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Principal Validation Engineer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Validation Engineer

Wilson, NC ยท On-site

$60K - $85K/yr

... initial validation and equipment/system requalification's. Will participate in equipment ... Responsibilities PRINCIPAL ACTIVITIES PERFORMED BY THE INCUMBENT . * Schedules and executes ...

Validation Engineer

Wilson, NC ยท On-site

$60K - $85K/yr

... initial validation and equipment/system requalification's. Will participate in equipment ... Responsibilities PRINCIPAL ACTIVITIES PERFORMED BY THE INCUMBENT . * Schedules and executes ...

... initial validation and equipment/system requalification's. Will participate in equipment ... Responsibilities PRINCIPAL ACTIVITIES PERFORMED BY THE INCUMBENT . * Schedules and executes ...

CQV/Validation Engineer

Holbrook, MA ยท On-site

$33 - $43/hr

The CQV/Validation Engineer is responsible for supporting the activities required to implement the ... PRINCIPAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES * Participate in validation, qualification, and commissioning ...

ASIC Validation Engineer

Saratoga, CA ยท On-site

$185K - $250K/yr

Position Overview We are hiring multiple positions from Sr. Engineer to Principal Engineer. We are looking for a highly experienced Post-Silicon ASIC Validation Engineer with deep expertise in ...

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Principal Validation Engineer information

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$74K

$147.2K

$212.5K

How much do principal validation engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 6, 2026, the average yearly pay for principal validation engineer in the United States is $147,220.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $118,500.00 and $173,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a principal validation engineer?

A Principal Validation Engineer is a senior-level professional responsible for leading and overseeing the validation processes within engineering projects, particularly in industries like pharmaceuticals, electronics, or manufacturing. They ensure that products, equipment, or systems meet regulatory standards and function as intended through rigorous testing and documentation. Principal Validation Engineers often develop validation protocols, analyze test results, and mentor junior engineers. Their work is crucial for quality assurance and compliance with industry regulations.

What is the difference between Principal Validation Engineer vs Validation Engineer?

AspectPrincipal Validation EngineerValidation Engineer
CredentialsTypically requires advanced degrees (BSc, MSc, or PhD) and extensive industry experienceUsually requires a bachelor's degree in engineering, science, or related field
Work EnvironmentLeads validation projects, oversees teams, and collaborates with cross-functional departmentsPerforms validation tasks, executes protocols, and documents results under supervision
Industry UsageCommonly found in pharmaceutical, biotech, and medical device industriesWidely used across similar regulated industries for validation activities

The main difference between a Principal Validation Engineer and a Validation Engineer lies in experience, responsibilities, and leadership scope. The Principal Validation Engineer typically holds advanced credentials, leads validation strategies, and manages teams, whereas the Validation Engineer focuses on executing validation tasks under guidance. Both roles are essential in regulated industries like pharmaceuticals and medical devices, but the Principal role involves higher-level planning and oversight.

Do principal validation engineers make good money?

Principal validation engineers typically earn high salaries due to their advanced expertise in testing and quality assurance, often with specialized skills in automation tools and validation processes. Compensation varies by industry and location but generally reflects senior-level responsibilities and experience. They may also receive benefits such as bonuses and stock options depending on the company.

How does a principal validation engineer typically collaborate with cross-functional teams during new product development?

As a Principal Validation Engineer, you will frequently work alongside design, manufacturing, and quality assurance teams to ensure that products meet regulatory and performance standards. Collaboration often involves participating in design reviews, establishing validation strategies, and communicating test results to stakeholders. Your expertise will be crucial in troubleshooting issues and recommending design modifications, making strong communication and teamwork skills essential. This collaborative approach not only ensures product reliability but also streamlines the development process and supports continuous improvement.

What skills and qualifications are needed to thrive as a principal validation engineer?

To thrive as a Principal Validation Engineer, you need deep expertise in validation protocols, regulatory compliance (such as FDA or ISO standards), and a relevant engineering or science degree. Familiarity with validation lifecycle documentation, risk management tools, and computerized systems validation (CSV) is typically required, along with certifications like Six Sigma or ASQ CQA being advantageous. Strong leadership, analytical thinking, and effective communication are crucial for guiding teams and collaborating across departments. These competencies ensure that products and processes consistently meet quality standards, regulatory requirements, and organizational goals.
More about Principal Validation Engineer jobs
What states have the most Principal Validation Engineer jobs? States with the most job openings for Principal Validation Engineer jobs include:
Infographic showing various Principal Validation Engineer job openings in the United States as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 73% Full Time, and 27% Contract. Highlights an 100% In-person job distribution, with an average salary of $147,220 per year, or $70.8 per hour.

Principal Post Silicon Validation Engineer (Bringup)

Graphcore

Austin, TX โ€ข Hybrid

$241K - $326K/yr

Other

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement

Re-posted 28 days ago


Job description

Principal Post Silicon Validation Engineer (Bringup)

Salary $241,100 - $326,100 + Phantom Equity + Benefitsย 

Graphcore is a globally recognised leader in Artificial Intelligence computing systems. The company designs advanced semiconductors and data centre hardware that provide the specialised processing power needed to drive AI innovation, while delivering the efficiency required to support its broader adoption. ย 

As part of the SoftBank Group, Graphcore is a member of an elite family of companies responsible for some of the world's most transformative technologies. We are opening a new AI Engineering Campus in Austin which will play a central role in Graphcore's work building the future of AI computing.ย ย 

We are looking to hire Post-Silicon Validation Engineers to join our collaborative, cross-functional development team validating cutting edge, high performance AI chips and platforms. You will play a critical role in supporting new product introductions and post-silicon validation.ย Working within the Post-Silicon Validation team, you will be involved with bringing first silicon to life, functionally validating it and working closely with many other teams to help it become a fully characterised and working product, reporting project status/progress to program management on a regular basis. You will have the opportunity to, and be responsible for, leading, mentoring, and providing technical guidance to other engineering team members. In this role, you can leverage your experience and industry knowledge to architect and drive implementation of continuous improvements to test infrastructure and processes.ย 

The Post-Silicon Validation team sits within the Architecture and Validation team, we are responsible for validation of new silicon when it returns from manufacture, enabling and supporting the production SW and FW teams to bring up their software and also supporting the Silicon Characterisation team.ย 

Responsibilities and Dutiesย 

  • Plan, design, develop and debug silicon validation tests in bare metal C/C++ on FPGA/Emulator prior to first siliconย 
  • Deploy silicon validation tests on first silicon and debugging themย 
  • Develop automated test framework and regression test suites in Python to optimize validation efficiencyย 
  • Collaborate closely with engineers from many other disciplines on a variety of topicsย 
  • Work with Validation and Production Test engineering peers to implement best practices and continuous improvements to test methodologiesย 
  • Analyse test results, identify and debug failures/defectsย 
  • Contribute to shared test and validation infrastructureย 
  • Provide feedback to architectsย 

Essential skills:ย 

  • Strong experience in Bare metal / embedded C/C++ย 
  • Good knowledge of digital ASICs
  • Be highly motivated, a self starter, and a team playerย 
  • Ability to work across teams and programming languages to find root causes of deep and complex issuesย 
  • Experience of the post-silicon validation process applied in digital ASIC environmentsย 
  • Python, Linuxย 
  • Excellent communication skills and the ability to collaborate with others to solve problems
  • Excellent problem-solving, analytical & diagnostic skillsย 

Desirable skills:ย 

  • Driver level experience with one or more of the following is highly desirable:ย 
    • PCIeย 
    • Ethernetย 
    • Memory technologies (LPDDR, DDR, HBM, ...)ย 
    • Other peripherals such as I2C, I3C, SPI, ...ย 
  • Good knowledge of mixed-signal building blocks such as PLLs, high speed PHYs and IC control/communication protocols is highly desirable
  • Experience of Arm CPUs, System IPand debug tools
  • Experience of AMBA protocols
  • Understanding of ML applications and their workloads
  • Experience in Characterization, Failure Analysis, Test Development, Statistical analysis, and Customer Supportย 

USA Benefits

In addition to a competitive salary, Graphcore offers flexible working and a comprehensive benefits package designed to support your health, wellbeing and financial future. Our benefits include medical, dental and vision coverage, Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs), Health Savings Accounts (HSAs), disability and life insurance, a 401(k) retirement plan, commuter benefits, wellness services and an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP). We welcome people of different backgrounds and experiences; we're committed to building an inclusive work environment that makes Graphcore a great home for everyone. We offer an equal opportunity process and understand that there are visible and invisible differences in all of us. We can provide a flexible approach to interview and encourage you to chat to us if you require any reasonable adjustments.