{"id":3958101,"url":"https://alion.io/job/astera-labs-principal-mechanical-engineer","title":"Principal Mechanical Engineer","company":{"id":178069,"name":"Astera Labs","domain":"asteralabs.com","url":"https://alion.io/company/astera-labs-2","size_band":"1001-5000","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Greenhouse","truth_index":{"grade":"B","score":81,"open_postings":49,"ghost_share":0,"stale_share":0.571,"repost_share":0,"time_to_fill_p50_days":77,"computed_at":"2026-11-09T06:03:00Z"}},"role":"Industrial Engineering","role_family":"Industrial Engineering","seniority":"lead","employment_type":null,"work_mode":"on_site","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["Shanghai, China"],"countries":["CN"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":null,"salary_estimate":null,"experience_years_min":10,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[{"name":"NVLink","optional":false},{"name":"SolidWorks","optional":false}],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-11-09T05:09:04Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-11-09","last_verified_at":"2026-11-09T09:55:07Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":0,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":0},"description":"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.\nRole Overview\nAs Principal Mechanical Engineer, you will own the mechanical design of Astera Labs' paddlecards and the manufacturing test fixtures and processes that bring them to volume. Your work turns our PCIe, Ethernet, and UALink connectivity silicon into reliable, thermally robust, production-ready hardware that hyperscalers deploy at scale.\nAstera Labs is a hyper-growth leader in purpose-built connectivity for rack-scale AI infrastructure, and our paddlecards are how customers first experience our technology. You will set mechanical and test strategy across the full lifecycle, from concept through ramp, partnering with silicon, board, signal integrity, and operations teams to deliver quality at speed in a fast-moving, high-impact environment.\nKey Responsibilities\nPaddle card Mechanical Design\nArchitect and lead mechanical design of high-speed paddle cards, including form factor, connector placement, stiffener and bracket design, and board-level mechanical integration.\n\nDrive thermal and mechanical analysis, including heatsink selection, airflow, and tolerance stack-ups, to ensure reliable operation across customer platforms.\n\nPartner with PCB, signal integrity, and silicon teams to balance electrical, thermal, and mechanical tradeoffs early in the design cycle.\n\nManufacturing Test Development\nDesign and qualify manufacturing test fixtures, handlers, and sockets that support high-speed testing at production volumes.\n\nDefine manufacturing test strategy and mechanical requirements with Test, Product Engineering, and Operations teams to improve yield, throughput, and cost.\n\nDebug fixture and handling issues, and drive root-cause analysis and corrective actions with contract manufacturers and test houses.\n\nProduct Lifecycle and Technical Leadership\nOwn design for manufacturability (DFM), design for assembly (DFA), and design for test (DFT) reviews with external manufacturing partners.\n\nDevelop and execute validation plans covering mechanical, thermal, shock and vibration, and reliability testing.\n\nMentor engineers, set best practices for mechanical design and documentation, and support customer-facing design reviews and debug.\n\nBasic Qualifications\nBachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related field.\n\n10+ years of experience in mechanical engineering for electronic hardware, such as high-speed boards, add-in cards, or server and networking systems.\n\nHands-on experience designing PCB-based assemblies, connectors, and mechanical enclosures or brackets using 3D CAD tools (such as SolidWorks or Creo).\n\nExperience developing manufacturing test fixtures or tooling and supporting product ramp with contract manufacturers.\n\nProficiency in tolerance analysis, GD&T, and thermal and mechanical simulation.\n\nStrong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to lead cross-functional work independently.\n\nWe 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 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