Principal/Staff RF IC Design Engineer

Personio; Greater London; On-site; GBP 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Share options scheme

Contributory pension

Private Medical Insurance

Life Assurance

Cycle-to-work

Flexible working

Central London location

Job summary

Quantum Motion in London is seeking an experienced RF IC Design Engineer to join the IC Design team. You will design CMOS RF circuits to operate at deep‑cryogenic temperatures, interfacing with quantum devices and helping build scalable silicon‑based quantum processors.

The role offers rare early‑employee exposure at a fast‑growing start‑up, with opportunities for professional growth, collaboration with academia, and a chance to impact next‑generation quantum hardware.

Qualifications

• The candidate has a background in heavy research-oriented environments.
• Experience in CMOS RF IC design for sub-10GHz low-power systems.
• 10+ years in RF IC circuit design with CMOS processes.
• Familiarity with Cadence Design and SpectreRF required.
• Solid RF fundamentals and ability to validate principles without heavy simulation.
• Experience with RF testing and DFT for RF blocks.
• Knowledge of EM tools (ADS/EMX/CDT/HFSS) desired.
• Strong analytical and self-motivated with good communication.

Responsibilities

• Architecture-level design of low power Tx chain.
• Block-level schematic design of RF blocks (LNA, PLL, LO, Mixer, VGA, Filters).
• Guide layout and review layout work for blocks.
• Document work for peer review and conduct design reviews.
• Support post-silicon validation and characterization of RF blocks.

Skills

Research environments

CMOS RF design

65nm RF processes

Cadence Design

SpectreRF

RF testing

DFT of RF blocks

EM simulation tools

Analytical problem solving

Communication skills

Education

Industry degree qualification

10+ years RF IC circuit design experience

Tools

Cadence

SpectreRF

ADS/EMX/HFSS

Job description

About The Role and Team

Quantum Motion is a fast-growing quantum computing start-up based in London. We are developing quantum processors based on industrial-grade silicon chips, with the potential to radically transform computing power in areas such as materials modelling, medicine, artificial intelligence and more. We have recently moved into a new office in Islington with state of the art cryogenic facilities and have an outstanding interdisciplinary team spanning quantum physics to IC design.

Our Team

Since 2021 our team has been listed every year in the “Top 100 Startups worth watching”in the EE Times, and our technology breakthroughs have been featured in The Telegraph, BBC and the New Statesman. Our founders are internationally renowned researchers from UCL and Oxford University who have pioneered the development of qubits and quantum computing architectures. Our chairman is the co‑founder of Cadence and Synopsys, the two leading companies in the area of Electronic Design Automation. We’re backed by a team of top‑tier investors including Bosch Ventures, Porsche SE, Sony Innovation Fund, Oxford Sciences Innovations, INKEF Capital and Octopus Ventures, and we have so far raised over £62 million in equity and grant funding. We bring together the brightest quantum engineers, integrated circuit (IC) engineers, quantum computing theoreticians and software engineers to create a unique, world‑leading team, working closely together to maximise our combined expertise. Our collaborative and interdisciplinary culture is an ideal fit for anyone who thrives in a cutting‑edge research and development environment focused on tackling big challenges and contributing to the development of scalable quantum computers based on silicon technology. Our team of 100+ is based in London, Sydney, San Sebastian & Maryland (US) with a centre of mass in our Islington, London lab.

Functions of the Role

The primary function of this position will be to undertake CMOS RF IC designs implementing functionalities at the deep‑cryogenic temperature regime. In this role you will be part of the IC Design team. The goal of the team is to design circuits that interface with quantum devices. No background in quantum physics is required. This is a rare and exciting opportunity to be an early employee at a start‑up shaping the future of quantum computing, and in particular to form a new team within the company. There are vast opportunities for professional growth and to make an impact within the company. Functions of the Role

• Architecture-level design of low power Tx chain.
• Block-level schematic design (pre and post layout) of RF Blocks such as LNA, PLL, LO, Mixer, VGA, Filters (depending on experience).
• Provide guidance for the layout of designed blocks and review layout work.
• Document own work for peer-review and perform design reviews of other team members work.
• Support the post-silicon validation and characterisation of designed RF blocks.

Experience - Essentials

• Experience in heavy research-oriented environments
• Demonstrated experience of CMOS RF IC design in sub-10GHz frequencies for low power systems.
• Industry degree qualification and at least 10+ years of work experience in RF IC Circuit Design
• Demonstrated experience in circuit design on or below CMOS 65nm RF processes.
• Demonstrated experience with the Cadence Design environment and SpectreRF.
• Solid understanding of the fundamentals of RF design. Capable of providing feedback on the validity of the working principles of a circuit without the assistance of simulation software.
• Understanding of RF testing and demonstrated experience in the application of DFT of RF blocks.
• Knowledge of one or more industry-standard EM simulation toolset (ADS, EMX, CDT, HFSS)
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with high-level of self-management and self-motivation
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills

Experience - Desirable

• Experience in block-level Layout
• Knowledge of Verilog-A
• Demonstrated experience of MOSFET device modelling frameworks (BSIM preferred)
• Programming knowledge (Python, SKILL preferably)
• Knowledge of CMOS fabrication technology

Benefits

• Be part of a creative, world‑leading team
• Competitive salary and share options scheme
• Contributory pension scheme
• Private Medical Insurance
• Life Assurance
• Cycle-to-work Scheme
• Flexible working
• Central London location

EEO Statement

Quantum Motion is committed to providing equal employment opportunity and does not discriminate based on age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, race, colour, religion, disability status, marital status, pregnancy, gender reassignment or any other protected characteristics covered by the Equality Act 2010.

Internal Job Reference Number

HRS-81