High-Speed IO Architect - Digital - PCIe/UCIe/Ethernet Subsystems

High-Speed IO Architect - PCIe/UCIe/Ethernet Subsystems

The Role

As the HSIO Architect, you will own the high-speed interface architecture across the various product families. You will drive decisions from SerDes architecture to UCIe die-to-die integration, working directly with the Head of Engineering, digital leads, and analog teams. You will also serve as the technical interface to key IP vendors (UCIe PHY, SerDes), foundry partners and anchor customers.

This position is not an IP integration role. We need someone who can define the architecture, validate the tradeoffs, and guide execution through tape out.

Key Responsibilities

Define high-speed IO architecture for PCIe/Ethernet-224G/448G scale up fabric/CPO optics to electrical interfaces.

Define die to die interface architecture for UCIe integration: flit formats, credit based flow control, sideband management, and latency targets.

Architect the SerDes to photonics interface, retimer integration, and co packaged optics (CPO) readiness.

Own the signal integrity budget: TX/RX equalization, channel loss allocation, crosstalk margins, and jitter decomposition across the full channel.

Implementation Oversight

Guide SerDes PHY selection and evaluation; assess vendor IP (custom vs. licensed), and establish integration requirements.

Define and review UCIe PHY integration: bump map, power domain partitioning, analog/digital co design requirements, and pad ring architecture.

Collaborate with digital architecture lead on protocol bridge design — PCIe TLP UCIe flit conversion, flow control, error handling.

Drive DFT and compliance test architecture for PCIe certification and UCIe conformance testing.

Establish PVT margin strategies and power management per lane DVFS, shutdown sequences, and IVR chiplet coordination.

Serve as primary technical interface to anchor customers and engage hyperscaler architecture teams (AWS, Google, Microsoft, Meta) to validate product definition against platform requirements.

Roadmap & IP

Contribute to RTL reuse strategy — enabling derivative roadmap SKUs with minimal re spin.

Identify and scope patentable innovations in UCIe integration, adaptive equalization, and multi protocol bridge architectures.

Required Qualifications

15+ years in high speed interface architecture; 5+ years at Principal level or higher in a fabless or IDM semiconductor environment.

Deep expertise in PCIe architecture — from PHY layer through controller and protocol stack; direct tape out experience strongly preferred.

UCIe standard familiarity — flit based transport, sideband protocol, and die to die integration in 2.5D/3D packages.

Signal integrity expertise: S parameter analysis, channel simulation (HSPICE/IBIS-AMI), eye diagram closure, and crosstalk budgeting.

Experience with advanced nodes and advanced packaging (CoWoS, EMIB, InFO).

Track record of driving complex multi party IP integrations from architecture through tape out.

Preferred Qualifications

Experience with 224G/400G+ SerDes architectures for scale up AI fabric (NVLink, UALink, Ultra Ethernet, or proprietary).

Familiarity with electrical optical co design for CPO or near package optics; EIC retimer or photonic interface experience.

PCIe SIG membership or active contribution to UCIe Consortium working groups.

Prior startup experience or comfort with early stage ambiguity and fast paced execution. #J-18808-Ljbffr