RF IC Design Engineer

Analog IC Design Engineer Mid-level (L4 equivalent) 2-5 years

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The job description

Tech stack. LNAs, mixers, power amplifiers, PLLs, VCOs, s-parameters, impedance matching, EM simulation, Cadence Virtuoso, SpectreRF, ADS

About the role

You will join a fabless RF semiconductor company designing transceiver front ends for wireless connectivity products. The team owns the signal path from antenna to baseband: LNAs, mixers, synthesizers, and power amplifiers integrated on one die. This role matters because link budget, sensitivity, and spectral purity are set in your circuits, and a tenth of a dB in noise figure can be the difference between winning and losing a design. New wireless standards arrive faster than process nodes, so hitting aggressive specs in mature processes is the team's moat.

What you will achieve

Deliver RF blocks that meet noise figure, linearity (IIP3, P1dB), and phase-noise targets on first silicon across process and temperature
Design impedance matching and bias networks that hold performance across antenna mismatch and supply variation
Cut design cycles by correlating EM simulation of passives and interconnect with measured s-parameters, closing the model gap iteration over iteration
Own block-level link-budget contributions, negotiating gain, noise, and power tradeoffs with system architects to land the best overall radio
Drive silicon debug with spectrum analyzers, VNAs, and noise-figure meters, root-causing discrepancies to layout, modeling, or measurement
Contribute to regulatory compliance margins (spurious, harmonics, EVM) so products pass certification without redesign
Contribute to patent filings on novel circuit techniques that strengthen the company's IP position in contested sockets

What you will bring

Must-haves

2-5 years designing RF IC blocks with at least one shipped wireless product crediting your circuit work
Strong grasp of RF fundamentals: s-parameters, noise figure, linearity, matching networks, and stability (K-factor) analysis
Hands-on design experience with LNAs, mixers, VCOs, or PAs in a modern CMOS or BiCMOS process
Proficiency in Cadence Virtuoso and SpectreRF, including PSS, PAC, and PNoise analyses for oscillator and mixer design
Experience with EM simulation of inductors, transformers, and critical interconnect, and the judgment to know when it matters
Comfort with RF lab equipment: VNA, spectrum analyzer, signal generators, and probe-station measurements
B.S. or M.S. in Electrical Engineering with an RF/microwave circuits focus

Nice-to-haves

PLL and frequency synthesizer design experience, including loop dynamics and spur analysis
Familiarity with mmWave design techniques or phased-array front ends
Experience with ESD structures that survive RF performance requirements