Principal Systems Validation Engineer

Responsibilities

We are seeking a highly experienced PCI Express (PCIe) Validation Expert to lead pre‑ and post‑silicon validation efforts for high-speed storage accelerators.  In this role, you will drive end‑to‑end PCIe validation, ensuring high‑performance, standards compliance (PCIe Gen3/Gen4/Gen5 where applicable), and robust interoperability across a wide ecosystem.  You will work cross‑functionally with architecture, design, firmware, PHY, and system teams to define validation strategies, root-cause complex issues, and deliver high-quality silicon to production. You will focus on:

• Own PCIe validation strategy and execution for the Storage Accelerator products across pre-silicon and post-silicon phases
• Define coverage plans including protocol, link, PHY, power management, and compliance scenarios
• Lead PCIe link bring-up, training, and tuning across multiple generations (Gen3/4/5/6)
• Perform deep debug using protocol analyzers, oscilloscopes, and logic analyzers
• Drive PCI-SIG compliance testing including electrical and protocol validation
• Ensure interoperability with server CPUs from leading manufacturers
• Develop and enhance automation frameworks (Python, C/C ) for validation scalability
• Own and manage Functional Circuit Test (FCT) and In-Circuit Test (ICT) processes
• Lead RMA analysis and work closely with customers and manufacturing teams to resolve board-level issues
• Work closely with Architecture, Design, Software and Signal integrity teams
• Coordinate Test program and test automation scripts development
• Coaching Junior Engineering staff

Qualifications

• Bachelor Degree or Master’s and above in Computer Engineering, Electrical/Electronics Engineering, or related field with at least 12 years or above of working experience in silicon validation or system validation with strong PCIe focus
• Experienced with system validation in complex SoC (System on Chip) environment
• Deep understanding of: PCIe protocol stack (Transaction, Data Link, Physical layers), PCIe power management, Link training and equalization
• Hands-on experience with PCIe analysers. Scopes and signal integrity tools
• Strong debugging skills in Hardware/Software co-debug
• Experience with high speed Serdes tuning and validation methodologies
• Familiar with system board design/debugging and usage of lab equipment like Oscilloscope and Logic analyzer
• Good understanding in high-speed interface system/electrical verification & validation
• Experience of C/C Programming and other test script development languages
• In depth expertise of PCIe Gen3/Gen4/Gen5
• Storage/Networking domain expertise is highly desirable
• Knowledge of state-of-the-art data compression and cryptographic algorithms

Company Overview

MaxLinear is a global, NASDAQ-traded company (MXL) where the entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well. We are a fabless system-on-chip product company, striving to improve the world’s communication networks for everyone through our highly integrated radio-frequency (RF), analog, digital, and mixed-signal semiconductor solutions for access and connectivity, wired and wireless infrastructure, and industrial and multi-market applications.

We hire the best people in the industry and engage them in some of the most exciting opportunities that connect the world we live in today. Our growth has come from innovative, bold approaches to solving some of the world’s most challenging communication technology problems in the most efficient and effective manner.

MaxLinear began by developing the world’s first high-performance TV tuner chip using standard CMOS process technology. Others said we couldn’t achieve the extremely high-performance requirements using CMOS, but we proved them wrong and achieved enduring global market leadership with our designs. Since then, we’ve developed a full line of products that drive 4G and 5G infrastructure; enable data center, metro and long-haul optical interconnects; bring 10Gbit to the home; power the IoT revolution; and enable robust and reliable communication in harsh industrial environments. Over the years, we’ve expanded through organic growth and through several acquisitions that have perfectly complemented our existing portfolio and enabled us to deliver complete end-to-end solutions in our target markets. One such example was the acquisition of Intel’s Home Gateway Platform Division that added Wi-Fi, Ethernet, and Broadband Gateway Processor SoC technology to our connected home portfolio creating a complete and scalable platform of connectivity and access solutions to fully address our customers’ needs.

Our headquarters are in Carlsbad, near San Diego, California. We also have major design centers in Irvine and San Jose, California; Valencia, Spain; Bangalore, India; Munich, Germany; Israel; and Singapore.

We have approximately 1,200 employees, a substantial majority of whom have engineering degrees and include masters and Ph.D. graduates from many of the premiere universities around the world. Our employees thrive on innovation, outstanding execution, outside-the-box thinking, nimbleness, and collaboration. Together, we form a high-energy business team that is focused on building the best and most innovative products on the market.