RF Hardware Board Designer

Apple | San Diego, CA

Posted Date 4/19/2025

Description Would you like to join Apple’s growing wireless silicon development team? Our wireless SOC organization is responsible for all aspects of wireless silicon development with a particular emphasis on highly energy efficient design and new technologies that transform the user experience at the product level, all of which is inspired by a world-class vertically integrated engineering team spanning RF/Analog architecture and design, Systems/PHY/MAC architecture and design, VLSI/RTL design and integration, Emulation, Design Verification, Test and Validation, and FW/SW engineering. As a Wireless Hardware Design Engineer, you will be responsible for crafting development boards and reference designs for testing and evaluating emerging wireless chip technologies!

Description

Design Engineers work closely with internal chip and package design and chip integration teams to design, build and validate development boards required for chip bring-up and characterization. You will also work with external component vendors, PCB houses, and Apple factories to support wireless chips over their lifecycle, including application engineering support for product development teams.

Minimum Qualifications

BS and 3+ years of relevant industry experience.

Preferred Qualifications

Developing test boards to collaborate with wireless chips, FPGAs, PMUs, sensors, and other peripheral support chips over a variety of digital interfaces, including I2C, JTAG, UART, SPI, SPMI, and PCIe based on preliminary chip specifications.
Designing of power distribution and filtering networks for wireless chips.
Hardware bring-up, bench evaluation, and troubleshooting using oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, spectrum analyzers, network analyzers, and wireless testers.
Understanding of PCB design principles for minimizing unwanted coupling and Rx de-sense.
PCB component selection and specification, including sockets for testing wireless chips.
Experience with schematic and board design using System Capture/Allegro or equivalent.
Understanding of DFM, DFT, SI, and PI principles for Wireless PCB design, including RF interface requirements of characteristic impedance and matching.
PCB construction requirements to meet SI and reliability requirements testing wireless chips.
Mechanical part design and modeling experience with Solidworks or NX preferred.
Leading vendors for PCB and mechanical part fabrication and assembly, and well as prototype part fabrication using 3-D printing.
Providing AE support for engineers integrating wireless chips into final products.
Experience with KiCad, Altium or Fusion 360 preferred.
Embedded programming and Python experience preferred.
Strong preference for working on electrical and/or mechanical projects in your spare time.

Pay & Benefits

At Apple, base pay is one part of our total compensation package and is determined within a range. This provides the opportunity to progress as you grow and develop within a role. The base pay range for this role is between $135,400 and $250,600, and your base pay will depend on your skills, qualifications, experience, and location.

Apple employees also have the opportunity to become an Apple shareholder through participation in Apple’s discretionary employee stock programs. Apple employees are eligible for discretionary restricted stock unit awards, and can purchase Apple stock at a discount if voluntarily participating in Apple’s Employee Stock Purchase Plan. You’ll also receive benefits including: Comprehensive medical and dental coverage, retirement benefits, a range of discounted products and free services, and for formal education related to advancing your career at Apple, reimbursement for certain educational expenses — including tuition. Additionally, this role might be eligible for discretionary bonuses or commission payments as well as relocation. Learn more about Apple Benefits.

Note: Apple benefit, compensation and employee stock programs are subject to eligibility requirements and other terms of the applicable plan or program.

Salary135,400.00 - 250,600.00 Annual