Connectivity Systems Engineer

Apple; Emeryville (CA); On-site; USD 185,000 - 325,000; Full time

Job summary

Apple in Emeryville, CA is seeking a senior verification engineer to own the Palladium-based pre-silicon emulation framework for wireless SoCs. You will design, bootstrap, and maintain the infrastructure that brings up each emulation build in a real-world lab environment.

You will collaborate with firmware, FPGA, and design teams to exercise validation, perform performance characterization, and ensure robust Bluetooth and UWB silicon bring-up across multiple silicon generations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree with 10 years of relevant experience.
• Strong digital design fundamentals with hands-on RTL experience (Verilog/VHDL) and a solid understanding of SoC architecture, register maps, and system-level hardware/software interaction.
• Working knowledge of wireless systems, including MAC and/or PHY layer concepts.
• Proficiency in Python and/or C/C++ for developing modeling, simulation, and test-bench/verification infrastructure.
• Hands-on experience with pre-silicon verification using emulation platforms (e.g., Palladium), including build bring-up, environment and framework development, debug, and performance characterization.

Responsibilities

• Act as the initial validation point for each Palladium emulation build, performing early smoke and sanity testing to confirm the build is functional, correctly configured, and ready for broader team use.
• Build and own the framework and infrastructure that exercises the Palladium build - including register map definitions, initialization and boot sequences, clock and reset setup, and other system-level configuration - to bring the emulated SoC into an operational state.
• Abstract platform bring-up and configuration complexity into reusable infrastructure and tooling, enabling the rest of the team to concentrate on their own design verification rather than platform-level setup.
• Sustain, extend, and maintain this emulation infrastructure across multiple silicon generations, establishing it as a long-lived, reusable platform rather than a per-project effort.
• Support pre-silicon emulation efforts for silicon validation, including test development, debug, and performance characterization on emulation platforms.
• Bring up, test, characterize, and optimize Bluetooth and UWB silicon in the lab, ensuring robust performance across real-world operating conditions.

Skills

RTL design

Verilog/VHDL

Python/C/C++

Bluetooth/UWB knowledge

Pre-silicon emulation

Framework development

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree

Tools

Palladium

Job description

Come join Apple's growing wireless silicon development team. Our wireless SoC organization is responsible for all aspects of wireless silicon development, with a particular emphasis on highly energy-efficient design and new technologies that transform the user experience at the product level. All of this is driven by a world-class vertically integrated engineering team spanning RF/Analog architecture and design, Systems/PHY/MAC architecture and design, VLSI/RTL design and integration, Emulation, Design Verification, Test and Validation, and FW/SW engineering. In this role, you will help de-risk our silicon well ahead of tape-out by owning the pre-silicon emulation environment that enables the team to exercise and verify new designs early and with confidence. If you enjoy a fast-paced and challenging environment, collaborate with people across different functional areas, and thrive during crisis times.

Description

This role is central to Apple's pre-silicon verification effort for wireless SoCs, centered on the Palladium emulation platform. You will be the first to bring up each newly released emulation build, and you will design and own the framework and infrastructure - register maps, initialization and boot sequences, clock and reset, and system-level configuration - that brings the emulated SoC into an operational state and enables the wider team to run their own design verification. Working at the intersection of digital design, firmware, and validation, you will own and evolve this infrastructure across successive silicon generations, while also contributing to pre-silicon emulation and lab bring-up of Bluetooth and UWB silicon.

Responsibilities

• Act as the initial validation point for each released Palladium emulation build, performing early smoke and sanity testing to confirm the build is functional, correctly configured, and ready for broader team use.
• Build and own the framework and infrastructure that exercises the Palladium build - including register map definitions, initialization and boot sequences, clock and reset setup, and other system-level configuration - to bring the emulated SoC into an operational state.
• Abstract platform bring-up and configuration complexity into reusable infrastructure and tooling, enabling the rest of the team to concentrate on their own design verification rather than platform-level setup.
• Sustain, extend, and maintain this emulation infrastructure across multiple silicon generations, establishing it as a long-lived, reusable platform rather than a per-project effort.
• Support pre-silicon emulation efforts for silicon validation, including test development, debug, and performance characterization on emulation platforms.
• Bring up, test, characterize, and optimize Bluetooth and UWB silicon in the lab, ensuring robust performance across real-world operating conditions.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree with 10 years of relevant experience.
• Hands-on experience with pre-silicon verification using emulation platforms (e.g., Palladium), including build bring-up, environment and framework development, debug, and performance characterization.
• Experience developing verification or validation frameworks and infrastructure - including register map and programming-model definition, initialization sequences, clock and reset setup, and system-level configuration.
• Digital design or design verification (DV) experience with wireless SoCs or subsystems, including RTL design or test-bench development and functional coverage.
• Working knowledge of Bluetooth and UWB wireless systems, with hands-on experience in BT and UWB systems design and validation.
• Experience collaborating with firmware and FPGA/emulation engineers to bring up, integrate, and debug the emulation platform, ensuring correct hardware/software interaction and a properly functioning environment.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree with 10 years of relevant experience.
• Strong digital design fundamentals with hands-on RTL experience (Verilog/VHDL) and a solid understanding of SoC architecture, register maps, and system-level hardware/software interaction.
• Working knowledge of wireless systems, including MAC and/or PHY layer concepts.
• Proficiency in Python and/or C/C++ for developing modeling, simulation, and test-bench/verification infrastructure.
• Strong communication skills, both written and oral, with the ability to work effectively across cross-functional teams.

Pay & Benefits

At Apple, base pay is one part of our total compensation package and is determined within a range. This provides the opportunity to progress as you grow and develop within a role. The base pay range for this role is between $184,700 and $324,800, and your base pay will depend on your skills, qualifications, experience, and location.

Apple employees also have the opportunity to become an Apple shareholder through participation in Apple's discretionary employee stock programs. Apple employ