Astera Labs (NASDAQ: ALAB) provides rack-scale AI infrastructure through purpose-built connectivity solutions. By collaborating with hyperscalers and ecosystem partners, Astera Labs enables organizations to unlock the full potential of modern AI. Astera Labs’ Intelligent Connectivity Platform integrates CXL®, Ethernet, NVLink, PCIe®, and UALink™ semiconductor-based technologies with the company’s COSMOS software suite to unify diverse components into cohesive, flexible systems that deliver end-to-end scale-up, and scale-out connectivity. The company’s custom connectivity solutions business complements its standards-based portfolio, enabling customers to deploy tailored architectures to meet their unique infrastructure requirements. Discover more at www.asteralabs.com.
We are looking for a Senior Tools Development Engineer to help shape the future of COSMOS, Astera Labs' unified platform software. In this role, you'll build the tools that customers and engineers rely on every day to configure, monitor, debug, and validate Astera Labs products. You'll work at the intersection of software, hardware, and systems engineering—creating intuitive applications, command-line utilities, automation frameworks, and infrastructure that improve developer productivity and customer success.
If you enjoy building high-quality software, solving complex engineering problems, and developing tools that bridge applications, systems, and silicon, we'd love to hear from you.
COSMOS, Astera Labs' unified platform software. In this role, you'll build the tools that customers and engineers rely on every day to configure, monitor, debug, and validate Astera Labs products. You'll work at the intersection of software, hardware, and systems engineering—creating intuitive applications, automation frameworks, and infrastructure that improve developer productivity and customer success.
If you enjoy building high-quality software, solving complex engineering problems, and working across multiple programming languages and technologies, we'd love to talk to you.
What You'll Do- Design, develop, and maintain COSMOS Explorer (GUI) and COSMOS CLI, the primary software interfaces for configuring, monitoring, and debugging Astera Labs products.
- Develop desktop applications, command-line utilities, and automation tools using C#, C, C++, and Python.
- Build software that communicates directly with Astera Labs silicon to enable telemetry, diagnostics, validation, and product configuration.
- Design reusable frameworks and utilities that improve engineering productivity and simplify product bring-up and debug.
- Create automated testing and validation tools that improve software quality, reduce manual effort, and accelerate product releases.
- Leverage modern AI-assisted development tools to improve developer productivity, automate repetitive tasks, and accelerate test creation where appropriate.
- Debug complex software and system-level issues spanning applications, firmware, drivers, and hardware platforms.
- Write clean, maintainable, and well-documented code while participating in peer code reviews.
- Collaborate closely with firmware, hardware, validation, and product engineering teams to define new platform capabilities.
- Help shape the evolution of the COSMOS software platform through technical leadership and continuous improvement.
- Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical field.
- 5+ years of professional software development experience.
- Strong programming experience in several of the following:
- C#
- C
- C++
- Python
- Experience developing modern object-oriented software applications.
- Strong debugging and problem-solving skills.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, collaborative engineering environment.
- Experience developing desktop applications using technologies such as:
- Avalonia
- WPF
- MAUI
- WinUI
- Qt
- Experience building software tools, SDKs, utilities, or developer productivity applications.
- Experience designing automation frameworks and test infrastructure.
- Familiarity with Git, CI/CD workflows, and modern software engineering practices.
- Experience working with Windows and Linux environments.
- Familiarity with AI-assisted software development tools such as GitHub Copilot, ChatGPT, Cursor, Claude Code, or similar productivity tools.
- Experience communicating with hardware devices over PCIe, Ethernet, USB, I²C, SPI, or similar interfaces.
- Experience with lab equipment such as oscilloscopes, protocol analyzers, or traffic generators.
- Familiarity with server architecture, storage systems, networking equipment, or AI infrastructure.
- Exposure to firmware, embedded software, device drivers, or silicon validation.
- Knowledge of PCIe®, CXL®, Ethernet, or other high-speed interconnect technologies.
The base pay range for this role is between $165,000 and $210,000. Your actual base pay will depend on factors such as your background, qualifications, and experience.
We know that creativity and innovation happen more often when teams include diverse ideas, backgrounds, and experiences, and we actively encourage everyone with relevant experience to apply, including people of color, LGBTQ+ and non-binary people, veterans, parents, and individuals with disabilities.
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field
- 5+ years of digital design experience, including at least one full chip from spec to tapeout
- Proficiency in Verilog/SystemVerilog, RTL coding, and synthesis flows
- Hands-on experience with timing closure, CDC, lint, and low-power design techniques
- Solid understanding of high-speed serial interfaces (PCIe, Ethernet, or similar) and SoC integration
- MS or PhD in Electrical Engineering or Computer Engineering
- Experience with PCIe Gen5/Gen6, CXL, UALink, UCIe, or Ethernet MAC/PCS designs
- Familiarity with formal verification, emulation, or assertion-based methodologies
- Background in advanced process nodes (7nm, 5nm, or below)
- Strong debug skills across pre-silicon and post-silicon environments
Astera Labs Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Astera Labs and has not been reviewed or approved by Astera Labs.
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Healthcare Strength — Health plans are described as competitive and employer-subsidized, covering medical, dental, and vision for employees and dependents. Company materials and listings consistently emphasize strong core healthcare coverage.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Flexible time off is highlighted alongside paid company holidays, with guidance indicating generous PTO when coordinated with teams. Documented policies also point to robust time-off structures across locations.
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Equity Value & Accessibility — Stock-based compensation is a meaningful part of total pay, with RSUs and an employee stock purchase plan noted as part of the package. Public-company status enhances perceived value and accessibility of equity components.
Astera Labs Insights
What We Do
Astera Labs Inc., a fabless semiconductor company headquartered in the heart of California’s Silicon Valley, is a leader in purpose-built connectivity solutions for data-centric systems throughout the data center. Partnering with leading processor vendors, cloud service providers, seasoned investors, and world-class manufacturing companies, Astera Labs is helping customers remove performance bottlenecks in data-intensive systems that are limiting the true potential of applications such as artificial intelligence and machine learning. The company’s product portfolio includes system-aware semiconductor integrated circuits, boards, and services to enable robust CXL, PCIe, and Ethernet connectivity.
