Principal Product Application Engineer - Leo

About the Role

As a Principal Product Applications Engineer on the Leo team, you will sit at the intersection of firmware engineering and customer-facing technical engagement. You will be a key technical resource for enabling Leo CXL Smart Memory Controllers at hyperscale customers and OEM partners — owning firmware bring-up, validation, and customer issue resolution from early silicon through production ramp.

Firmware is considered equally important to hardware at Astera Labs, and this role reflects that. You will work directly with customers to ensure their needs are fully understood and translated into firmware solutions, while collaborating closely with the internal firmware, hardware, and systems engineering teams.

This position is required onsite in San Jose, CA.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead firmware-focused customer engagements for Leo CXL Smart Memory Controllers, including bring-up support, feature enablement, and issue triage on customer platforms
• Develop, validate, and debug firmware using C and Python across Leo's PCIe/CXL and DDR memory subsystems
• Spearhead internal and external discussions on design requirements of DDR4/DDR5 DRAM interfaces, including initialization, training, RAS (Reliability, Availability, Serviceability) features, and performance tuning 
• Serve as the primary firmware technical point of contact for key customer accounts (hyperscalers, OEMs), driving issue resolution and feature demonstrations
• Interpret and implement requirements from CXL, PCIe, and JEDEC DDR specifications into robust firmware solutions
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams (FW engineering, HW, systems, product management) to deliver firmware releases and customer collateral on schedule
• Develop and maintain Python-based test scripts, automation frameworks, and diagnostic tools to support validation and customer debug workflows
• Contribute to technical documentation including application notes, release notes, design guides, and customer-facing collateral
• Represent the Leo team in customer technical reviews, design-in engagements, and industry forums

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or a related technical field; Master's degree preferred
• 8+ years of experience in firmware development, product applications engineering, or a related technical role supporting complex SoC/silicon products for Server, Storage, and/or Networking applications
• Professional attitude with the ability to prioritize a dynamic list of tasks and work with minimal guidance
• Entrepreneurial, open-minded behavior and can-do attitude — think and act fast with the customer in mind!
• Authorized to work in the US and available to start immediately

Required Experience

• High proficiency in C for embedded firmware development in RTOS environments
• Working knowledge of CXL (Compute Express Link) — CXL 1.1/2.0/3.0 — including memory expansion, pooling, and sharing concepts
• Proficiency in Python for scripting, test automation, and diagnostic tooling
• Deep hands-on knowledge of high-speed memory interfaces — DDR4 and/or DDR5 DRAM — including initialization sequences, training algorithms, timing margins, and ECC/RAS features
• Experience with firmware bring-up, debug, and validation of memory or I/O subsystems on server platforms
• Strong debugging skills with the ability to triage and root-cause issues in complex embedded systems
• Familiarity with SoC interfaces including DDR controllers, PCIe controllers, and on-chip memory subsystems
• Experience working with developer workflows: SCM (preferably Git), code reviews, CI/CD pipelines

Preferred Experience

• Experience with PCIe endpoint firmware at the PHY, Link, and Transaction layers; familiarity with PCIe enumeration, MSI/MSI-X, SR-IOV, and error handling
• Hands-on experience with PCIe/CXL protocol analyzers, BERT, and other lab debug equipment
• Familiarity with BIOS/BMC/OS interactions with PCIe/CXL devices and MMIO/RAS concepts
• Experience with server memory performance tuning — latency and bandwidth optimization
• Prior customer-facing or field applications experience in a semiconductor or systems company is a strong plus

Compensation

The base salary range for this role is $175,000 – $230,000 USD. Your base salary will be determined based on your location, experience, and the pay of employees in similar positions.

Astera Labs is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.