Design Validation Test - Lead/Principal Engineer

What You’ll Own

1) Board / Subassembly DVT (EE-heavy)

• Own DVT for complex PCBAs and subassemblies from first power‑on through design sign‑off.
• Power validation: power‑up/down sequencing, regulator/hotswap behavior, rail margining, DC IR drop, and AC noise/ripple characterization.
• Clock distribution validation and high‑speed I/O interface validation (e.g., Ethernet/PCIe-class links, board‑to‑board connectors and cabling).
• Low‑speed system management interface validation (e.g., I2C/SPI/USB) and debug of intermittent or systemic failures.
• Stress/environmental testing (extended runtime, temperature cycling) and characterization under margined conditions.

2) System-level DVT (integration + electro-mechanical)

• Own system integration validation planning and execution across representative configurations and operating envelopes.
• Drive readiness and execution across lab and chamber environments, including dependency management (test scripts, instrumentation, SW readiness, sample availability).
• Validate and debug system-level issues spanning electrical, mechanical, thermal, and optics interactions.
• Partner with reliability and manufacturing teams to ensure DVT coverage supports ramp readiness and reduces escapes.

Key Responsibilities

DVT Strategy, Plans, and Coverage

• Define a risk‑based DVT strategy spanning board/subassembly engineering validation through system integration validation.
• Author and maintain DVT plans, procedures, and reports with crisp pass/fail criteria and coverage rationale.
• Establish stage gates and readiness reviews for execution quality (fixtures, instrumentation, scripts, SW readiness).

Hands-on Validation, Debug, and Closure

• Build and own benchtop and rack-level validation setups that are repeatable and automation‑friendly.
• Lead RCA for validation failures; drive corrective actions with design teams; verify fixes through re‑test and data review.
• Execute and interpret power integrity/stability measurements (voltage/current stability, droop, ripple/noise, IR drop) and close gaps to requirements.
• Validate high‑speed interconnect performance and margin; isolate failures across channel, connector/cable, PHY, and firmware/diagnostics layers.

DVT Infrastructure, Automation, and Data

• Partner with diagnostics/software to improve DVT throughput via scripting, logging, and standardized test stages.
• Define required data capture and reporting standards to accelerate debug and support release gating.
• Drive continual improvements to test coverage, efficiency, and repeatability across builds.

Cross-functional Technical Leadership

• Align EE/ME/FW/Diagnostics/Reliability/Manufacturing on priorities, schedules, and closure criteria.
• Influence design-for-testability improvements (debug visibility, margining hooks, instrumentation points, serviceability).

Minimum Qualifications

• BS/MS in Electrical or Computer Engineering (or equivalent experience).
• 8–15+ years of hardware validation/DVT experience on complex board and system-level products.
• Demonstrated ownership of board bring‑up and DVT execution: test plan creation, instrumentation, debug, and closure.
• Strong background in power delivery validation and measurement (sequencing, margining, droop, ripple/noise, IR drop).
• Strong background in high‑speed I/O validation and debug (PCIe/Ethernet‑class links; channel and system-level troubleshooting).
• Proficiency with lab equipment: oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, power supplies/analyzers, DC electronic loads; VNAs/BERTs as applicable.
• Strong written and verbal communication; ability to present results and drive decisions with data.

Preferred / Nice-to-Have

• Experience with rack-scale and/or liquid-cooled systems; validation in environmental chambers.
• Experience supporting compliance/safety/EMC efforts as part of DVT readiness.
• Python (or similar) for test automation and data analysis; experience integrating results into dashboards/CI workflows.
• Experience mentoring engineers/technicians as an informal technical leader.

Compensation

Base salary range: $175,000 to $275,000 annually. Actual compensation may include bonus and equity.