Senior Field Applications Engineer (FAE)

Job Title

Senior Field Applications Engineer (FAE)

Role Summary

The Senior Field Applications Engineer provides technical consultation and hands-on solutions to customers to drive adoption of Microchip wired connectivity and communication products. This role partners with sales, product management, and internal engineering to enable design wins and support customers from architecture through post-production.

Primary focus areas include high-speed wired connectivity (Ethernet switches, PHYs, controllers, IEEE 1588, secure Ethernet), communication infrastructure, and related embedded systems. Travel to customer sites ~25%–50%.

Experience Level

Senior - typically 7+ years of relevant design or applications experience in embedded systems, hardware, firmware, networking, or semiconductor technologies.

Responsibilities

Provide technical leadership to customers and internal teams to enable successful integration of Microchip wired networking and connectivity solutions.

• Deliver pre-sales and post-sales technical support across product lines with emphasis on high-speed wired connectivity and communication infrastructure.
• Serve as trusted technical advisor to strategic customers; influence system architecture and component selection.
• Conduct architectural and schematic reviews, design-in assistance, troubleshooting, and root-cause analysis.
• Support customer development processes from prototyping through post-production to secure design wins.
• Provide product training and documentation to customers and internal teams.
• Use network analysis and protocol tools during debugging and validation (e.g., Wireshark, tcpdump).
• Collaborate with sales, product management, and engineering to communicate field feedback and influence product direction.

Requirements

Core technical skills and experience required; listed items separate must-haves from nice-to-haves.

• Must-have: 7+ years of relevant applications or design experience in embedded systems, hardware, software, firmware, networking, or semiconductor technologies.
• Must-have: Strong understanding of high-speed digital technologies and interfaces such as Ethernet, high-speed SerDes, SoC architectures, and board-/system-level considerations.
• Must-have: Practical experience with Ethernet, TCP/IP protocols, and Linux networking.
• Must-have: Experience using network analysis tools (Wireshark, tcpdump) and strong troubleshooting and analytical skills.
• Must-have: Strong written and verbal communication and presentation skills for technical and non-technical audiences; willingness to travel (approx. 25%–50%).
• Nice-to-have: Familiarity with PCIe, CXL, USB (hubs, PD), automotive and industrial networking solutions, SPE T1S endpoints, or secure Ethernet switch technologies.
• Nice-to-have: Knowledge of wireless protocols (Wi‑Fi, Bluetooth) or additional protocol/debugging tools.

Education Requirements

Bachelor's or master’s degree in electrical engineering, electronics engineering, computer engineering, or a related technical field.

About the Company

Company: Microchip

Headquarters: Chandler, Arizona, USA

Microchip is a leading semiconductor company focused on developing innovative solutions to enhance the human experience. With a commitment to empowering innovation, Microchip prioritizes the value of its employees by fostering a culture that supports their growth and contributions.