Senior Embedded Software Engineer - Ethernet Retimers

Role Overview

Astera Labs' Taurus product line includes Ethernet retimers and gearboxes deployed in active electrical cables and in-system applications at the heart of AI infrastructure. As AI clusters scale to tens of thousands of GPUs connected by high-speed Ethernet fabrics, the firmware running on these connectivity devices is mission-critical — and so is the ability to debug it fast when something breaks.

We're looking for a Firmware Engineer who can bridge our system validation team and firmware development organization. When something goes wrong in the lab or in the field, you won't be waiting on others to dig into the firmware. You'll be the person in the room who understands both sides — can pull up the code, identify the problem, and fix it. If you've worked at a networking company, know how Ethernet actually works from the MAC down through the PHY, have debugged real link failures, and have written or modified firmware or low-level drivers, this role was designed for you.

Your primary focus will be debug and system integration. You will be an integral part of the firmware team and work on new feature development, but you will be the point person in the lab helping to unblock other teams — triaging failures, understanding what the firmware is doing, and making targeted fixes without requiring a long handoff loop. Beyond that, you'll contribute to feature development and help bring new products from initial bringup into customer deployment.

Key Responsibilities

• Debug & System Integration

  • Work directly with the system validation team to debug firmware behavior across different Ethernet configurations, link states, and failure modes
  • Investigate and fix firmware issues in embedded C, leveraging deep understanding of how Layer 1 PHY, SERDES, FEC/PCS, MAC, and retimer components interact
  • Serve as the connective tissue between firmware and system validation teams, triaging issues and driving them to resolution without long handoff loops

• Customer Bring-Up & Field Support

  • Support customer bring-up and integration activities, including triaging field issues and coordinating fixes with internal teams
  • Partner with field applications engineers to diagnose and resolve deployment issues quickly

• Firmware Feature Development

  • Contribute to firmware feature development for SERDES configuration, link training, equalization, and diagnostics
  • Partner with SoC, field applications, and platform teams across the full product lifecycle
  • Help bring new Taurus products from initial silicon bringup through customer deployment

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or related field
• 5+ years of experience in firmware development or embedded systems engineering
• Hands-on experience with Ethernet at the system or device level: Layer 1 PHY, SERDES, retimers, gearboxes, NICs, switches, or related devices
• Solid embedded C/C++ skills and comfort working in a firmware codebase on real hardware
• Ability to debug across the hardware/software boundary: register accesses, embedded SDKs, link state machines, PHY telemetry, debug print logs
• Familiarity with Linux development tools: gcc/clang, make, bash, gdb, git
• Strong communication skills and comfort working in a fast-moving environment where the problem in front of you may not have a clean solution

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with switch or NIC management software, SAI, or OpenBMC
• Knowledge of PMA, FEC, or other PHY-layer subsystems beyond the SERDES
• Background with retimer or gearbox firmware or SDK/API development
• Python scripting for debug, test automation, or data analysis
• Experience with lab equipment: BERT, oscilloscopes, Viavi/Lecroy/Exfo/Keysight/Tektronix or similar
• Understanding of signal integrity: equalization, jitter, eye diagrams, link margin
• Prior experience mentoring engineers or leading debug efforts across teams

Salary range is $133,200 to $185,000 depending on experience, level, and business need. This role may be eligible for discretionary bonus, incentives and benefits.