. By collaborating with hyperscalers and ecosystem partners, Astera Labs enables organizations to unlock the full potential of modern AI. Astera Labs’ Intelligent Connectivity Platform integrates CXL®, Ethernet, NVLink, PCIe®, and UALink™ semiconductor-based technologies with the company’s COSMOS software suite to unify diverse components into cohesive, flexible systems that deliver end-to-end scale-up, and scale-out connectivity. The company’s custom connectivity solutions business complements its standards-based portfolio, enabling customers to deploy tailored architectures to meet their unique infrastructure requirements. Discover more at www.asteralabs.com.

Principal Digital Digital RTL Engineer

Location: San Jose, CA (Onsite)

Role Overview

As a Principal Engineer on our Analog/Mixed-Signal (AMS) Design team, you will architect and deliver the high-performance analog building blocks at the heart of Astera Labs' purpose-built connectivity silicon. From high-speed SerDes and PLLs to data converters and precision references, your circuits will directly enable the bandwidth, signal integrity, and power efficiency that rack-scale AI infrastructure demands.

This is a hands-on technical leadership role at a hyper-growth company defining the connectivity backbone of the AI era. You'll own designs from specification through silicon bring-up, set the technical direction for complex AMS blocks, and mentor engineers across the team — turning ambitious architecture into production-proven products that ship at scale.

Key Responsibilities

Circuit Design & Architecture

Architect, design, and optimize high-speed analog/mixed-signal circuits such as SerDes, PLLs/clocking, ADCs/DACs, LDOs, and bias/reference blocks

Define block-level specifications and trade-offs for performance, power, area, and yield in advanced process nodes

Drive design methodology, reuse, and best practices across the AMS team

Verification & Validation

Develop and execute simulation plans across PVT, Monte Carlo, and reliability corners to ensure first-pass silicon success

Partner with layout designers to guide floorplanning, matching, parasitics, and physical implementation

Lead silicon bring-up, characterization, and debug, correlating measured results to models and specifications

Technical Leadership & Collaboration

Provide technical direction and mentorship to design engineers, elevating the capabilities of the broader team

Collaborate cross-functionally with digital, system, product, and packaging teams to deliver integrated solutions

Contribute to IP roadmaps, design reviews, and continuous improvement of the AMS design flow

Basic Qualifications

MS or PhD in Electrical Engineering or a related field

8+ years of experience in analog/mixed-signal integrated circuit design

Proven track record designing high-speed AMS blocks (e.g., SerDes, PLLs, data converters, references/regulators) through production silicon

Strong command of transistor-level design, device physics, and analog design fundamentals in advanced CMOS nodes

Proficiency with industry-standard design and simulation tools (e.g., Cadence Virtuoso, Spectre) and scripting for design automation

Demonstrated ability to take designs from specification through tape-out and silicon validation

Preferred Qualifications

Experience with high-speed I/O and SerDes for connectivity standards such as PCIe, Ethernet, or UALink

Deep understanding of physical-layer signal integrity, channel modeling, and equalization

Hands-on lab experience with high-speed measurement and characterization equipment

Familiarity with mixed-signal verification methodologies and analog/digital co-design

Excellent communication skills and a collaborative, mentorship-driven approach in a fast-paced environment

Salary range is $185,000 to $240,000 depending on experience, level, and business need. This role may be eligible for discretionary bonus, incentives and benefits.

We know that creativity and innovation happen more often when teams include diverse ideas, backgrounds, and experiences, and we actively encourage everyone with relevant experience to apply, including people of color, LGBTQ+ and non-binary people, veterans, parents, and individuals with disabilities.