PCIe Characterization Engineer | On-site Opportunity | Palo Alto, CA | Fastwater Staffing

📍 Location: Palo Alto, CA
📄 Employment Type: Contract
🏢 Work Arrangement: On-site
🚀 Start Date: TBD
💰 Compensation: TBD — based on skills and experience

Important Screening Requirements

- 5+ years of experience in post-silicon characterization, high-speed I/O (HSIO) validation, or memory electrical validation.
- Hands-on experience characterizing high-speed SerDes PHYs , particularly PCIe.
- Experience measuring eye diagrams, jitter, bit error rate (BER), and S-parameters .
- Proficiency with high-speed oscilloscopes, bit error rate testers (BERT), and VNA/TDR equipment.
- Ability to read and interpret schematics and PCB layouts.
- Experience debugging electrical issues directly at the probe point.
- Python scripting experience for laboratory test automation.
- Background in semiconductor, silicon, or systems companies, including SoC, GPU, networking, storage, or automotive compute.
- Must be willing to work on-site in Palo Alto, CA .

About the Role

We are seeking a hands-on PCIe Characterization Engineer to perform post-silicon electrical characterization and validation of high-speed SerDes physical-layer interfaces in a laboratory environment.

The role focuses on conducting high-speed electrical measurements, analyzing signal integrity, and validating silicon performance. You will independently operate laboratory equipment, troubleshoot signal-level issues, interpret hardware schematics and PCB layouts, and automate characterization workflows using Python.

The successful candidate will have direct experience with high-speed interface characterization and the practical skills needed to investigate electrical performance issues at the measurement and probe points.

What We’re Looking For

We’re looking for an experienced post-silicon characterization or HSIO validation engineer with strong hands-on laboratory skills and practical knowledge of high-speed electrical measurements.

The ideal candidate can independently perform eye, jitter, BER, and S-parameter measurements; operate high-speed test equipment; interpret schematics and layouts; and troubleshoot signal integrity issues directly in the lab.

Strong candidates will combine experience with PCIe and SerDes interfaces, high-speed measurement instrumentation, electrical debugging, and Python-based lab automation .

Key Responsibilities

Post-Silicon Characterization & Validation

- Perform post-silicon electrical characterization of high-speed SerDes PHYs, including: PCIe
- Ethernet
- UFS
- LPDDR5

- Support high-speed interface validation and investigate electrical performance issues.
- Analyze characterization results to assess high-speed interface performance.
- Identify and troubleshoot signal-level issues during testing.

High-Speed Electrical Measurements

- Conduct eye diagram, jitter, bit error rate (BER), and S-parameter measurements .
- Independently operate laboratory measurement equipment, including: High-speed oscilloscopes
- Bit error rate testers (BERT)
- Vector network analyzers (VNA)
- Time-domain reflectometry (TDR) equipment

- Analyze measurement data to evaluate electrical performance and signal integrity.
- Document test configurations, measurement results, and characterization findings.

Schematic Analysis & Electrical Debugging

- Read and interpret electrical schematics and PCB layouts to support characterization activities.
- Troubleshoot signal integrity and electrical issues directly at probe points.
- Investigate measurement anomalies and high-speed interface performance problems.
- Apply practical electrical measurement and debugging techniques to identify potential issues.

Python Lab Automation

- Develop and maintain Python scripts to automate laboratory measurements and characterization workflows.
- Support repeatable and efficient execution of electrical tests.
- Improve laboratory testing efficiency through reusable automation scripts.
- Assist with measurement data collection, analysis, and documentation.

Cross-Functional Validation Support

- Support high-speed interface validation activities across relevant silicon and systems platforms.
- Collaborate with engineering teams to investigate electrical performance issues.
- Communicate measurement findings, debugging results, and characterization progress.
- Maintain clear technical documentation of test procedures, configurations, and results.

Required Qualifications

- 5+ years of experience in post-silicon characterization, HSIO validation, or memory electrical validation.
- Experience working at a semiconductor, silicon, or systems company in areas such as SoC, GPU, networking, storage, or automotive compute.
- Hands-on experience with high-speed SerDes PHY characterization.
- Practical experience measuring eye diagrams, jitter, BER, and S-parameters.
- Proficiency using high-speed oscilloscopes, BERT, and VNA/TDR equipment.
- Experience reading and interpreting schematics and PCB layouts.
- Strong laboratory debugging and electrical measurement skills.
- Python scripting experience for test and measurement automation.
- Strong analytical, troubleshooting, and problem-solving abilities.
- Willingness to work on-site in Palo Alto, CA.

Preferred Qualifications

- Experience with PCIe electrical characterization and validation .
- Exposure to Ethernet, UFS, or LPDDR5 interfaces.
- Experience with high-speed signal integrity measurements and analysis.
- Background in silicon validation for SoC, GPU, networking, storage, or automotive-compute products.
- Experience developing reusable automation scripts and improving laboratory test efficiency.