Jobs and Careers

12 - Principal, Design Engineering

Celestica

San Jose, United Statesfull_timeVerifiedPosted 31 May 2026

💰 $270,000/yr($190,000/yr – $270,000/yr)

About the role

Req ID: 131895
Region: Americas
Country: USA
State/Province: California
City: San Jose

Detailed Description

- AI Architecture & Development: Lead the hands-on design and coding of RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation) architectures and agentic workflows. Build systems that allow hardware engineers to "query" complex design rules and legacy data with high accuracy.

- Engineering Data Strategy: Write custom Python scripts and parsers to extract structured intelligence from diverse sources, including PDF datasheets, EDA output files, Netlists, and complex block diagrams.

- Model Optimization & Tuning: Execute fine-tuning runs for foundation models (e.g., Gemini/Vertex AI) using proprietary historical data to create a domain-specific expert model for hardware design.

- Multimodal Analysis: Develop capabilities for AI to interpret visual engineering data, such as thermal heatmaps, mechanical drawings, and circuit diagrams, to automate technical documentation and manuals.

- Predictive Analytics: Implement "Shift-Left" algorithms that utilize historical yield and manufacturing data to predict potential defects during the early stages of the design cycle.

- Vector Database Management: Build and optimize the vectorization pipeline (using Pinecone, Milvus, or similar) to ensure the AI can retrieve specific design rules without "hallucinations."

- Technical Leadership: Act as a subject matter expert (SME) for AI/ML within the engineering organization, providing guidance on tool integration and automating workflows within EDA suites.

Other Duties

- Manage relationships with key AI research partners and cloud vendors.

- Research emerging AI/ML trends and develop implementation plans for the engineering roadmap.

- Design and implement systems that meet both internal efficiency goals and customer-specific design standards.

- Liaise with hardware SMEs, software teams, and external contractors to ensure tool adoption.

- Recommend system modifications based on user feedback from the engineering floor.

Knowledge/Skills/Competencies

Must-Have Skills

- The "Builder" DNA: Strong evidence of building and deploying AI-powered applications.

- Python Mastery: Ability to write clean, scalable, and efficient Python code.

- Data Wrangling: Ability to extract signals from unstructured data, including complex technical PDFs and log files.

- Product Sense: Demonstrated ability to turn user requirements into functional AI features.

Good-to-Have Skills

- Hardware Curiosity: Interest in PCBs, schematics, and manufacturing processes.

-Knowldge in Hardware design tools e.g: Cadence Allegro, Siemens

- Cloud Fluency: Experience with Google Vertex AI or similar enterprise platforms.

- Background in Complex Systems for e.g: Experience in datacenter solutions for Hyperscalers

- Advanced Degrees: MS or PhD in a relevant field (EE, Computer enginerring, Computer Science) or a strong portfolio of technical leadership.

Physical Demands

Duties of this position are performed in a normal office environment.
Duties may require extended periods of sitting and sustained visual concentration on a computer monitor or on numbers and other detailed data.
Repetitive manual movements (e.g., data entry, using a computer mouse, using a calculator, etc.) are frequently required.
Occasional overnight travel is required.

Salary

Salary Range: $190k-$270k Annually

The salary range described in this posting is an estimate by the Company, and may change based on several factors, including by not limited to a change in the duties covered by the job posting, or the credentials, experience or geographic jurisdiction of the successful candidate.

Compensation includes the Base Salary and the target Short-Term Incentive (STI)/ bonus. A comprehensive benefits package is offered in addition to this.