Hardware Applications Engineer (Ethernet/SerDes)

Location: Santa Clara, California, United States. The role is onsite and may require eligibility to access U.S. export-controlled technology.

Expected base pay: $131,010–$196,300 per annum, plus potential bonus and equity compensation.

Company

hirify.global develops semiconductor solutions and Ethernet switching technologies for enterprise, cloud, AI, carrier, industrial, 5G, and campus networks.

What you will do

• Resolve customer hardware and platform issues through design enablement, board bring-up, interoperability debugging, and manufacturing support.
• Debug Layer 1 Ethernet issues involving SerDes, MAC/PHY, signal strength, SerDes eyes, and signal-integrity parameters.
• Debug PCIe, I2C, MDIO, and other board interfaces.
• Review customer schematics and PCB layouts and provide design feedback.
• Develop hardware design guidelines, application notes, technical bulletins, and PCB stack-up recommendations.
• Coordinate with customers, board and ASIC designers, program managers, and board and component vendors.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or a related field with 5–10 years of relevant experience, or a Master’s degree/PhD with 3–5 years of experience.
• Previous Application Engineer or equivalent customer-facing engineering experience is required.
• Expertise in high-speed Ethernet SerDes interfaces, including NRZ and PAM-4 100G, and Ethernet physical-layer technologies such as SerDes, MAC, and PCS.
• Strong background in signal integrity, power integrity, electromagnetics, thermal analysis, multi-lane crosstalk, RF applications, IC packages, and PCB design.
• Experience with tools including HyperLynx, Ansoft SIWave, HFSS, ADS, Sigrity, PowerSI, PowerDC, Cadence Allegro, and Polar stack-up.
• Proficiency in at least one scripting language: Python, Perl, or Unix shell.

Nice to have

• Experience with MATLAB and Python.
• Experience operating servers, oscilloscopes, traffic generators, environmental chambers, thermal heads, and Keysight VNA/TDR equipment.
• Experience programming high-speed or optical modules, including LR, SR, ZR, ZR4, and AEC modules.

Culture & Benefits

• Eligibility for bonus and equity plans, including a new-hire equity grant and annual equity refreshers.
• Employee stock purchase plan with a two-year lookback.
• Family support programs and mental and physical health resources.
• Recognition and service awards.
• U.S. export-control eligibility review may apply before employment.

Hiring process

• Interviews evaluate individual experience, problem-solving, and communication skills.
• AI tools, transcription applications, automated note-taking bots, and real-time answer generators are prohibited during interviews.