Principal Systems Engineer

Principal Systems Engineer

Join to apply for the Principal Systems Engineer role at Max Linear

Carlsbad, CA

• Leading cross‑functional debug and validation efforts for optical modules, Active Electrical Cables (AECs), and solutions for data center applications, including emerging workloads such as Generative Artificial Intelligence.
• System-level troubleshooting, performance optimization, and ensuring products meet internal design goals and industry standards.
• Lead system-level debug and validation of optical modules and AECs across design, hardware, and systems teams supporting data center and AI infrastructure.
• Architect and analyze optical systems, ensuring compatibility and performance across internal platforms and test environments for high‑bandwidth, low‑latency applications.
• Drive root‑cause analysis and resolution of complex issues during bring‑up, validation, and production phases.
• Collaborate with cross‑functional teams to resolve technical challenges and deliver robust solutions for next‑generation data center deployments.
• Support development and validation of reference designs and test platforms for optical products used in AI and cloud‑scale environments.
• Provide feedback to internal teams on design improvements, validation coverage, and field performance in high‑performance computing and AI workloads.

• Extensive knowledge of optical‑electrical systems, high‑speed interfaces, and system integration.
• Proven experience with optical modules, AECs, or data center solutions.
• Deep understanding of optical system impairments and mitigation techniques (BER, OSNR, signal integrity).
• Hands‑on experience with system-level debug, validation, and performance tuning.
• Familiarity with high‑speed PCB design and CAD tools.
• Exposure to system architecture of optical transceivers and baseband DSP systems.
• Strong communication and cross‑functional collaboration skills.
• Knowledge of DSP algorithms and modulation techniques.
• BS in Electrical Engineering or related + 9 years of experience, or MS + 7 years of experience, or Ph.D. + 4 years of experience.

Max Linear has a Total Compensation philosophy which includes base salary and annual discretionary bonus eligibility and many positions also include stock‑based compensation.

Starting base salary range: $130,000 to $203,200 annually.

Competitive benefits designed to support employee health, welfare, and retirement, including health care benefits, 401(k) savings plan, Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP), and paid time off.

Max Linear is a global, NASDAQ‑traded company (MXL) where the entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well. We are a fabless system‑on‑chip product company, striving to improve the world’s communication networks through highly integrated RF, analog, digital, and mixed‑signal semiconductor solutions for access and connectivity, wired and wireless infrastructure, and industrial and multi‑market applications.

Our headquarters are in Carlsbad, near San Diego, California. Design centers are located in Irvine and San Jose, California;
Valencia, Spain;
Bangalore, India;
Munich, Germany;
Israel; and Singapore.

Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to, and will not be discriminated against based on race, sex, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or protected veteran status.

Mid‑Senior level

Full‑time

Information Technology

Semiconductor Manufacturing