Silicon Validation Engineer

Job Title

Silicon Validation Engineer

Role Summary

Validate, characterize, and debug embedded on‑chip circuitry for system products. Work on bench bring‑up, electrical characterization, and correlation with simulation models to provide design feedback and support production engineering.

Experience Level

Mid-level — the posting specifies approximately 5 years of relevant experience.

Responsibilities

The engineer will perform hands‑on validation and characterization activities and collaborate with design and product teams.

• Perform bench testing, debugging, and characterization of on‑chip circuits (PLLs, DLLs, clocks, data converters, DDR memory, and I/O interfaces).
• Develop benchtop electrical tests using FPGA, JTAG, SPI, and analog interfaces.
• Execute SerDes bring‑up and validation across multiple protocols; perform link margining, eye diagram and jitter tolerance analysis.
• Use oscilloscopes, BERTs, pattern generators, and other lab instrumentation for measurements.
• Automate tests and data collection with scripts; extract results and generate characterization/debug reports using database and analysis tools.
• Perform in‑system PI/SI measurements and correlate results with simulation models.
• Collaborate with Design, System Hardware, Software, ATE, and Product Engineering teams to deliver validated designs.
• Implement RTL test code and lab automation; develop data visualization pipelines and apply ML techniques to analyze BER and optimize equalization when applicable.

Requirements

Must-have technical skills and relevant experience.

• 5+ years of experience in silicon validation, characterization, or a related role.
• Experience characterizing high‑speed serial interfaces (PCIe, USB, OIF, Ethernet) and SerDes links.
• Proficient with eye/jitter analysis, link margining, and BER testing using oscilloscopes, BERTs, and pattern generators.
• Experience developing and maintaining automation scripts and test frameworks (Python preferred).
• Familiarity with signal integrity practices and test equipment (vector network analyzers a plus).
• RTL coding experience and ability to create test scripts for silicon bring‑up.
• Ability to generate clear characterization and debugging reports and provide actionable design feedback.
• Nice to have: experience building ML models for lab data analysis and high‑volume test automation.

Education Requirements

Master's degree or foreign equivalent in Electrical Engineering, Electronic Circuits and Systems, or a related field.

About the Company

Company: Apple

Headquarters: Cupertino, California, United States

Apple is a multinational technology company that designs, manufactures, and sells consumer electronics, software, and online services. Known for its innovative products such as the iPhone, Mac computers, and iPad, Apple emphasizes a strong commitment to high-quality design and user experience.