Senior Hardware Engineer

Overview

We are seeking a highly experienced Senior Hardware Engineer to lead the design and development of advanced high-speed electronic hardware for next-generation optical transceivers operating at 400 Gb/s and beyond, with frequencies up to 120 GHz. This role combines hands-on electrical engineering with technical leadership and project ownership in a fast-paced startup environment.

The ideal candidate has deep expertise in high-speed mixed-signal hardware design, signal integrity, power integrity, PCB architecture, and leadership of schematic capture and PCB layout teams. The candidate must be comfortable driving complex designs from architecture through manufacturing, debug, and production release.

This is a highly technical role requiring strong collaboration across RF, photonics, packaging, firmware, software, mechanical, and manufacturing teams.

• Lead electrical hardware development of high-performance optical transceiver and networking systems operating at 400 Gb/s and beyond
• Manage and mentor a team of schematic capture and PCB layout engineers
• Define hardware architecture, partitioning, stackups, and interconnect strategies for ultra-high-speed systems
• Design and review high-speed analog and mixed-signal circuits, RF/mmWave interfaces, low-noise power delivery systems, clocking and synchronization circuits, Ser Des interfaces, and FPGA/ASIC support circuitry
• Own PCB design methodology including controlled impedance routing, differential pair design, return path optimization, crosstalk mitigation, via transition optimization, and materials selection for low-loss operation
• Lead signal integrity (SI), power integrity (PI), and EMC/EMI analysis
• Work closely with PCB fabrication and assembly vendors to optimize manufacturability and yield
• Lead schematic and layout design reviews and establish engineering best practices
• Support board bring-up, debug, characterization, and validation using advanced laboratory instrumentation
• Coordinate prototype builds, qualification testing, and transition to production
• Interface directly with customers, suppliers, and manufacturing partners when needed
• Contribute to hiring, technical roadmap planning, and engineering process development

• BSEE, MSEE, or PhD in Electrical Engineering or related field
• 8+ years of experience in high-speed hardware design
• Demonstrated experience leading hardware development teams
• Strong expertise in high-speed PCB design, RF and microwave design principles, signal integrity and power integrity analysis, multi-gigabit serial interfaces, and high-density interconnect PCB technologies
• Experience designing systems operating above 50 GHz; experience near or above 100 GHz strongly preferred
• Expertise with advanced PCB materials and stackup design for ultra-high-frequency applications
• Proficiency with industry-standard design tools such as Cadence Allegro/OrCAD, Altium Designer, HFSS, ADS, Hyper Lynx, and Sigrity
• Hands-on lab experience with high-bandwidth oscilloscopes, VNAs, TDR/TDT systems, spectrum analyzers, and high-speed BER test equipment
• Excellent communication and technical leadership skills
• Ability to thrive in a startup environment with rapidly evolving priorities

• Experience with optical transceivers, coherent optics, or silicon photonics systems
• Experience with flip-chip packaging and high-density flip-chip interconnect design
• Experience designing and manufacturing mSAP (modified semi-additive process) PCBs
• Experience with co-packaged optics or advanced packaging technologies
• Familiarity with thermal design considerations for high-power/high-density systems
• Experience with FPGA-based systems and high-speed memory interfaces
• Prior startup or small-company experience
• Experience supporting products from prototype through volume manufacturing

This is a full-time, salaried, exempt position offering competitive compensation and a comprehensive benefits package, including:

• Competitive base salary and equity / stock options
• Health, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k) with company matching
• Paid holidays and flexible PTO
• Opportunity to help define next-generation optical communication technology

Aloe Semiconductor is a rapidly growing startup offering significant opportunities for professional growth, learning, and technical impact. Team members work closely with leadership and play a direct role in shaping cutting-edge silicon photonics technology.

Founded in 2022, Aloe Semiconductor is a semiconductor design company delivering best-in-class photonic integrated circuits using silicon photonics technology for optical communications. Aloe is developing industry-leading, high-performance, low-cost, and low-power application-specific silicon photonics and electronics solutions for artificial intelligence and data center applications.

We are always pushing the boundaries of silicon photonics and optical communications. We believe that radically new solutions require…