Hardware Validation Engineer
US$150,000 – US$350,000 / yr base salary
Posted 3 Feb 2026
BranchFactor Summary
The original posting with the fluff stripped out
- Management level
- Individual contributor
- Employment
- On-Site
- Contract
- Full-time
| Base salary | US$150,000 – US$350,000 / yr |
|---|
Field of studyComputer Engineering, Electrical Engineering (or related)
Study levelBachelor's or higher
About Etched
Etched is building hardware for frontier intelligence. We co-design chips, racks, software, and manufacturing to deliver best-in-class throughput and latency across both prefill and decode workloads. Our first products are heavily focused on inference. Backed by hundreds of millions from top-tier investors and staffed by leading engineers, Etched is redefining the infrastructure layer for the fastest growing industry in history.
Job Summary
We are seeking an experienced and motivated Hardware Validation Engineer to validate system hardware and printed circuit board (PCB) functionality and ensure robust power and signal margins across all interfaces. In this role, you will collect and analyze lab data to validate hardware performance, support post-silicon characterization, and ensure reliable operation across multiple subsystems, including PCIe and I2C.
Key Responsibilities
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Perform system hardware and PCB functional verification to ensure all features meet design specifications, including validation of power and signal integrity margins
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Collect and analyze lab data to verify power delivery, signal integrity, and overall system robustness
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Support post-silicon validation by identifying key performance metrics and conducting PVT, power, and thermal characterization
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Evaluate PCIe performance, including signal integrity, eye opening measurements (EOM), and bit error rate (BER), to ensure adequate operating margins
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Identify hardware issues, perform root cause analysis, and drive issues to resolution in collaboration with cross-functional teams
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Design and execute DOE experiments to debug hardware issues and optimize system performance
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Validate power sequencing, microcontroller functionality, and conduct power efficiency, noise, and transient analysis
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Perform detailed characterization of I2C bus systems to ensure compliance with design requirements
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Track and document PCB issues and validation results, ensuring clear communication with relevant stakeholders
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Collaborate closely with design, firmware, and system engineering teams to ensure end-to-end hardware quality
You may be a good fit if you have
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A Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related field