Principal Member of Technical Staff - RF Engineer

AT; Bothell (WA); On-site; USD 189,000 - 284,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical/Dental/Vision coverage

401(k) plan

Tuition reimbursement program

Paid Time Off and Holidays

Paid Parental Leave

Paid Caregiver Leave

Adoption Reimbursement

Disability Benefits

Life and AD&D Insurance

Employee Discounts

Job summary

AT&T is seeking a seasoned RF engineering leader to ensure broadband devices deliver top RF performance at scale. You will be the technical authority for RF design governance, reviewing OEM architectures and validating production-ready designs before mass deployment to millions of customers.

You will collaborate with global engineering teams and OEM partners, shaping standards and roadmaps while driving RF validation process improvements and quality across the portfolio.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of RF engineering experience in consumer electronics or telecom equipment.
• Hands-on RF design, review, or validation under power and thermal constraints.
• Strong RF testing methodologies, validation, and performance optimization.
• Experience with FCC/regulatory compliance and wireless certification.
• Understanding manufacturing processes, statistics, production testing, and quality systems.
• Ability to review RF schematics, PCB layouts, antenna designs, and system architectures.
• End-to-end product development lifecycle knowledge from concept to production.

Responsibilities

• Serve as RF technical lead for broadband devices (Fiber Gateways, Mesh Extenders, FWA).
• Review OEM RF components to optimize performance, cost, reliability, and manufacturability.
• Conduct detailed reviews of RF architectures, layouts, antennas, and thermal designs.
• Assess RF designs for compliance with product requirements and standards.
• Audit OEM labs to verify test methods, calibration, and validation capability.
• Evaluate test results to ensure specs are met and repeatable.
• Provide technical guidance across the product lifecycle.
• Partner with cross-functional teams and suppliers to mitigate risks.
• Drive improvements in RF validation processes and supplier accountability.
• Influence product roadmaps and engineering standards for customer experience.

Skills

RF system design

Technical reviews

Wireless technologies

Analytical thinking

Cross-functional leadership

Executive communication

Product quality focus

Education

Bachelor's in Electrical Engineering

Job description

This is a full-time onsite role based in the location(s) posted and is performed from the designated work location five days per week. No relocation is offered.

AT&T is shaping the future of connected experiences through next-generation Fiber Gateways, Mesh Extenders, and Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) solutions.

We are seeking a seasoned RF engineering leader to ensure our broadband devices deliver industry-leading wireless performance, reliability, and compliance at scale.

In this highly visible role, you will serve as AT&T's technical authority for RF design governance, partnering directly with global OEM partners to review device architectures, validate engineering decisions, and ensure production-ready designs meet our performance and quality expectations before mass deployment to millions of customers.

If you are passionate about RF design excellence, wireless performance optimization, and influencing product development across global engineering organizations, we'd love to hear from you.

What You'll Do

• Serve as the RF technical lead for next-generation broadband devices, including Fiber Gateways, Mesh Extenders, and Fixed Wireless Access solutions.
• Review and approve OEM RF component selections to optimize product performance, cost, reliability, and manufacturability.
• Conduct detailed reviews of RF architectures, schematics, PCB layouts, antenna implementations, and thermal designs.
• Assess RF designs for compliance with AT&T product requirements and industry regulatory standards.
• Audit OEM engineering and test laboratories to verify test methodologies, calibration processes, and overall validation capability.
• Evaluate OEM test results and performance reports to ensure specifications are met and results are repeatable.
• Provide technical guidance throughout the product lifecycle, from concept through production readiness.
• Partner with cross-functional teams, suppliers, and manufacturing organizations to identify and mitigate technical risks.
• Drive continuous improvements in RF validation processes, engineering quality, and supplier accountability.
• Influence product roadmaps and engineering standards that enhance the customer experience across AT&T's broadband portfolio.

What You'll Bring

• Deep expertise in RF system design and wireless product development.
• Proven ability to evaluate and challenge complex engineering designs while building productive relationships with external engineering teams.
• Strong knowledge of wireless technologies used in consumer networking products, including Wi-Fi, mesh networking, gateway platforms, and fixed wireless systems.
• Exceptional analytical and problem-solving abilities with a data-driven approach to decision-making.
• Experience leading technical reviews and influencing engineering outcomes without direct authority.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to engage executives, engineering leaders, and global OEM partners.
• Passion for delivering high-quality products that provide outstanding customer experiences.

What You'll Need

• 10+ years of RF engineering experience in consumer electronics, broadband devices, wireless networking products, telecommunications equipment, or related industries.
• Hands-on experience designing, reviewing, or validating RF systems operating under power, thermal, and performance constraints.
• Strong understanding of RF testing methodologies, validation processes, and performance optimization.
• Experience working with FCC, regulatory compliance requirements, and wireless certification processes.
• Working knowledge of manufacturing processes, statistical analysis, production testing, and quality systems.
• Experience reviewing RF schematics, PCB layouts, antenna designs, and system architectures.
• Demonstrated understanding of the complete product development lifecycle from concept, design, validation, certification, and production.
• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, RF Engineering, Wireless Communications, or a related technical discipline.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with Wi-Fi 6/6E/7 platforms.
• Experience with Mesh Networking and Whole Home Wi-Fi solutions.
• Experience with Broadband Gateway, Fiber Gateway, CPE, or Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) products.
• Experience working directly with ODM/OEM partners in Asia, Europe, or North America.
• Advanced degree in Electrical Engineering or related field.

Our Principal Member of Technical Staff jobs earn between $189,200.00 - $283,800.00 USD Annual. Not to mention all the other amazing rewards that working at AT&T offers. Individual starting salary within this range may depend on geography, experience, expertise, and education/training.

Joining our team comes with amazing perks and benefits:

• Medical/Dental/Vision coverage
• 401(k) plan
• Tuition reimbursement program
• Paid Time Off and Holidays (based on date of hire, at least 23 days of vacation each year and 9 company-designated holidays)
• Paid Parental Leave
• Paid Caregiver Leave
• Additional sick leave beyond what state and local law require may be available but is unprotected
• Adoption Reimbursement
• Disability Benefits (short term and long term)
• Life and Accidental Death Insurance
• Supplemental benefit programs: critical illness/accident hospital indemnity/group legal
• Employee Assistance Programs (EAP)
• Extensive employee wellness programs
• Employee discounts up to 50% off on eligible AT&T mobility plans and accessories, AT&T internet (and fiber where available) and AT&T phone

Weekly Hours: 40

Time Type: Regular

Location: Bothell, Washington, Plano, Texas

Salary Range: $189,200.00 - $283,800.00

AT&T and its subsidiaries are committed to equal employment opportunity. All hiring, promotion, and other employment decisions remain merit-based and free from discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, religious creed, national origin, ancestry, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, physical disability, mental disability, pregnancy, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, citizenship status, military status, veteran status or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. In addition, AT&T will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. AT&T is a fair chance employer and does not initiate a background check until an offer is made.