Wireless Control Systems Engineer

Socket.dev; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Apple is seeking a Wireless Control Systems Engineer to own the end-to-end lifecycle of cellular modem systems, from feature design through silicon bring-up and productisation for 6G/5G and 4G 3GPP features. You will collaborate with SoC, PHY, and SW teams to ensure end-to-end system requirements are met across the full stack.

The role demands deep expertise in wireless system theory, coding, and signal processing, with hands-on experience in algorithm prototyping and lab bring‑up using MATLAB,

Qualifications

• BS in Electrical Engineering or related field with extensive Layer-1 control design experience.
• Strong knowledge of 6G/5G and 4G LTE, RAN1 3GPP standards.
• Expertise in signal processing, channel estimation, LDPC/Polar/Turbo coding, and PHY concepts.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end lifecycle of cellular modem systems from feature design through silicon bring‑up and productisation for 6G/5G/4G.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with SoC, PHY, PHY HW, PHY FW, and L1 SW teams to meet system requirements.
• Refine timing, interfaces, and message flows to optimize performance and power across platforms.

Skills

Layer-1 control design

RAN1 3GPP

Signal processing

Algorithm prototyping

MIMO processing

OFDM

Channel estimation

AKG/PRECISE/AI tooling

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering

Tools

MATLAB

C/C++

Python

Job description

At Apple, new ideas have a way of becoming extraordinary products, services, and customer experiences — fast. Bring passion and dedication to your job and there's no telling what you could accomplish. Dynamic, sensible people and inspiring, innovative technologies are the norm here. Join us to help deliver the next groundbreaking Apple product. We're looking for a Wireless Control Systems Engineer to join our cellular systems engineering team as we define and build the next generation of cellular technology. This is a rare opportunity to shape the future of wireless communication at a company that ships at global scale as we transition towards 6G. In this role, you'll bring an end-to-end view of wireless systems — spanning 3GPP standards, algorithm design, hardware architecture, timing requirement, interfaces, message flows — to deliver leading‑edge performance and power optimizations that directly improve the user experience across Apple products. If you thrive at the intersection of deep technical theory and hands‑on bring‑up — and you're excited about pushing beyond 5G into the 6G era — we want to hear from you.

DESCRIPTION

As a Wireless Control Systems Engineer, you will own the end‑to‑end lifecycle of cellular modem systems — from feature design through silicon bring‑up and productisation for 6G/5G and 4G 3GPP features and proprietary enhancements to improve user experience. Collaborate cross‑functionally with SoC, PHY, PHY HW, PHY FW, and L1 SW teams to ensure end‑to‑end system requirements are met across the full stack.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• BS in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related field, with 10+ years of relevant industry experience in Layer 1 control design.
• Strong knowledge of cellular communication standards: 6G (emerging), 5G NR, 4G LTE — particularly RAN1 3GPP.
• Deep expertise in communication system theory and signal processing: LDPC, Polar, and Turbo coding; signal estimation and detection; AGC; RF impairment estimation and correction; channel estimation; OFDM; MIMO detection; waveform generation and up‑sampling.
• Proficiency in MATLAB, C/C++, and/or Python for algorithm development, fixed/floating‑point modelling, and link‑level simulation.
• Experience leveraging Generative AI and LLM‑based tools to accelerate engineering workflows — e.g., algorithm prototyping, code generation, simulation analysis, or technical documentation.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience in Layer-1 Control Design.
• Experience in low‑power algorithm design for power‑constrained mobile platforms.
• Experience in end‑to‑end timeline analysis for latency‑critical PHY processing chains.
• Hands‑on silicon bring‑up experience, including use of lab equipment: protocol testers, spectrum analyzers, signal generators, power meters.
• Strong mathematical foundations: linear algebra, stochastic processes, detection & estimation theory.
• Familiarity with 3GPP standardization processes, RAN2, RAN4 topics and emerging 6G study items (e.g., AI/ML for air interface, sub‑THz bands, joint communication and sensing, reconfigurable intelligent surfaces).
• Track record of published research or patents in wireless communications.