Hardware Validation Engineer – Accelerator Boards

The Role:

We are looking for a Hardware Validation Engineer to lead board‑level bring‑up and validation of our accelerator cards used in HPC and AI/ML servers. You will work hands‑on in the lab validating power, signal integrity at the system level, thermal performance, and overall functional behavior to ensure our products meet performance, reliability, and interoperability requirements.

Key Responsibilities:

• Own board bring‑up and validation for new accelerator PCB designs:

• Initial power‑on, smoke tests, and debug

• Interface bring‑up (PCIe, high‑speed links, management interfaces)

• Develop and execute validation plans and test cases covering:

• Power and voltage margining

• Thermal performance and fan/airflow/coolant-circuits interactions

• Functional and stress tests for key interfaces and subsystems

• Use lab equipment (oscilloscopes, VNAs, logic analyzers, protocol analyzers, power analyzers) to measure and characterize board performance.

• Work closely with design, SI/PI, power, thermal, and firmware teams to identify root cause and drive resolution of issues observed during testing.

• Contribute to test automation, scripting, and test infrastructure to improve coverage and throughput.

• Support compliance and interoperability testing with server platforms and ecosystem partners.

• Document test results, file detailed bug reports, and contribute to design feedback for future revisions.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field.

• 3+ years of experience in board‑level hardware validation, bring‑up, or test engineering.

• Solid hands‑on skills with lab instruments (oscilloscopes, power supplies, loads, logic/protocol analyzers, etc.).

• Understanding of:

• Board‑level power delivery and high‑speed digital design

• Common server and accelerator interfaces (e.g., PCIe, I2C/SMBus, SPI, UART)

• Ability to read and understand schematics, PCB layout plots, and datasheets.

• Experience with scripting languages (Python, shell, etc.) for test automation and data analysis.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience validating data center or networking hardware (servers, accelerator cards, NICs, storage controllers).

• Familiarity with high‑speed serial protocols (PCIe Gen4/Gen5/Gen6, CXL, Ethernet, or similar).

• Experience working closely with firmware/software teams on board initialization and diagnostics.

• Knowledge of reliability and stress testing (thermal cycling, burn‑in, margin testing).

What We Offer?

• A chance to work on one of the most transformative AI and silicon engineering companies in Europe with cutting-edge technology and industry leaders.

• We offer a remuneration package that values your experience.

• We believe in investing in our employees and providing them with opportunities for growth and career development.

• Work in a hybrid environment with flexible scheduling.

• Join an innovative team and experience company growth.

• Opportunity to travel to other countries in Europe to meet the teams, collaborate and drive solutions.

• The role is based in Karlsruhe (Germany) but open to be in Barcelona (Spain) too.

We are looking for outstanding people willing to join our mission to change the silicon industry and help build a better world. If you identify with Openchip, please contact us.

At Openchip & Software Technologies S.L., we believe a diverse and inclusive team is the key to groundbreaking ideas. We foster a work environment where everyone feels valued, respected, and empowered to reach their full potential—regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or gender identity.