Principal Engineer, System HW Design - SI/PI (AI2545)

Description Job Title: Principal Engineer, System HW Design - SI/PI Job Location: Bangalore, India (This position requires a full-time, on-site presence in our Bangalore, India Office) Job ID: AI2545 Job Description: As Principal Engineer, System HW Design - SI/PI, you will be part of the Systems Hardware Engineering Team that designs, builds, brings-up, and productizes PCB boards for SiMa.ai. This showcases SiMa's MLSoC™ Machine Learning SoC across bring-up and debug, characterization, customer samples, and eventual production. In this role, you will define and drive SI/PI strategy across our entire MLSoC product line — spanning System-on-Module designs, PCIe add-in cards, chip-down BGA reference designs, and full development platforms. This is a significant technical contributor role that will define how signal and power integrity (SI/PI) is implemented across the hardware organization. Working with internal teams and external vendors, the role will guide PCB design, simulation, and lab validation to ensure reliable high-speed signaling and power delivery across our hardware platforms. Role & responsibilities: • Define, document (including simulation reports and design decisions),own SI/PI architecture, design guidelines, review processes, and sign-off criteria across the full SiMa.ai product portfolio (SoM, PCIe HHHL card, chip-down BGA design, DevKit carrier, and future platforms). • Serve as the technical specialist on high-speed interface margin closure: PCIe Gen5 (root complex, up to 32 GT/s/lane), MIPI CSI/DSI (C-PHY/D-PHY), USB 3.x/Type-C, 10 Gigabit Ethernet SerDes, and LPDDR memory channels • Drive stack-up, impedance, and channel budget decisions across concurrent board programs, resolving trade-offs between cost, manufacturability, and signal margin at the product-line level • Own power delivery network (PDN) architecture for high-transient-current AI accelerator silicon, setting design targets and review standards used across all boards • Set the long-term connector/interconnect strategy across product generations (board-to-board, M.2 NVMe, PCIe edge-card interfaces) • Define lab validation standards and own escalation-level debug for the hardest SI/PI bring-up issues across programs • Own the SI/PI simulation tool strategy and flow (Ansys HFSS/SIwave, Cadence Sigrity/Clarity, Keysight ADS, or equivalent) — evaluate and select tools, and build reusable methodology assets for the team • Own or support compliance testing (PCIe-SIG, USB-IF, MIPI Alliance) for interfaces on production and pre-production boards • Engage with component/module vendors and standards bodies as needed to stay ahead of emerging high-speed interface requirements Minimum Requirements: • Bachelor's in Electrical Engineering or a related field. Master’s degree preferred with 15 years of industry experience in signal integrity and power integrity engineering for high-speed digital systems, including experience leading SI/PI strategy across multiple concurrent programs • Deep, demonstrated expertise with PCIe Gen4/Gen5, DDR4/DDR5/LPDDR, USB 3.x, and MIPI D-PHY/C-PHY signaling, including having driven margin closure on production designs • Proven track record owning PDN architecture for high-power SoCs/ASICs (AI accelerators, GPUs, or comparable compute silicon) at a product-line level • Expert-level proficiency with SI/PI EDA tools: Ansys HFSS/SIwave, Cadence Sigrity/Clarity, Keysight ADS, or similar, including tool selection and methodology development • Extensive hands-on lab validation experience — VNA, TDR, high-bandwidth oscilloscopes — and experience owning escalation-level debug • Expertise in PCB stack-up design, transmission line theory, S-parameters, and channel modeling. • Strong working knowledge of industry compliance standards (PCIe-SIG, USB-IF, MIPI Alliance) • Demonstrated ability to set technical direction and standards across a hardware organization, and to mentor senior/staff-level engineers • Good cross-functional leadership skills — comfortable driving alignment across ASIC, package, hardware, layout, and firmware teams at a strategic level • Knowledge of ASIC characterization, PCB manufacturing, assembly, test, quality & reliability is a plus. Personal Attributes: • Demonstrates a proactive, solutions-oriented mindset and takes ownership of outcomes • Collaborates effectively across cross-functional teams and fosters a strong team culture • Intellectually curious, with a creative approach to problem-solving and technical challenges • Execution-focused and results-driven, with a track record of delivering under ambiguity • Self-motivated and highly accountable, with the ability to think strategically and drive long-term impact • Strong verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to convey complex technical concepts clearly to diverse audiences.