Senior RFIC Design Engineer

KYOCERA International, Inc.; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 106,000 - 213,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive pay

Vacation time

Holidays

401(k) with company match

Pension

Medical, dental, vision insurance

FSA

Employee Assistance Program

Flexible schedules

Tuition reimbursement

Job summary

Kyocera International, Inc. is seeking a Senior RFIC Design Engineer in San Diego, CA to develop high-performance RF and analog ICs for wireless and sensing products. This role integrates circuit design, layout, testing, and productization across multiple teams.

Responsibilities include schematic and layout signoff, simulation and characterization, and collaborating with RF Systems, Test, Firmware, and Manufacturing to ensure production-ready silicon. PhD or MS with experience preferred.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering or related field with RF/analog/mixed-signal specialization; no industry experience required.
• M.S. in Electrical Engineering with at least 3 years of relevant industry experience.

Responsibilities

• Design and verify RF, analog, and mixed-signal blocks from spec to signoff.
• Analyze tradeoffs in performance, power, area, noise, and bandwidth.
• Develop RFIC blocks like amplifiers, mixers, oscillators, data converters, filters, regulators, and calibration circuits.
• Collaborate with system engineers to derive block specs and margins.
• Run schematic, post-layout, PVT, Monte Carlo, EM, and reliability simulations; document results.
• Work with layout on floorplanning, device placement, routing, shielding, and manufacturability.
• Support RFIC-package-PCB co-simulation and assess interconnect effects.

Skills

RFIC design

Analog design

Circuit analysis

Transistor-level design

Layout knowledge

Verilog/SystemVerilog

Matlab/Python

Measurement experience

Education

PhD in Electrical Engineering

MS in Electrical Engineering (with 3+ years experience)

Tools

Cadence Virtuoso

Spectre

Job description

Description

Join Kyocera International, Inc.

We're hiring a Senior RFIC Design Engineer at our San Diego, CA location!

Join a stable, long-term opportunity where your work matters. We're hiring a Senior RFIC Design Engineer to support production and ensure high-quality output in a fast-paced manufacturing setting.

Pay Range - $106,000.00 to $213,000.00 annually (Actual base pay based on factors such as relevant experience, education, market, qualifications, and skills.)

With nearly 80,000 employees globally, Kyocera is a leading manufacturer of high-tech ceramics in various industries, including aerospace, automotive, Medical applications, and semiconductor processing. Our innovative materials are found in everything from smartphones to space shuttles! Check out our profile video!

Look at these PERKS!

• Competitive pay, benefits, and hours
• 120 hours of vacation accrued per year to start (that's 3 weeks/year for regular 8-hour shifts!)
• 10 Paid Holidays per year
• 401(k) with company match
• Pension
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
• Employee Assistance Program
• Flexible schedules
• Tuition reimbursement

We have a long-tenured staff (many with over 30 years of service!), a vital company mission, and an excellent benefits package that includes medical, dental, vision, life insurance, paid time off to volunteer, paid leave options, tuition reimbursement, an employer-paid Pension and a 401(k) with both Roth and a healthy company match. Our larger locations also feature onsite gyms, walking tracks, exercise rooms, and employee gardens!

We strive to have a diverse workforce from all backgrounds, including minorities, women, and veterans, who bring their experience to support the innovation and quality that Kyocera is known for.

Kyocera International, Inc. also has a robust corporate culture and philosophy based on the experiences and writings of our founder, Dr. Kazuo Inamori, which you can learn more about here: https://global.kyocera.com/inamori/philosophy/. Our company motto is "Do the right thing as a human being," and we try to use that motto constantly in our decision-making.

Exempt:

Yes

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF POSITION

The Senior RFIC Design Engineer develops high-performance RF and analog integrated circuits for advanced wireless and sensing products. Works with circuit architecture, transistor-level design, layout, verification, silicon characterization, and productization. Works closely with RF Systems, Layout, Package, Test, Firmware, and Product Engineering teams to translate product requirements into robust, production-ready silicon.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Design and verify RF, analog, and mixed-signal circuit blocks from specification and topology selection through transistor-level implementation, layout, extraction, and signoff.
• Analyze circuit tradeoffs involving performance, power, area, noise, linearity, gain, bandwidth, matching, stability, process variation, and reliability.
• Contribute to the development of RFIC building blocks such as amplifiers, mixers, oscillators, frequency-generation circuits, data converters, filters, bias circuits, regulators, detectors, and calibration circuits.
• Work with system engineers to derive block-level specifications, allocate design margins, and evaluate interactions between circuit blocks and the overall signal chain.
• Plan and run schematic, post-layout, PVT, Monte Carlo, EM, mixed-signal, and reliability simulations; document results and address performance gaps.
• Partner with layout engineers on floorplanning, critical-device placement, routing, shielding, matching, parasitic control, physical verification, and design-for-manufacturability.
• Support RFIC-package-PCB co-simulation and evaluate the impact of interconnects, passives, coupling, supply integrity, and thermal effects on circuit performance.
• Develop characterization plans, support laboratory measurements and silicon debug, and correlate measured results with simulation across operating conditions.
• Collaborate with Test, Product, Applications, Firmware, and Manufacturing Engineering during validation, yield improvement, and product ramp.
• Prepare clear specifications, design-review material, verification plans, and characterization reports; contribute to continuous improvement and intellectual property development.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering or a related field with specialization in RF, analog, mixed-signal, or microwave/mmWave IC design; no industry experience required. Alternatively, M.S. in Electrical Engineering or a related field with at least 3 years of relevant industry experience.
• Strong foundation in analog and RF circuit design, including device physics, feedback, noise, linearity, mismatch, stability, frequency response, and circuit tradeoffs.
• Academic or industry experience with transistor-level design and simulation of RF, analog, or mixed-signal integrated circuits.
• Working knowledge of CMOS and/or SOI technologies, deep-submicron design considerations, RF passives, and critical analog/RF layout techniques.
• Proficiency with Cadence Virtuoso and Spectre or comparable IC design tools; familiarity with RF and EM simulation, extraction, and physical-verification tools is preferred.
• Ability to analyze simulation and measurement data, isolate root causes, and communicate technical conclusions clearly.
• Laboratory experience with RF or analog measurements is desirable, including use of oscilloscopes, spectrum analyzers, network analyzers, signal generators, or related equipment.
• Familiarity with Verilog-A, Verilog, SystemVerilog, MATLAB, Python, or SKILL is beneficial.
• Strong problem-solving, documentation, communication, and teamwork skills, with the ability to work effectively in a cross‑functional engineering environment.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

The above statements are intended to describe the work being performed by people assigned to this job. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required. The duties and responsibilities of this position are subject to change and other duties may be assigned or removed at any time. This position may require exposure to information subject to US Export Control regulations, i.e.: the International Traffic and Arms Regulations (ITAR) or Export Administration Regulations (EAR). All applicants must be US persons within the meaning of US regulations.

Kyocera International, Inc. values diversity in its workforce, and is proud to be an AAP/EEO employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, sex, color, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, or on the basis of disability.

If you are an individual with a disability and require a reasonable accommodation to complete any part of the application process, or are limited in the ability or unable to access or use this online application process and need an alternative method for applying, you may contact Kyocera International, Inc. Human Resources team directly.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

Equal Opportunity Employer

This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws.

For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.