Senior RFIC Validation & Characterization Lead

Apple, Inc.; San Diego (CA); Vor Ort; USD 175.000 - 309.000; Vollzeit

Benefits dieser Stelle

Apple Benefits

Zusammenfassung

Apple Inc. RFIC Characterization and Validation Lead in San Diego leads a team that validates RF transceivers for Apple wearable SoCs. Set validation strategy, stay hands‑on in lab and test code, and collaborate with design, systems, and product teams to ensure silicon readiness.

You will own pre‑silicon through production validation, calibrations, and ATE test flows, mentoring engineers and delivering comprehensive reports while driving schedule and risk management.

Qualifikationen

• BS and a minimum of 10 years relevant industry experience.
• Significant experience in RF test development, hands‑on debug, performance characterization, and reporting, including ownership of a validation effort through at least one silicon bring‑up.
• Demonstrated technical leadership: leading a project or a small team, mentoring engineers, and driving cross‑functional work to completion.
• Strong scripting and automation skills in Python (highly desired), Perl, TCL, C++, or similar languages.
• Hands‑on experience with standard RF test equipment, including network analyzers, spectrum analyzers, vector signal analyzers, and signal generators.
• Strong understanding of RF fundamentals, wireless transceiver architectures, and digital communication systems.
• Strong knowledge of RF, PLL, and wireless system measurements (e.g., IP3, NF, ACPR, phase noise).
• Experience with RF PCB design, layout, and debug.
• Familiarity with RFIC block‑level schematics and design/simulation environments.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including reporting to senior management.

Aufgaben

• Own test plan development, bring‑up preparation and execution: define the validation and characterization plan, coverage and exit criteria for each silicon revision, and track it to closure.
• Plan and prioritize the team's work, allocate lab, equipment, and board resources, and keep the schedule realistic against tape‑out, bring‑up, and production milestones.
• Mentor and develop engineers through technical guidance, design and code review, feedback, and growth plans; participate in hiring and interviews.
• Drive the bring‑up and functional validation of new wireless SoCs, from first silicon to final product.
• Establish a clear flow between pre‑silicon validation, post‑silicon characterization, and ATE test development, so that tests, calibration code and lessons are reused rather than rewritten.
• Perform and review hands‑on bench testing, characterization, and debug of RF SoC IP, including transmitters, receivers, PLLs, power amplifiers, and ADCs/DACs.
• Characterize and optimize key RF performance metrics such as EVM, spectral mask, phase noise, sensitivity, IP3, NF, and ACPR.
• Automate RF measurements and data analysis by writing robust scripts (e.g., Python) to control test equipment and the device under test (DUT); define the common automation framework and coding standards for the team.
• Design and develop radio calibrations, including algorithm creation and optimization.
• Develop and support RF calibration and test routines for ATE mass production environments.
• Debug complex chip‑level and board‑level issues, including desense and EMI problems; act as the escalation point for the hardest issues and drive root cause across design, systems, and integration.
• Design external matching networks to optimize transmit (Tx) and receive (Rx) radio performance.
• Collaborate with RF Systems, Design, and Integration teams on board layout, test methodology, and calibration programming.
• Generate comprehensive RF design verification, characterization, and test reports.
• Be the primary interface to RF Design, RF Systems, SoC Integration, Test/ATE, and Product teams; communicate status, risks, and findings to senior management.
• Drive continuous improvement of test coverage, measurement accuracy, and turnaround time, and of the supporting documentation and tooling.

Kenntnisse

Technical leadership

Mentoring

Automation scripting

Ausbildung

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering

Tools

Python

Perl

TCL

C++

RF test equipment

Jobbeschreibung

Apple Inc. RFIC Characterization and Validation Lead in San Diego leads a team that validates RF transceivers for Apple wearable SoCs. Set validation strategy, stay hands‑on in lab and test code, and collaborate with design, systems, and product teams to ensure silicon readiness.

You will own pre‑silicon through production validation, calibrations, and ATE test flows, mentoring engineers and delivering comprehensive reports while driving schedule and risk management.