Principal Engineer, SSD Validation

Description

The company is a world leader in memory and storage products. This role sits in its validation strategy and test architecture group.

The group decides what validation should cover and why. It builds validation strategies, coverage architectures, gap analysis methods and reusable validation solutions for Data Center SSD programs.

The team works on validation effectiveness, emerging risk, new technology and AI-assisted engineering across the wider engineering organization.

Responsibilities

• Set validation strategy and coverage architecture for next-generation Data Center SSD technology and customer deployments.
• Build scalable validation methods that improve coverage quality, speed up execution and sharpen risk assessment across programs.
• Turn customer requirements, product specifications and architecture designs into validation requirements and coverage goals.
• Run coverage assessments to find gaps across features, workloads and system-level interactions.
• Design validation models and workload characterization strategies around customer use cases.
• Lead next-generation validation work, including technology evaluation, innovation and proof-of-concept builds.
• Use AI techniques, generative AI and LLMs to improve requirements analysis, coverage assessment, knowledge discovery and validation planning.
• Apply data analytics, automation and AI to coverage analysis, failure investigation and validation planning.
• Work with other engineering groups to tie validation strategy to product risk, customer expectations and business priorities.
• Give technical recommendations and direction to engineering and executive leaders.
• Mentor engineers and provide technical leadership across the validation community.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, computer engineering, computer science, data science or a related technical field.
• 8+ years in Data Center SSD, storage systems, firmware, validation, systems engineering or a related discipline.
• Solid grasp of Data Center SSD architecture, NAND technology, storage protocols, firmware algorithms and enterprise storage systems.
• Track record building validation strategies, qualification methods, coverage assessments or architecture-level validation solutions.
• Ability to break down complex technical requirements and turn them into sound validation approaches.
• Hands-on use of data analytics, automation, AI-assisted tools or machine learning to solve engineering problems.
• Clear technical communication, leadership and cross-functional collaboration.
• Record of driving technical work across several engineering organizations.
• Preferred: master's degree or PhD in electrical engineering, computer engineering, computer science or a related field.
• Preferred: experience with hyperscale, cloud and enterprise Data Center SSD deployments.
• Preferred: knowledge of NVMe, FDP, Dual Port, QLC, OCP SSD, virtualization, storage performance, reliability and data center storage ecosystems.
• Preferred: experience with coverage modeling, risk assessment, workload characterization and validation architecture.
• Preferred: familiarity with requirements management, traceability and coverage management methods.
• Preferred: applying data analytics, AI/ML, automation or software engineering to engineering workflows.
• Preferred: experience with generative AI, LLMs, agentic AI, AI-assisted engineering tools or advanced analytics.
• Preferred: a record of shaping technical strategy at the organization level.

Conditions

Base pay range for US roles: $154,000.00 to $303,000.00 a year.

The range shows target base pay for new hires across all US locations. Actual pay depends on location, knowledge, skills, experience, tenure and relevant education or training.

The figure is base salary only. Additional compensation may include benefits, bonuses and equity.

Ranges are set by role, level and location and may change with business needs. A recruiter can share the range for your preferred location.

Information on your right to work is available from the company.

Requests for reasonable accommodation during the application process can be sent to the company's People Organization.

The company prohibits child labor and does not charge candidates recruitment fees.

Benefits

• Choose from medical, dental and vision coverage at each location, sized to your family's needs and budget.
• Income protection if you cannot work due to illness or injury.
• Paid family leave, a paid time-off program and paid holidays.
• The full benefits guide is published on the company's careers site.