Sr Radio Frequency Hardware Engineer

Company:

Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.

Job Area:

Engineering Group, Engineering Group > Cellular Technologies

General Summary:

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems, or related field and 2+ years of Electrical Engineering, Hardware Engineering, Systems Engineering, or related work experience.
OR
Master's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems, or related field and 1+ year of Electrical Engineering, Hardware Engineering, Systems Engineering, or related work experience.
OR
PhD in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems, or related field.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

• Define RF hardware architectures and specifications derived from system‑level requirements, owns significant RF subsystems or end‑to‑end hardware blocks

• Design, integrate, and optimize RF hardware circuits and subsystems, makes design tradeoffs impacting performance, cost, schedule, and manufacturability

• Lead RF bring‑up, debug, tuning, and validation activities

• Perform RF simulations, modeling, and sensitivity analysis

• Execute and interpret RF measurements:

  • S‑parameters

  • Noise figure

  • Linearity

  • Phase noise

  • EVM

  • Spurious and harmonics

• Resolve complex RF performance and integration issues

• Drive RF design reviews and contribute to cross‑disciplinary technical discussions and work closely with:

  • System engineering

  • Digital and baseband teams

  • Software and algorithm engineers

  • Manufacturing and test

• Contribute to design documentation, technical reviews, and knowledge sharing

Required Fundamental Knowledge

• RF and microwave engineering

• Analog and mixed‑signal circuit design

• Electromagnetics and transmission lines

• Wireless communications and RF system theory

• Semiconductor devices and integrated circuits

• Signal processing fundamentals

Preferred Technical Expertise and Skills

RF Hardware Design and Prototyping

• Hands‑on experience with PA, LNA, mixers, switches, matching networks, filters, and duplexers across sub‑6 GHz and/or mmWave bands.

• Proven ability to translate performance targets into detailed RF circuit implementations, covering schematic design, device selection, biasing, matching, layout considerations, and design tradeoffs impacting gain, noise, linearity, efficiency, and stability.

• Solid understanding of how component‑level design choices affect module‑ and product‑level performance, including EVM, ACLR, noise figure, output power, efficiency, and thermal behavior.

System-Level Analysis & Simulation

• Proven experience with full RF system simulations (end‑to‑end TX/RX chain), including cascaded nonlinear effects, impairments, and KPI evaluation.

• Proficiency using system simulation tools (e.g., SystemVue/MATLAB class environments) to evaluate waveform–PA–DPD interactions and performance envelopes.

 Standards & Waveforms

• Working knowledge of OFDM‑based waveforms (e.g., 5G NR) and their spectral/linearity implications on RF systems.

• Familiarity with system performance metrics used in standards and prototyping (ACLR, EVM, PAPR, spectral efficiency).

 Cross‑Functional & Leadership Skills

• Ability to work across RFIC, system, digital, and standards teams, supporting RAN contributions and prototype demonstrations.

• Technical le