RFIC Design Engineer

Apple Inc.; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 175,000 - 309,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive medical and dental

Retirement benefits

Discounted products & free services

Tuition reimbursement

Discretionary bonuses or commissions

Relocation

Job summary

Apple Inc. in San Diego seeks an experienced RFIC Design Engineer to deliver high-performance radio transceivers for wireless SoCs. You’ll drive KPIs, collaborate across RF, analog, and digital teams, and push designs from concept to mass production.

The role requires a BS with 10+ years in analog/RF, expertise in Cadence and EM tools, and a track record of delivering LNA/PA, PLL/VCO blocks. Apple offers strong compensation, stock programs, and comprehensive benefits.

Qualifications

• BS and 10+ years of relevant industry experience.
• Deep understanding of analog design concepts and impairments.
• Experience with RF transceivers in deep sub-micron RFCMOS tech.
• Proficiency with Cadence Virtuoso, Spectre RF, MATLAB, and EM tools.
• Ability to bring wireless transceivers to mass production.

Responsibilities

• Drive radio KPI (power, area, performance) to meet requirements.
• Collaborate with platform architecture, wireless design, RF HW/SW.
• Define TX/RX lines and PLL-LOGen specs with margin distribution.
• Design and deliver TX/RX/PLL-LOGen building blocks.
• Create RF/Analog loopbacks for calibration and compensation.
• Understand Co-Existence requirements for wireless systems.
• Oversee floorplan layout and verification for tape-out.
• Provide silicon-measured correlation and spec compliance.

Skills

Analog/mixed-signal RF design

LNA/PA design

PLL/VCO/DCO/LOGEN

RF system integration

Floorplan/layout verification

Education

Bachelor's degree

MSEE and PhD (preferred)

Tools

Cadence Virtuoso

Spectre RF

MATLAB

EM simulation (EMX, HFSS)

Job description

Do you have a passion for invention and self-challenge. Do you thrive with pushing the limits of what’s considered feasible? As part of an outstanding team, you’ll craft sophisticated, groundbreaking projects that deliver more performance in our products than ever before. You’ll work across fields to transform improved hardware elements into a coordinated design. Join us, and you’ll help us innovate new technologies that continually outperform the previous iterations! By collaborating with other product development groups across Apple, you’ll push the industry boundaries of what wireless systems can do and improve the product experience for our customers worldwide.

Description

As a RFIC Design Engineer, you are going to be responsible for providing RFIC solutions for wireless SoC and driving them to mass production for Apple’s Wireless Connectivity products.The wireless RFIC team architects, develop, and validates radio transceivers integrated into sophisticated wireless SoCs. Our wireless organization is responsible for all aspects of wireless silicon development. It transforms the user experience at the product level, all of which is driven by an outstanding 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! As an engineer within the Wireless Radio team, you will be at the center of a wireless SoC design group, chipping in to Apple’s innovative wireless connectivity solutions into hundreds of millions of products.

Responsibilities

• Drive radio KPI (power, area, performance) to meet product requirements.
• Work with multi-functional teams including platform architecture, wireless design, RF HW and SW to define radio features enabling wireless innovation.
• Work closely with RF Systems in block level and high level specifications of the TX and RX line ups and PLL-LOGen, and accurate distribution of spec margins in the chain.
• Design and deliver radio transceiver building blocks and chains, including TX, RX, and PLL-LOGen for wireless connectivity products.
• Design of RF and Analog loopbacks for calibration and compensation.
• Deep understanding of various Co-Existence scenarios and design requirements to meet the CoEx requirements.
• Be responsible for the floorplan layout and verification of the design to ensure a successful tape-out.
• Provide design versus silicon measurements correlation, and compliance with specification for a volume production.

Minimum Qualifications

• BS and 10+ years of relevant industry experience.
• Deep understanding of analog design concepts such as analysis of noise, linearity, mismatch, stability, and other analog impairments.
• Experienced in Cadence Virtuoso, Spectre RF, Matlab, EM simulation (EMX, HFSS), and similar tools.
• Direct experience in crafting and bringing into mass production of wireless transceivers in deep sub-micron RFCMOS technology.
• Deep understanding of analog, mixed-signal and RF circuit design. This includes design of LNAs and PAs, PLL/VCO/DCO/LOGEN blocks, mixers, baseband filters and amplifiers, data converters and calibration methods associated with such high performance wireless systems.

Preferred Qualifications

• MSEE and PhD plus relevant industry experience.
• 10+ years of RF/analog and mixed-signal design experience in groundbreaking RF CMOS design.
• Familiarity with various RF transceiver architectures and their trade-offs, system specifications, and ability to work with system architects to translate system requirements into circuit requirements at IC level; strong understanding of impact of modulation type to radio architecture and requirements.
• Proven capability working with digital design group for an optimum partition between digital and analog domain.
• Familiarity with the integration flows and challenges of wireless SoCs.
• Extensive experience in Silicon characterization and debug.
• Ability to drive strong production test/QA methodologies.

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 $175,000 and $308,500, 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 employees are eligible for discretionary restricted stock unit awards, and can purchase Apple stock at a discount if voluntarily participating in Apple’s Employee Stock Purchase Plan. You’ll also receive benefits including:

• Comprehensive medical and dental coverage
• retirement benefits
• a range of discounted products and free services
• reimbursement for certain educational expenses — including tuition
• discretionary bonuses or commission payments
• relocation

Learn more about Apple Benefits

Note: Apple benefit, compensation and employee stock programs are subject to eligibility requirements and other terms of the applicable plan or program.

Apple is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to inclusion and diversity. We seek to promote equal opportunity for all applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, Veteran status, or other legally protected characteristics. Learn more about your EEO rights as an applicant

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Apple accepts applications to this posting on an ongoing basis.