Principal Software Engineer Jobs at Astera Labs with Visa Sponsorship
Astera Labs hires Principal Software Engineers to build the connectivity and systems software powering next-generation data infrastructure. The company has an established track record of sponsoring work visas for experienced engineers in this function, making it a realistic target for international candidates at the principal level.
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Get Access To All JobsINTRODUCTION
Astera Labs (NASDAQ: ALAB) provides rack-scale AI infrastructure through purpose-built connectivity solutions. By collaborating with hyperscalers and ecosystem partners, Astera Labs enables organizations to unlock the full potential of modern AI. Astera Labs’ Intelligent Connectivity Platform integrates CXL®, Ethernet, NVLink, PCIe®, and UALink™ semiconductor-based technologies with the company’s COSMOS software suite to unify diverse components into cohesive, flexible systems that deliver end-to-end scale-up, and scale-out connectivity. The company’s custom connectivity solutions business complements its standards-based portfolio, enabling customers to deploy tailored architectures to meet their unique infrastructure requirements.
THE ROLE AND ITS IMPACT
Our Taurus product line includes Ethernet retimers and gearboxes deployed in active electrical cables and in-system applications, providing critical signal conditioning for high-speed connectivity in AI infrastructure. The firmware you develop will manage complex system and IP integration, SERDES configuration, link training sequences, and diagnostic capabilities for these devices deployed in data centers worldwide.
As a Principal Engineer in our Signal Connectivity Engineering group, you'll contribute to firmware that directly impacts the performance and reliability of Ethernet connectivity solutions powering AI infrastructure globally. Working closely with the SoC software, transceiver module software, and system validation teams, you'll take ownership of feature development and rollout, software integration testing, and customer debug activities. Working at the intersection of embedded systems and high-speed Ethernet connectivity, you'll collaborate closely to bring these systems to production.
We're a startup, and this role reflects that reality. You'll have responsibilities spanning firmware development, customer engagement, debug and validation support, and cross-functional coordination. We're looking for someone who thrives wearing multiple hats and is energized by jumping into whatever needs doing. We recognize this breadth and reward it accordingly.
This position offers strong mentorship opportunities as you work alongside experienced engineers and help bring products from development through customer deployment.
Level is negotiable based on experience and qualifications.
LOCATION
This is an on-site position based in our San Jose, CA office.
CORE RESPONSIBILITIES
Firmware Development & Debug
- Develop and maintain embedded firmware for Ethernet retimers and gearboxes, from low-level hardware abstraction through customer-facing APIs
- Drive Layer 1 PHY and SERDES debug activities, including link bring-up issues, signal integrity problems, and interoperability failures
- Support complex IP integration efforts across multiple subsystems within the SoC
- Implement and optimize link training sequences, equalization tuning, and diagnostic features
- Assist with software quality gates and validation criteria at each development phase
Product Rollout & Customer Integration
- Partner with the software lead to drive product rollout activities from development through production deployment
- Support customer integration efforts through firmware customization, debug assistance, and technical guidance
- Investigate field-reported issues and coordinate resolution with internal teams
- Develop and maintain SDK/API interfaces that enable customer platform integration
Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Work extensively with digital SoC teams to understand hardware behavior, register interfaces, and IP integration requirements
- Collaborate with field applications engineers to support customer bring-up and resolve deployment issues
- Partner with platform applications teams to ensure firmware meets system-level requirements
- Work alongside silicon and system validation teams to develop test plans, automate characterization flows, and verify firmware behavior across corner cases
- Provide regular project updates on progress, risks, dependencies, and technical challenges
WHAT YOU BRING
Required Qualifications:
- BS/MS in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field
- 10+ years of embedded C/C++ firmware development in resource-constrained environments
- Deep understanding of microcontroller architecture, memory-mapped peripherals, interrupt handling, and bare-metal firmware design
- Experience with Layer 1 PHY firmware, SERDES bring-up, or SDK/API development for networking devices
- Strong proficiency with Linux development tools: gcc/clang, make, bash scripting, gdb, and git
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills; ability to explain complex technical concepts clearly
- Demonstrated problem-solving ability and systematic debugging approach on real hardware
- Comfort with ambiguity and a willingness to take on whatever challenges arise in a fast-moving startup environment
Highly Valued Skills:
- Experience with PMA, FEC, or related PHY-layer subsystems beyond the PMD/SERDES
- Familiarity with NIC or switch management software, for system test purposes
- Exposure to SAI (Switch Abstraction Interface) or OpenBMC
- Experience with Python for test automation, data analysis, or general scripting
- Hands-on experience building and maintaining Jenkins CI/CD pipelines and automated test infrastructure
- Background in retimer or gearbox firmware/API, active electrical cables, or high-speed Ethernet connectivity
- Experience with lab equipment: oscilloscopes, power supplies, logic analyzers, BERT, Viavi/Lecroy/Exfo/Keysight/Tektronix or similar
- Understanding of signal integrity concepts: equalization, channel loss, jitter, eye diagrams, and link margin
- Familiarity with FPGA emulation, pre-silicon validation, or hardware simulation environments
- Experience with RTOS, device drivers, or coroutines
- Prior technical lead, mentorship, or team lead experience
COMPENSATION
Salary range is $185,000 USD - $203,000 USD depending on experience, level, and business need. This role will include a discretionary bonus, competitive equity package, comprehensive health/dental/vision coverage, professional development opportunities, and a culture that values technical excellence, collaboration, and innovation.
We know that creativity and innovation happen more often when teams include diverse ideas, backgrounds, and experiences, and we actively encourage everyone with relevant experience to apply, including people of color, LGBTQ+ and non-binary people, veterans, parents, and individuals with disabilities.
INTRODUCTION
Astera Labs (NASDAQ: ALAB) provides rack-scale AI infrastructure through purpose-built connectivity solutions. By collaborating with hyperscalers and ecosystem partners, Astera Labs enables organizations to unlock the full potential of modern AI. Astera Labs’ Intelligent Connectivity Platform integrates CXL®, Ethernet, NVLink, PCIe®, and UALink™ semiconductor-based technologies with the company’s COSMOS software suite to unify diverse components into cohesive, flexible systems that deliver end-to-end scale-up, and scale-out connectivity. The company’s custom connectivity solutions business complements its standards-based portfolio, enabling customers to deploy tailored architectures to meet their unique infrastructure requirements.
THE ROLE AND ITS IMPACT
Our Taurus product line includes Ethernet retimers and gearboxes deployed in active electrical cables and in-system applications, providing critical signal conditioning for high-speed connectivity in AI infrastructure. The firmware you develop will manage complex system and IP integration, SERDES configuration, link training sequences, and diagnostic capabilities for these devices deployed in data centers worldwide.
As a Principal Engineer in our Signal Connectivity Engineering group, you'll contribute to firmware that directly impacts the performance and reliability of Ethernet connectivity solutions powering AI infrastructure globally. Working closely with the SoC software, transceiver module software, and system validation teams, you'll take ownership of feature development and rollout, software integration testing, and customer debug activities. Working at the intersection of embedded systems and high-speed Ethernet connectivity, you'll collaborate closely to bring these systems to production.
We're a startup, and this role reflects that reality. You'll have responsibilities spanning firmware development, customer engagement, debug and validation support, and cross-functional coordination. We're looking for someone who thrives wearing multiple hats and is energized by jumping into whatever needs doing. We recognize this breadth and reward it accordingly.
This position offers strong mentorship opportunities as you work alongside experienced engineers and help bring products from development through customer deployment.
Level is negotiable based on experience and qualifications.
LOCATION
This is an on-site position based in our San Jose, CA office.
CORE RESPONSIBILITIES
Firmware Development & Debug
- Develop and maintain embedded firmware for Ethernet retimers and gearboxes, from low-level hardware abstraction through customer-facing APIs
- Drive Layer 1 PHY and SERDES debug activities, including link bring-up issues, signal integrity problems, and interoperability failures
- Support complex IP integration efforts across multiple subsystems within the SoC
- Implement and optimize link training sequences, equalization tuning, and diagnostic features
- Assist with software quality gates and validation criteria at each development phase
Product Rollout & Customer Integration
- Partner with the software lead to drive product rollout activities from development through production deployment
- Support customer integration efforts through firmware customization, debug assistance, and technical guidance
- Investigate field-reported issues and coordinate resolution with internal teams
- Develop and maintain SDK/API interfaces that enable customer platform integration
Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Work extensively with digital SoC teams to understand hardware behavior, register interfaces, and IP integration requirements
- Collaborate with field applications engineers to support customer bring-up and resolve deployment issues
- Partner with platform applications teams to ensure firmware meets system-level requirements
- Work alongside silicon and system validation teams to develop test plans, automate characterization flows, and verify firmware behavior across corner cases
- Provide regular project updates on progress, risks, dependencies, and technical challenges
WHAT YOU BRING
Required Qualifications:
- BS/MS in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field
- 10+ years of embedded C/C++ firmware development in resource-constrained environments
- Deep understanding of microcontroller architecture, memory-mapped peripherals, interrupt handling, and bare-metal firmware design
- Experience with Layer 1 PHY firmware, SERDES bring-up, or SDK/API development for networking devices
- Strong proficiency with Linux development tools: gcc/clang, make, bash scripting, gdb, and git
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills; ability to explain complex technical concepts clearly
- Demonstrated problem-solving ability and systematic debugging approach on real hardware
- Comfort with ambiguity and a willingness to take on whatever challenges arise in a fast-moving startup environment
Highly Valued Skills:
- Experience with PMA, FEC, or related PHY-layer subsystems beyond the PMD/SERDES
- Familiarity with NIC or switch management software, for system test purposes
- Exposure to SAI (Switch Abstraction Interface) or OpenBMC
- Experience with Python for test automation, data analysis, or general scripting
- Hands-on experience building and maintaining Jenkins CI/CD pipelines and automated test infrastructure
- Background in retimer or gearbox firmware/API, active electrical cables, or high-speed Ethernet connectivity
- Experience with lab equipment: oscilloscopes, power supplies, logic analyzers, BERT, Viavi/Lecroy/Exfo/Keysight/Tektronix or similar
- Understanding of signal integrity concepts: equalization, channel loss, jitter, eye diagrams, and link margin
- Familiarity with FPGA emulation, pre-silicon validation, or hardware simulation environments
- Experience with RTOS, device drivers, or coroutines
- Prior technical lead, mentorship, or team lead experience
COMPENSATION
Salary range is $185,000 USD - $203,000 USD depending on experience, level, and business need. This role will include a discretionary bonus, competitive equity package, comprehensive health/dental/vision coverage, professional development opportunities, and a culture that values technical excellence, collaboration, and innovation.
We know that creativity and innovation happen more often when teams include diverse ideas, backgrounds, and experiences, and we actively encourage everyone with relevant experience to apply, including people of color, LGBTQ+ and non-binary people, veterans, parents, and individuals with disabilities.
See all 42+ Principal Software Engineer at Astera Labs jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new Principal Software Engineer at Astera Labs roles.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding Principal Software Engineer Jobs at Astera Labs Jobs
Align your experience to CXL and PCIe
Astera Labs builds semiconductor connectivity solutions around CXL and PCIe protocols. Framing your systems or firmware background around these technologies signals immediate fit for their principal-level roles and reduces the 'ramp-up risk' concern employers weigh when sponsoring a visa.
Verify your F-1 OPT timeline before applying
If you're on F-1 OPT, confirm exactly how many months remain before filing your H-1B registration. Astera Labs recruits on a rolling basis, so a late-stage offer that misses the April H-1B registration window can leave you without status unless STEM OPT extension covers the gap.
Request explicit sponsorship confirmation during screening
Ask the recruiter directly whether the specific requisition is approved for visa sponsorship. Principal Software Engineer openings at Astera Labs span multiple product lines, and sponsorship eligibility can vary by team headcount and budget cycle.
Prepare for a PERM-compatible employment history record
For EB-2 or EB-3 green card paths, DOL requires a detailed employment history audit going back five or more years. Gather official offer letters, W-2s, and employer verification letters now so the PERM labor certification process does not stall after your H-1B petition is approved.
Target roles that map to approved LCA job titles
DOL Labor Condition Applications filed by hardware-focused companies like Astera Labs typically use precise SOC codes tied to software development or systems engineering. Confirming your resume title and duties align with those codes reduces the risk of a specialty occupation challenge during USCIS adjudication.
Use Migrate Mate to track open roles and sponsorship signals
Principal Software Engineer postings at Astera Labs move quickly. Use Migrate Mate to filter and monitor these openings alongside verified sponsorship data, so you apply during active hiring cycles rather than to positions that have already closed or paused external sponsorship.
Principal Software Engineer at Astera Labs jobs are hiring across the US. Find yours.
Find Principal Software Engineer at Astera Labs JobsFrequently Asked Questions
Does Astera Labs sponsor H-1B visas for Principal Software Engineers?
Yes, Astera Labs sponsors H-1B visas for Principal Software Engineers. The company operates in semiconductors and data infrastructure, fields where specialized engineering talent frequently requires sponsorship. H-1B remains the primary work authorization path for non-Australian, non-Canadian international engineers at this level. Confirm sponsorship availability for the specific role during your initial recruiter call, as eligibility can vary by team and budget cycle.
How do I apply for Principal Software Engineer jobs at Astera Labs?
Apply directly through Astera Labs' careers page or through Migrate Mate, which aggregates their open Principal Software Engineer roles alongside sponsorship eligibility signals. Tailor your resume to reflect experience with connectivity protocols such as CXL or PCIe, which align closely with Astera Labs' core product areas. Reach out to the recruiter early to confirm the role is approved for visa sponsorship before investing time in technical interviews.
Which visa types does Astera Labs commonly use for Principal Software Engineers?
Astera Labs sponsors H-1B visas as the primary nonimmigrant work authorization for Principal Software Engineers. The company also supports F-1 OPT and STEM OPT extensions for recent graduates, TN visas for Canadian and Mexican nationals in qualifying engineering roles, and EB-2 or EB-3 immigrant visa petitions for candidates pursuing a Green Card through employer-sponsored PERM labor certification.
What qualifications does Astera Labs expect for a Principal Software Engineer?
Principal Software Engineer roles at Astera Labs typically require a bachelor's or master's degree in computer science, electrical engineering, or a closely related field, along with substantial hands-on experience in systems software, firmware, or hardware-software integration. Experience with high-speed interconnects, drivers, or low-level performance optimization is frequently emphasized given the company's focus on semiconductor connectivity. A degree-to-role field match matters for H-1B specialty occupation qualification with USCIS.
How do I estimate the visa sponsorship timeline for a Principal Software Engineer offer at Astera Labs?
Timeline depends on your current status. H-1B registration opens each March for an October 1 start date, meaning an offer in late spring may require waiting nearly a year if you miss that window. STEM OPT can bridge the gap if you qualify. For Green Card sponsorship, PERM labor certification with DOL currently takes over a year before USCIS sees the petition, so starting early after your H-1B approval is strongly advisable.
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