Principal Product Application Engineer - Leo

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. Discover more at www.asteralabs.com . About the Role As a Principal Product Applications Engineer on the Leo team, you will sit at the intersection of firmware engineering and customer-facing technical engagement. You will be a key technical resource for enabling Leo CXL Smart Memory Controllers at hyperscale customers and OEM partners — owning firmware bring-up, validation, and customer issue resolution from early silicon through production ramp. Firmware is considered equally important to hardware at Astera Labs, and this role reflects that. You will work directly with customers to ensure their needs are fully understood and translated into firmware solutions, while collaborating closely with the internal firmware, hardware, and systems engineering teams. This position is required onsite in San Jose, CA. Key Responsibilities Lead firmware-focused customer engagements for Leo CXL Smart Memory Controllers, including bring-up support, feature enablement, and issue triage on customer platforms Develop, validate, and debug firmware using C and Python across Leo's PCIe/CXL and DDR memory subsystems Spearhead internal and external discussions on design requirements of DDR4/DDR5 DRAM interfaces , including initialization, training, RAS (Reliability, Availability, Serviceability) features, and performance tuning Serve as the primary firmware technical point of contact for key customer accounts (hyperscalers, OEMs), driving issue resolution and feature demonstrations Interpret and implement requirements from CXL, PCIe, and JEDEC DDR specifications into robust firmware solutions Collaborate with cross-functional teams (FW engineering, HW, systems, product management) to deliver firmware releases and customer collateral on schedule Develop and maintain Python-based test scripts, automation frameworks, and diagnostic tools to support validation and customer debug workflows Contribute to technical documentation including application notes, release notes, design guides, and customer-facing collateral Represent the Leo team in customer technical reviews, design-in engagements, and industry forums Basic Qualifications Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or a related technical field; Master's degree preferred 8+ years of experience in firmware development, product applications engineering, or a related technical role supporting complex SoC/silicon products for Server, Storage, and/or Networking applications Professional attitude with the ability to prioritize a dynamic list of tasks and work with minimal guidance Entrepreneurial, open-minded behavior and can-do attitude — think and act fast with the customer in mind! Authorized to work in the US and available to start immediately Required Experience High proficiency in C for embedded firmware development in RTOS environments Working knowledge of CXL (Compute Express Link) — CXL 1.1/2.0/3.0 — including memory expansion, pooling, and sharing concepts Proficiency in Python for scripting, test automation, and diagnostic tooling Deep hands-on knowledge of high-speed memory interfaces — DDR4 and/or DDR5 DRAM — including initialization sequences, training algorithms, timing margins, and ECC/RAS features Experience with firmware bring-up, debug,…