Principal Field Applications Engineer - High-Speed Interconnect

About the role

Semtech makes high-performance analog ICs for high-speed optical and copper interconnect, and is hiring a Principal Field Applications Engineer focused on the data center market. The role is remote (UK/EMEA) with travel of 35% or less, and carries responsibility for $100M+ in design-wins across Nvidia and other EMEA optical customers. The engineer must become a trusted technical advisor in Tier 1 hyperscaler labs, advise VPs in sales and product, and lead co-development for 1.6T and 3.2T connectivity, while also supporting key European PON and Mobile Transport accounts.

Key responsibilities

• Drive design wins for high-speed drivers, TIAs, copper redrivers and other products, accelerating design-in cycles and removing technical barriers
• Lead co-development initiatives for 1.6T, 3.2T+ technologies and create joint proof-of-concept projects with Tier 1 hyperscalers
• Align the product roadmap with customer technology plans and support design-ins, evaluations and troubleshooting
• Provide technical and pre/post-sales support to European PON and Mobile Transport accounts, balancing time across data center and PON/Mobile Transport work
• Debug complex issues, guide customers on PCB layout, signal integrity, firmware integration and system validation, and support qualification with equipment manufacturers, network operators and cloud providers
• Create application notes, white papers and design guides, and act as technical advisor to VPs in sales and product lines
• Influence product management and R&D priorities and align product, engineering, marketing, sales and operations

Required profile

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or a related field (Master's or Ph.D. preferred)
• 5+ years of AE/FAE experience in data center, PON or wireless/mobile transport environments
• Proven success leading customer co-development projects with significant revenue impact
• Established relationships with Tier 1 customer engineering teams and ecosystem partners
• Exceptional communication across technical and business audiences, able to influence without formal authority

Required skills

• Signal integrity (high-speed principles, modulation schemes, channel modeling, equalization) for 800G, 1.6T, 3.2T, PON or mobile transport
• Optical transceiver architecture, design, validation and manufacturing
• Familiarity with LPO, LRO, NPO and CPO architectures; knowledge of IEEE 802.3 and OIF standards or ITU-T PON standards
• High-speed PCB design, layout and impedance control
• High-speed test equipment such as network analyzers, BER testers and oscilloscopes