Etched · 3 months ago
Post-Silicon Validation Engineer
San Jose
Full-time
Onsite
Senior Level
$200K/yr - $275K/yr
7+ years expEtched is building AI chips that are hard-coded for individual model architectures. They are seeking a highly skilled Post-Silicon Validation Engineer to bring up, validate, and characterize complex SoCs, ensuring functional correctness and performance of their AI/ML accelerator hardware.
AI InfrastructureArtificial Intelligence (AI)ComputerHardwareSemiconductor
Responsibilities
Lead early silicon bring-up, including boot, initialization, and system-level debug
Diagnose complex silicon issues across RTL, firmware, and hardware layers
Collaborate with design, verification, and board teams to root-cause and resolve issues
Validate and characterize custom IP blocks and accelerator components
Execute performance validation, stress testing, and corner-case analysis for compute units
Develop and maintain post-silicon validation infrastructure, automation, and regression frameworks
Use lab instrumentation (oscilloscopes, analyzers, BERTs, pattern generators) for detailed signal and system characterization
Define validation strategies, coverage metrics, and signoff criteria across subsystems
Work cross-functionally with RTL, DFT, ATE, firmware, and architecture teams to ensure smooth pre- to post-silicon transitions
Provide feedback on test escapes, yield issues, and errata to guide silicon revisions and firmware updates
Qualification
Required
7–12 years of experience in post-silicon validation, bring-up, and debug of complex SoCs
Proven expertise in early silicon bring-up, debug, and system-level validation
Deep understanding of board-level interfaces and peripheral protocols
Proficiency in C, Python, and scripting for validation automation
Hands-on experience with lab tools such as oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and protocol analyzers
Familiarity with firmware, bootloaders, and low-level silicon debug environments
Strong analytical, problem-solving, and collaboration skills across hardware and software disciplines
Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field (Master's preferred)
Preferred
Low-speed peripheral interfaces (I2C, SPI, UART, JTAG)
High-speed protocols such as PCIe or Ethernet
Memory subsystems (HBM, DDR)
Performance and thermal characterization
AI/ML model profiling and workload correlation
System-level validation of AI accelerators or server-class platforms
Benefits
Full medical, dental, and vision packages, with generous premium coverage
Housing subsidy of $2,000/month for those living within walking distance of the office
Daily lunch and dinner in our office
Relocation support for those moving to San Jose (Santana Row)
Company
Etched
Building the hardware for superintelligence
51-200 employees
H1B Sponsorship
Etched has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not
guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your
reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)
Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship
Represents job field similar to this job
Trends of Total Sponsorships
2025 (9)
2024 (11)
2023 (1)
Funding
Current Stage
Growth StageTotal Funding
$125.36MKey Investors
Primary Venture Partners
2024-06-25Series A· $120M
2023-05-16Seed· $5.36M
Leadership Team
Chris Zhu
Co-Founder
Robert Wachen
Co-Founder and President
Recent News
Soma Capital
2026-01-07
Google Patent
2025-04-02
Google Patent
2024-12-04
Company data provided by crunchbase