Senior Principal Engineer - FW/SW Development

Astera Labs (NASDAQ: ALAB) provides rack-scale AI infrastructure through purpose-built connectivity solutions. By collaborating with hyperscalers and ecosystem partners, Astera Labs enables organizations to unlock the full potential of modern AI. Astera Labs’ Intelligent Connectivity Platform integrates CXL®, Ethernet, NVLink, PCIe®, and UALink™ semiconductor-based technologies with the company’s COSMOS software suite to unify diverse components into cohesive, flexible systems that deliver end-to-end scale-up, and scale-out connectivity. The company’s custom connectivity solutions business complements its standards-based portfolio, enabling customers to deploy tailored architectures to meet their unique infrastructure requirements. Discover more at www.asteralabs.com .

Role Overview

Astera Labs is seeking a Senior Principal / Distinguished Engineer - FW/SW Development to join our engineering team in San Jose, CA. This is a high-impact individual contributor role at the heart of our Intelligent Connectivity Platform, where you'll architect and develop firmware and software that powers the next generation of AI infrastructure connectivity solutions.

As a Senior Principal / Distinguished Engineer, you'll operate across the full stack — from low-level embedded firmware running on custom silicon to higher-level software tools and frameworks that enable our customers to deploy and manage Astera Labs products at scale. You'll work at the intersection of hardware and software, collaborating closely with ASIC design, verification, applications, and systems engineering teams to deliver world-class solutions spanning PCIe, CXL, and Ethernet connectivity.

This role offers extraordinary breadth and technical ownership. You'll influence architectural decisions across multiple product lines, mentor engineers across the organization, and drive best practices in firmware/software development as Astera Labs continues its hyper-growth trajectory powering the AI revolution.

Key Responsibilities

Firmware & Software Architecture

Architect and develop production-quality embedded firmware for Astera Labs connectivity ASICs, including boot code, initialization sequences, and runtime firmware

Design and implement host-side software, drivers, and SDK components that enable seamless integration of Astera Labs products into customer platforms

Define firmware/software architecture strategies that scale across multiple product lines and generations

Cross-Functional Technical Leadership

Partner with ASIC design and verification teams to define hardware-firmware interfaces and co-design features for optimal system performance

Drive technical decisions spanning firmware, diagnostic tools, manufacturing software, and customer-facing utilities

Collaborate with applications and field engineering teams to resolve complex system-level issues at customer sites

Quality & Best Practices

Establish and evolve firmware/software development processes, coding standards, and CI/CD practices across the engineering organization

Lead design and code reviews, driving a culture of engineering excellence and continuous improvement

Mentor and guide engineers across multiple teams, raising the overall technical bar of the organization

Innovation & Strategy

Evaluate emerging technologies and industry trends to inform next-generation firmware/software strategies

Contribute to product roadmap discussions, providing firmware/software feasibility analysis and effort estimation

Drive innovation in areas such as firmware update mechanisms, telemetry, RAS features, and manageability frameworks

Basic Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related field

12+ years of experience in firmware and/or software development for semiconductor or systems companies

Strong proficiency in C and C++ for embedded and systems-level programming

Experience developing firmware for ARM-based SoCs or custom ASIC platforms

Deep understanding of hardware-software interfaces, register programming, and low-level debug techniques

Experience with high-speed interconnect protocols such as PCIe, CXL, or Ethernet at the firmware/driver level

Preferred Qualifications

Master's degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or related field

Experience with RTOS-based and bare-metal firmware development environments

Proficiency in Python for automation, tooling, and test development

Familiarity with Linux kernel development, device drivers, or platform firmware (UEFI/BIOS)

Track record of leading firmware/software efforts from architecture through production across multiple product generations

Experience in the data center, AI/ML infrastructure, or high-performance computing domains

The salary range for this position is $180,000 to $250,000 depending on experience, level, and business need. This role may be eligible for discretionary bonus, incentives and benefits.

We know that creativity and innovation happen more often when teams include diverse ideas, backgrounds, and experiences, and we actively encourage everyone with relevant experience to apply, including people of color, LGBTQ+ and non-binary people, veterans, parents, and individuals with disabilities.