Principal Product Engineer

Principal Product Engineer

San Jose, California, United States

The era of pervasive AI has arrived. In this era, organizations will use generative AI to unlock hidden value in their data, accelerate processes, reduce costs, drive efficiency and innovation to fundamentally transform their businesses and operations at scale.

SambaNova Suite™ is the first full-stack, generative AI platform, from chip to model, optimized for enterprise and government organizations. Powered by the intelligent SN40L chip, the SambaNova Suite is a fully integrated platform, delivered on-premises or in the cloud, combined with state-of-the-art open-source models that can be easily and securely fine-tuned using customer data for greater accuracy. Once adapted with customer data, customers retain model ownership in perpetuity, so they can turn generative AI into one of their most valuable assets.

About the Team

You'll join the New Product Introduction team within SambaNova's hardware operations organization. The team takes AI server systems from prototype through high-volume production at global contract manufacturers, owning manufacturability, test coverage, yield, and quality, and working closely with electrical, mechanical, firmware, and supply chain teams to get each new product built at scale.

About the Role

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Responsibilities

The Senior New Product Introduction (NPI) Engineer plays a critical role in the product-realization process by bridging product design, supply chain, and scalable contract manufacturing. This position ensures that innovative product concepts become reliable, manufacturable, and cost‑effective realities. As an experienced technical leader, you will collaborate with cross functional teams including electrical, mechanical, and firmware engineers to guide products from prototype to mass production. This role suits a hands‑on systems thinker who thrives at the intersection of engineering disciplines and manufacturing operations.

Manufacturing & Quality Leadership

• Act as the primary interface with Contract Manufacturers (CMs) and suppliers
• Drive prioritization and resolution of manufacturing issues, field failures, and quality concerns

Design for Manufacturability (DFx)

• Influence product design early by assessing new technologies and components
• Ensure manufacturing readiness through proper equipment, processes, and factory feedback loops
• Drive continuous improvements in yield and manufacturability

Product Readiness & Production Execution

• Own factory readiness and production builds at global CMs
• Support product bring-up and provide training to CM teams
• Lead escalations, remote troubleshooting, and onsite support as needed

Test Strategy & Reliability

• Partner with Systems Engineering to define manufacturing test coverage
• Develop data strategies to monitor capacity, yield, and quality
• Execute reliability testing required for product release

Supply Chain Optimization

• Drive continuous improvement initiatives to reduce cycle time, cost, and yield loss
• Manage supplier PCNs to prevent production disruption

Sustaining Engineering

• Own BOM accuracy and manage ECOs/MCOs across NPI and production
• Ensure documentation remains aligned with manufacturing builds

Customer & Field Issue Resolution

• Collaborate with customer service teams to resolve field quality and performance issues

Change Qualification & Continuity

• Qualify alternate components, new processes, and EOL replacements
• Perform first article inspections to validate accuracy and quality of changes

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a related field
• 7+ years of experience in new product introduction, manufacturing engineering, or hardware development
• Experience supporting products from prototype through high-volume manufacturing
• Strong collaboration across hardware, test, platform, manufacturing, and supply chain teams
• Expertise in PCB design considerations for DFM, DFT, and DFA
• Experience performing hardware failure analysis and driving root cause and corrective actions
• Familiarity with manufacturing test development, yield analysis, and reliability validation
• Experience working with Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) systems such as Oracle Fusion Cloud

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in Electrical Engineering
• 10 years of experience working at a company developing supply chains, manufacturing and test for new server and storage type products for the IT industry
• Experience in data analytics and quality data systems
• Experience with automation in a manufacturing environment
• Experience leveraging AI/GenAI for process efficiency and effectiveness
• Familiarity developing manufacturing test systems, setting test limits, and ensuring test coverage

Base Salary Range:

Base Pay Range

$1 - $999,999 USD

Submission Guidelines Please note that in order to be considered an applicant for any position at SambaNova Systems, you must submit an application form for each position for which you believe you are qualified.

EEO Policy SambaNova Systems is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard basis of age (40 and over), color, disability, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, military or veteran status, national origin/ancestry, race, religion, creed, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding), sexual orientation, and any other applicable status protected by federal, state, or local laws.

Benefits Summary for US-Based, Full-Time Employment Positions SambaNova offers a competitive total rewards package, including the base salary, plus equity and benefits. We cover 95% premium coverage for employee medical insurance, and 77% premium coverage for dependents and offer a Health Savings Account (HSA) with employer contribution. We also offer Dental, Vision, Short/Long term Disability, Basic Life, Voluntary Life, and AD&D insurance plans in addition to Flexible Spending Account (FSA) options like Health Care, Limited Purpose, and Dependent Care. Our library of well-being benefits available to you and your dependents includes a full subscription to Headspace, Gympass+ membership with access to physical gyms, One Medical membership, counseling services with an Employee Assistance Program, and much more.