Lead Hardware Engineer, Digital

Lead Hardware Engineer (Digital & Embedded Systems)

About the Opportunity

Thrively is partnering with a well-funded, next-generation hardware startup developing breakthrough optical and compute-infrastructure technologies for hyperscale AI/ML data centers.

Our client's platform integrates advanced MEMS, silicon photonics, ASICs, and embedded systems into a radically new hardware architecture. They are backed by top-tier investors and building technology that will reshape data-center-scale networking for years to come.

We're looking for a Lead Hardware Engineer to own digital board design, embedded control systems, and system-level hardware development for their next-gen platform.

This is a hands-on, architecture + design + bring-up role in a fast-moving startup environment.

What You'll Own

Digital Board & Embedded Control Systems

• Architect, design, and validate complex digital & mixed-signal PCBs for high-reliability environments
• Develop embedded control systems using microcontrollers/processors, including redundant controller architectures
• Design and integrate memory subsystems (DDR, Flash, SRAM), plus power sequencing, resets, clocks
• Implement high-speed interfaces (PCIe, SERDES, Ethernet, I2C/SPI, GMII, etc.)
• Own schematic capture, system bring-up, debugging, and cross-functional integration

FPGA & Digital Logic Integration

• Implement supporting FPGA logic for system integration or interface glue
• Write and maintain RTL (VHDL/Verilog/SystemVerilog) where needed
• Support synthesis, timing closure, simulation, and prototype bring-up

System Debug, Validation & Automation

• Debug across digital, firmware, and interface layers
• Use scopes, logic analyzers, and protocol analyzers to validate functionality
• Build automated validation test setups (Python / LabVIEW ideal)

Manufacturing & Reliability Support

• Drive DFT/DFM alignment with manufacturing & test teams
• Improve board-level test procedures, boundary scan, and programming flows

What We're Looking For

• Bachelor's or Master's in EE, CE, or equivalent
• 8+ years of hands-on digital board + embedded system design experience
• Strong experience with microcontrollers/processors, memory systems, and power management
• Deep familiarity with high-speed interfaces (PCIe, SERDES, DDR, Ethernet)
• Skilled in schematic capture, PCB bring-up, and lab debug tools
• Experience with FPGA design flows (RTL → synthesis → timing → integration)
• Excellent cross-disciplinary communication and documentation skills

Bonus Skills (Nice to Have)

• Strong FPGA background (Xilinx / Intel)
• Signal/power integrity analysis (HyperLynx, Sigrity, ADS)
• Hardware automation or scripting (Python, LabVIEW)
• Experience with optical/photonics hardware
• Background in data-center, telecom, HPC, or high-reliability systems

Compensation

$220,000–$280,000

Base compensation depends on experience, seniority, and technical depth.

Why This Role Matters

This is a chance to design the digital/embedded architecture behind a category-defining hardware platform in the AI/ML infrastructure world. You'll work alongside leaders in ASIC development, photonics, MEMS, packaging, and systems engineering — and own some of the most critical control-plane hardware in the company.