Post-Silicon Validation Engineer

Job Title

Post-Silicon Validation Engineer

Role Summary

Join the validation team responsible for post-silicon bring-up, characterization, and production readiness of coherent DSP ASICs for AI and hyperscale optical networking. You will work with Architecture, Design, Firmware, Systems, Product Engineering and customers to identify and resolve silicon and system-level issues.

This role spans early-career through senior levels and contributes to validation strategy, infrastructure, and automation.

Experience Level

Multiple levels (early-career to Senior). Candidates should have relevant hands-on post-silicon validation or silicon bring-up experience; years of experience will be used to place level.

Responsibilities

Primary responsibilities include validating first silicon through production release and supporting customer deployments.

• Perform post-silicon validation, DVT, characterization, and production release activities.
• Execute functionality, performance, interoperability, compliance, stress, and reliability tests.
• Enable first-silicon bring-up using JTAG, scan, embedded debug, and board diagnostics.
• Validate high-speed interfaces (PCIe, Ethernet, SerDes, etc.) and debug protocol issues.
• Use lab equipment (oscilloscopes, BERTs, protocol/network analyzers, logic analyzers, power measurement) for test and characterization.
• Investigate hardware, firmware, RTL, and system-level failures; perform structured root-cause analysis.
• Develop and maintain Python-based automation for test execution, regression, characterization, and reporting.
• Characterize performance, power, thermal behavior, margins, and compliance versus specifications.
• Document validation results, silicon characterization data, debug findings, and production-readiness reports.

Requirements

Must-have skills and experience to perform the role; preferred items listed separately.

• Hands-on post-silicon validation, DVT, or silicon bring-up experience with complex ASICs or SoCs.
• Practical understanding of silicon debug methodologies and structured root-cause analysis.
• Knowledge of one or more high-speed protocols (PCIe, Ethernet, SerDes, CXL, USB, SPI, I²C, or similar).
• Proficiency in Python for automation, regression development, and data analysis.
• Ability to read schematics, understand board design, power sequencing, signal integrity, and hardware debug.
• Strong communication skills and ability to collaborate across cross-functional teams in a fast-paced startup environment.
• Willingness and ability to work onsite full-time in Irvine, CA or Ottawa, ON; relocation provided for qualified candidates.

Nice-to-have:

• Experience bringing first silicon to production in networking, communications, data center, AI, or HPC products.
• Experience validating firmware, embedded software, drivers, and hardware/software interfaces.
• Experience with coherent optical DSPs, networking ASICs, AI accelerators, GPUs, or storage controllers.
• Experience building scalable validation automation, regression systems, dashboards, and data pipelines.
• Familiarity with hyperscale customer platform validation and qualification processes.

Education Requirements

Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or a related technical discipline - or equivalent practical experience.

About the Company

Company: Celero Communications

Headquarters: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Designs and develops optical transceivers and ASIC solutions for next-generation optical modems, focusing on digital ASIC/RTL design, verification, and optical communication technologies.