Digital Motherboard Hardware Designer – Contract

About Eridan

At Eridan we believe in the power of collaboration and communication to achieve our mission: connect the planet to empower a sustainable, shared future. That mission is possible with our patented transmitter which decreases the cost and power required to roll out 5G by 10x when deployed globally. This is all facilitated through our offices: our Sunnyvale headquarters has big windows (even in the lab!), is walking distance to downtown and the Caltrain, and fits the entire team in the cafeteria for our frequent company parties. Learn more about our mission here.

About this Job

We are looking for a skilled High-Speed Motherboard Design Engineer (contract role) to own the schematic completion and PCB layout of a high-performance digital motherboard used in our next-generation 5G radio unit. The ideal contractor has deep experience designing complex boards with FPGAs, high-speed interconnects, and multi-rail power domains, and can confidently take a design from rough concept through manufacturable layout.

Key Responsibilities:

Motherboard Schematic & Layout

• Complete and optimize the schematic and layout of a high-speed digital motherboard from a rough initial design and defined interfaces
• Ensure robust routing of high-speed signals, clock trees, SERDES channels, and power rails
• Define and implement board stackup, layer allocation, and length-matching constraints

System Integration & Design Optimization

• Work closely with FPGA, power, RF, and mechanical engineers to ensure seamless integration across subsystems
• Identify and propose design improvements related to electrical performance, thermal considerations, and mechanical constraints
• Guide selection and placement of key components with system-level tradeoffs in mind

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with operations and supply chain to ensure BOM cost-effectiveness and availability
• Align power domain isolation and switching regulator designs with firmware and hardware requirements
• Support design reviews, bring-up planning, and documentation

Qualifications of a Successful Candidate:

• Extensive experience designing layouts for high-complexity digital motherboards with FPGAs and high-speed interfaces
• Strong background in signal integrity, power delivery, switching regulators, and isolation techniques
• Proficient in Altium
• Hands-on experience with SERDES, clock distribution, SPI, I2C, LVDS; experience with JESD and SFP is preferred
• RF and PMIC experience is a strong plus
• Excellent communication, collaboration, and documentation skills

Eridan is an equal opportunity employer. We value and celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Qualified applicants will be considered for contract employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or protected veteran status.