Cryo RFIC Design Engineer, Quantum

GlobalFoundries; Santa Clara (CA); On-site; USD 98,000 - 202,000; Full time

Job summary

GlobalFoundries in Santa Clara, CA, is seeking a Senior RF IC Design Engineer to develop high-performance RF/microwave ICs and reusable IP for cryogenic and quantum applications. You will drive designs from architecture through layout, tapeout, and silicon characterization, collaborating with PDK, modeling, packaging, and test teams.

The role requires 5+ years of RF/analog IC design experience, strong RF fundamentals, and expertise in schematic, layout, DRC/LVS, and post-layout extraction.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Microelectronics, Applied Physics, or related field.
• Minimum 5 years of RF, microwave, or analog IC design experience.
• Experience from schematic to tapeout including DRC/LVS and parasitic extraction.
• Strong RF fundamentals including impedance matching, S-parameters, stability, noise, linearity, phase noise, RF power, passive networks, and transmission-line effects.
• Proficiency with RFIC design, circuit simulation, electromagnetic simulation, layout, physical verification, and post-layout extraction environments.
• Experience with RF measurement concepts and test equipment such as vector network analyzers, spectrum analyzers, signal generators, noise-figure measurement, and RF probing.
• Travel - Up to 10%.
• Fluency in English Language - written & verbal.

Responsibilities

• Design RF and microwave ICs and reusable IP, including LNA, PA, mixers, oscillators, VCOs, and matching networks.
• Own RFIC development from architecture through tapeout and silicon characterization.
• Perform RF circuit analysis across process, voltage, and temperature, including S-parameters, noise figure, gain, linearity, stability, phase noise, and matching.
• Perform or drive electromagnetic simulation and modeling of RF passive structures, interconnects, transmission lines, inductors, transformers, and matching networks.
• Optimize RF circuit performance for power, bandwidth, noise, linearity, area, and temperature, including cryogenic conditions.
• Collaborate with device modeling, PDK, technology, packaging, and test teams to improve RF design enablement.
• Define RF silicon test structures and characterization plans, analyze data, debug issues, and correlate with simulations.
• Lead technical design reviews, document methodology and results, mentor engineers.

Skills

RF design fundamentals

S-parameters

Parasitic extraction

EM layout

Tapeout

RF measurement

VNA knowledge

Python scripting

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering

Master’s or PhD in Electrical Engineering or related

Job description

About GlobalFoundries:

GlobalFoundries is a leading full-service semiconductor foundry providing a unique combination of design, development, and fabrication services to some of the world’s most inspired technology companies. With a global manufacturing footprint spanning three continents, GlobalFoundries makes possible the technologies and systems that transform industries and give customers the power to shape their markets. For more information, visit www.gf.com.

Summary of Role:

GlobalFoundries is seeking a Senior RF IC Design Engineer to develop high-performance RF and microwave integrated circuits and reusable IP for advanced semiconductor applications, including cryogenic CMOS and quantum systems. This role will drive RFIC designs from architecture through electromagnetic-aware layout, tapeout, and silicon characterization while partnering closely with technology, PDK, modeling, packaging, and test teams.

Essential Responsibilities

• Design and develop RF and microwave integrated circuits and reusable IP, including low-noise amplifiers, power amplifiers, mixers, oscillators, VCOs, frequency synthesizers, RF switches, phase shifters, and impedance-matching networks.
• Own RFIC development from architecture and transistor-level design through schematic simulation, electromagnetic-aware layout, physical verification, tapeout, and silicon characterization.
• Perform comprehensive RF circuit analysis across process, voltage, and temperature, including S-parameters, noise figure, gain, linearity, stability, phase noise, power, impedance matching, and post-layout parasitic effects.
• Perform or drive electromagnetic simulation and modeling of RF passive structures, interconnects, transmission lines, inductors, transformers, matching networks, and critical layout structures.
• Optimize RF circuit performance for power, bandwidth, noise, linearity, area, process variation, package/interconnect parasitics, and operating temperature, including cryogenic conditions where applicable.
• Collaborate with device modeling, PDK, technology, packaging, and test teams to assess RF model accuracy, identify model or design-rule gaps, and improve RF and cryogenic design enablement.
• Define RF silicon test structures and characterization plans, analyze measured data, debug performance issues, and correlate hardware results with circuit and electromagnetic simulations.
• Lead technical design reviews, document design methodology and results, mentor engineers, and collaborate with cross-functional internal and external teams to enable customer and technology solutions.

Other Responsibilities

• Perform all activities in a safe and responsible manner and support all Environmental, Health, Safety & Security requirements and programs.

Required Qualifications

• Education - Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Microelectronics, Applied Physics, or a related field.
• Experience - Minimum 5 years of relevant RF, microwave, or analog integrated circuit design experience.
• Skills - Demonstrated experience taking RF or microwave integrated circuits through schematic design, simulation, layout, DRC/LVS, parasitic extraction, tapeout, and silicon validation.
• Skills - Strong knowledge of RF design fundamentals including impedance matching, S-parameters, stability, noise, linearity, phase noise, RF power, passive networks, and transmission-line effects.
• Skills - Proficiency with industry-standard RFIC design, circuit simulation, electromagnetic simulation, layout, physical verification, and post-layout extraction environments.
• Skills - Experience with RF measurement concepts and test equipment such as vector network analyzers, spectrum analyzers, signal generators, noise-figure measurement, and RF probing.
• Travel - Up to 10%.
• Fluency in English Language - written & verbal.

Preferred Qualifications

• Education - Master’s degree or PhD in Electrical Engineering, Microelectronics, RF/Microwave Engineering, or a related field.
• Experience - Experience with cryogenic RFICs, quantum readout/control electronics, millimeter-wave circuits, wireless/RF front ends, or other advanced RF applications.
• Skills - Familiarity with CMOS device and passive-component behavior, compact-model limitations, and interconnect effects at RF, microwave, or cryogenic operating conditions.
• Skills - Experience designing advanced RF blocks such as LNAs, PAs, mixers, VCOs, PLLs/frequency synthesizers, RF switches, phase shifters, or integrated matching networks.
• Skills - Experience with on-wafer RF characterization and correlation of measured results to circuit, device, EM, and package models.
• Skills - Familiarity with design or characterization automation using Python, SKILL, Tcl, MATLAB, or equivalent scripting environments.
• Project management skills - i.e., the ability to innovate and execute on solutions that matter; the ability to navigate ambiguity.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong planning & organizational skills.

Expected Salary Range

$98,000.00 - $202,000.00

The exact Salary will be determined based on qualifications, experience and location.

The role you are applying for may require you to obtain a US Department of Defense Security Clearance at some time during your employment. Acceptance of this role commits to applying for such if requested. Further, the applicant consents to being asked questions about their citizenship and background to assess the likelihood of obtaining a Security Clearance. The applicant also acknowledges that GlobalFoundries can only nominate and submit an application for a Security Clearance. The granting of a Security Clearance is at the sole discretion of the U.S. Government and the Department of Defense.

If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please contact us by email at [e-mail] and let us know the nature of your request and your contact information. Requests for accommodation will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Please note that only inquiries concerning a request for reasonable accommodation will be responded to from this email address.

An offer with GlobalFoundries is conditioned upon the successful completion of pre-employment conditions, as applicable, and subject to applicable laws and regulations.

GlobalFoundries is fully committed to equal opportunity in the workplace and believes that cultural diversity within the company enhances its business potential. GlobalFoundries goal of excellence in business necessitates the attraction and retention of highly qualified people. Artificial barriers and stereotypic biases detract from this objective and may be illegally discriminatory.

All policies and processes which pertain to employees including recruitment, selection, training, utilization, promotion, compensation, benefits, extracurricular programs, and termination are created and implemented without regard to age, ethnicity, ancestry, color, marital status, medical condition, mental or physical disability, national origin, race, religion, political and/or third-party affiliation, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status, or any other characteristic or category specified by local, state or federal law