Hardware Design Staff Systems Engineer

We are looking for a Staff Hardware Designer – Systems Engineer to contribute to the design, bring-up, and validation of Evaluation Kits (EVKs) used for silicon validation and customer engagement.

In this role, you will support hardware projects from requirements review and system architecture input through schematic design, PCB review, bring-up, laboratory validation, and documentation. You will work closely with senior engineers, technical leads, cross-functional teams, and external partners to deliver high-quality, robust EVKs while continuing to develop broader project ownership skills. You will focus on:

• Contribute to EVK hardware projects from requirements to validation, taking ownership of assigned tasks and design blocks
• Support the translation of requirements from Systems, SW, IC Design, Marketing, and customers into practical EVK design implementation
• Design EVKs at schematic level, including:
  • Power supply architecture (DC/DCs, LDOs, sequencing, monitoring)
  • High-speed, RF and mixed-signal circuits (matching, filters, baluns)
  • Communication and control interfaces (I2C, SPI, FTDI, GPIO)
• Apply Signal Integrity and Power Integrity (SI/PI) fundamentals to high-speed and mixed-signal designs
• Support PCB layout guideline definition, floorplan reviews, stack-up reviews, routing reviews, and SI/PI simulation assessment
• Use Cadence or equivalent EDA tools to support schematic design, PCB layout review, and design checks
• Use LTspice or similar SPICE tools for power supply analysis and basic circuit simulations
• Generate and review BOMs, Gerbers, and manufacturing outputs
• Define and execute bring-up and validation plans in the laboratory and contribute to their improvement
• Debug hardware issues using standard lab instrumentation (oscilloscopes, spectrum analyzers, logic analyzers, etc.)
• Support screening and test plans and collaborate with lab technicians during execution
• Use Python scripting to automate lab validation, screening, data collection, and result analysis
• Create high-quality documentation, including user guides and bring-up procedures
• Share design concepts, implementation details, and results with internal teams and, when needed, support customer-facing material

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering or a related field
• 3–4 years of experience in hardware design for complex systems, EVKs, or reference designs
• Experience in:
  • Power supply design and sequencing
  • RF and mixed-signal hardware design
  • High-speed interfaces and SI/PI fundamentals
  • Low-speed communication
• Ability to contribute effectively to hardware projects, take ownership of assigned work, and work under guidance from senior engineers or technical leads
• Hands-on experience with board bring-up, validation, and debug in the lab
• Working knowledge of Python scripting for lab automation, validation support, screening, and data analysis
• Familiarity with Cadence or similar EDA tools, and LTspice or equivalent SPICE tools
• Communication and documentation skills, including professional English
• Ability to work effectively with cross-functional and geographically distributed teams, using English as a common working language

Nice to Have

• Experience with high-speed SerDes / optical / networking SoCs / RF circuits
• Experience working with international and cross-site teams
• Experience defining HW processes and best practices

Why Join Us

• Contribute to technically challenging EVK designs at the heart of silicon validation and customer engagement
• Meaningful technical contribution with guidance from experienced engineers
• Collaboration with experienced global teams
• Opportunity to grow toward broader system-level ownership and technical leadership

MaxLinear 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 for everyone through our highly integrated radio-frequency (RF), analog, digital, and mixed-signal semiconductor solutions for access and connectivity, wired and wireless infrastructure, and industrial and multi-market applications.

We hire the best people in the industry and engage them in some of the most exciting opportunities that connect the world we live in today. Our growth has come from innovative, bold approaches to solving some of the world’s most challenging communication technology problems in the most efficient and effective manner.

MaxLinear began by developing the world’s first high-performance TV tuner chip using standard CMOS process technology. Others said we couldn’t achieve the extremely high-performance requirements using CMOS, but we proved them wrong and achieved enduring global market leadership with our designs. Since then, we’ve developed a full line of products that drive 4G and 5G infrastructure; enable data center, metro and long-haul optical interconnects; bring 10Gbit to the home; power the IoT revolution; and enable robust and reliable communication in harsh industrial environments. Over the years, we’ve expanded through organic growth and through several acquisitions that have perfectly complemented our existing portfolio and enabled us to deliver complete end-to-end solutions in our target markets. One such example was the acquisition of Intel’s Home Gateway Platform Division that added Wi-Fi, Ethernet, and Broadband Gateway Processor SoC technology to our connected home portfolio creating a complete and scalable platform of connectivity and access solutions to fully address our customers’ needs.

Our headquarters are in Carlsbad, near San Diego, California. We also have major design centers in Irvine and San Jose, California; Valencia, Spain; Bangalore, India; Munich, Germany; Israel; and Singapore.

We have approximately 1,200 employees, a substantial majority of whom have engineering degrees and include masters and Ph.D. graduates from many of the premiere universities around the world. Our employees thrive on innovation, outstanding execution, outside-the-box thinking, nimbleness, and collaboration. Together, we form a high-energy business team that is focused on building the best and most innovative products on the market.