Wireless Silicon Debug and Characterization Engineering Manager

Summary

Apple's wireless silicon team builds highly energy-efficient wireless chips that connect hundreds of millions of customers to the world around them. The team spans RF and analog design, PHY and MAC systems, test and validation, and firmware, and works on every stage from first silicon to mass production.

In this role, you'll build and lead a small engineering team with RF, PHY/wireless system, and firmware expertise. You'll stay hands-on in the lab, bringing up and debugging new silicon and improving calibration and trim, so that wireless products perform at their best when they reach customers.

Description

You'll lead a team that brings up, characterizes, debugs, calibrates, and trims wireless SoCs from first silicon through mass production. The team solves problems that span PHY algorithms, RF circuits, firmware, and test setup. When module or system production issues involve the wireless SoC, the team provides silicon-level root-cause analysis to the manufacturing support teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a team of engineers with RF, PHY/wireless system, and firmware backgrounds. Set priorities and build the team's ability to debug across layers.
• Bring up, integrate, and tune PHY and radio systems on first-silicon wireless SoCs, and drive silicon maturity through repeated bring-up cycles until the silicon is ready for mass production.
• Characterize and optimize PHY and RF performance (EVM, spectral mask, phase noise, sensitivity, IP3, NF, ACPR) across operating modes and across process and temperature corners.
• Debug and root-cause chip-level and board-level issues spanning PHY algorithms, RF circuits, firmware, and test setup, including desense and EMI.
• Develop and optimize radio calibration and trim algorithms (e.g., IQ imbalance, LO leakage, TSSI, power control), and support the calibration and test routines used in module and system production.
• Provide silicon-level analysis and insight to module and system manufacturing support teams when production issues involve the wireless SoC.
• Support firmware for bring-up, diagnostics, and manufacturing test, and work with product test and protocol stack teams to resolve product and interoperability issues.
• Automate RF measurements, characterization workflows, and data analysis, and share findings through clear reports to PHY, RF design, digital, MAC, and firmware teams.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or a related field, and 10+ years of relevant industry experience.
• Experience leading engineers or technical teams.
• Experience in wireless system design, integration, or bring-up of wireless silicon.
• Experience in RF test development, hands-on debug, performance characterization, and reporting.
• Experience with RF, PLL, and wireless system measurements (e.g., IP3, NF, ACPR, phase noise, lock time) using network analyzers, spectrum analyzers, vector signal analyzers, and signal generators.
• Experience writing scripts in Python, Perl, TCL, C++, or similar languages to automate test equipment and data analysis.
• Proficiency in Mandarin and English.

Preferred Qualifications

• MS or PhD in Electrical Engineering or Computer Engineering.
• Experience bringing up radio calibration algorithms such as power control, IQ imbalance, LO leakage, or TSSI.
• Knowledge of wireless communication protocols (802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax/be, Bluetooth, or UWB) at the MAC/PHY level.
• Experience with embedded firmware (C, ARM CPUs, RTOS), including low-level drivers, diagnostics, and manufacturing test software.
• Ability to bring engineers from different disciplines together to solve cross-layer problems as one team.
• Ability to communicate complex technical findings clearly, in writing and in person, to cross-functional teams across time zones.
• Track record of developing engineers' technical skills and growing team capability.
• Ability to balance hands-on technical work with team leadership and shifting priorities.

Apple is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to inclusion and diversity, and thus we treat all applicants fairly and equally. Apple is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodation to applicants with physical and mental disabilities.