Senior Hardware Engineer - Optical Systems

Senior Hardware Engineer - Optical Systems

Eridu AI is a Silicon Valley-based hardware startup pioneering infrastructure solutions that accelerate training and inference for large-scale AI models. Today’s AI performance is frequently limited by system-level bottlenecks. Eridu AI delivers multiple industry-first innovations across semiconductors, software, and systems to unlock greater GPU utilization, reduce capital and power costs, and maximize data center efficiency. The company’s solutions and value proposition have been validated by several leading hyperscalers.

The company is led by a veteran team of Silicon Valley executives and engineers with decades of experience in state‑of‑the‑art semiconductors, optics, software, and systems, including serial entrepreneur Drew Perkins, co‑founder of Infinera (NASDAQ: INFN), Lightera (acq. by Ciena), Gainspeed (acq. by Nokia) and Mojo Vision (World’s leading micro‑LED company and developer of the first augmented reality contact lens).

As a Hardware Engineer in our Systems Engineering group, you will be responsible for delivering systems and sub‑assemblies, taking them from concept to production. These hardware designs incorporate high‑speed optical and electrical I/O, processing and management components and will require careful consideration of power, cooling, reliability and overall cost.

Your responsibilities will span from hardware definition to design, qualification and product release. To deliver these systems, you will need to collaborate with architecture, semiconductor, software and manufacturing team members and external partners. This is an exciting, hands‑on design position that will require your creativity and attention to detail.

Responsibilities:

• Work cross‑functionally to turn high‑level concepts into detailed Hardware Specifications
• Architect the design to meet all functional, quality, compliance, cost and schedule targets
• Develop technology de‑risk plans through supplier evaluations and early prototypes.
• Work with our partners through schematic entry, layout and manufacturability reviews
• Develop comprehensive test plans (including EDVT, MDVT, EMI/EMC) to validate the desig
• Validate hardware prototypes in the lab using analyzers and high‑speed oscilloscopes.
• Develop and present project plans that include schedule, risks, mitigation and status

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s in Electrical Engineering or Computer Engineering required, Master’s preferred.
• Minimum of 10 years’ experience in system‑level development, preferably within the server, computer, or network industries.
• Experience designing and validating systems with standards‑based optical interfaces (eg SFP+, QSFP+, etc).
• Proficiency in high‑speed technologies including Ethernet, Ser Des, PCIe, etc.
• A solid understanding of high‑speed design and signal & power integrity considerations
• Proficiency in control interfaces such as MDIO, SPI, I2C, JTAG.
• Good understanding of FPGA design, Power circuits, Clocking, Mechanical/Thermal considerations.
• Outstanding knowledge of hardware design process and design practices, derived from a track record of delivering shipped products.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

At Eridu AI, you’ll have the opportunity to shape the future of AI infrastructure, working with a world‑class team on groundbreaking technology that pushes the boundaries of AI performance. Your contributions will directly impact the next generation of AI networking solutions, transforming data center capabilities.

The starting base salary for the selected candidate will be established based on their relevant skills, experience, qualifications, work location, market trends, and the compensation of employees in comparable roles.

The pay range for this role is:

210, USD per year (San Francisco Bay Area)