Wireless RF PHY Firmware Engineer

Apple Inc

Confirmed live yesterday Trusted

Quick summary

Work type
On-site
Location
San Diego, CA
Salary
$122,700–$214,300 / yr
Posted
136 days ago
Freshness
Confirmed live yesterday

Market check

Salary context

Competitive pay

How this pay compares to similar roles

Similar $191k
This role $168k
$111k most similar roles pay here $232k

This role pays less than 60% of similar roles. Most pay $162,412–$219,000 — the shaded band above. At the midpoint, this role pays about $168k versus about $191k for comparable roles.

Based on 240 similar postings.

Employer

About Apple Inc

Apple Inc. is a multinational technology company known for designing and manufacturing consumer electronics, software, and online services, including the iPhone, Mac, iPad, and App Store. Industry: Consumer Electronics & Software

Apple Inc currently has 1984 open roles on FindRole.

Listed pay typically runs $175,000–$277,600 across 1590 roles with salary data.

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At a glance

TL;DR · Wireless RF PHY Firmware Engineer

The Wireless RF PHY Firmware Engineer joins the Wireless Connectivity Silicon team to develop embedded firmware for SoC bring up and wireless connectivity enablement. This role focuses on PHY bring up, RF calibrations, signal processing algorithm implementation, and performance tuning to support productization across wafer, module, and system factories. The engineer will collaborate with hardware and software teams to architect innovative algorithms and integrate them into the firmware flow for time-critical calibration. Key responsibilities include debugging real-time systems using lab equipment like oscilloscopes and spectrum analyzers, as well as supporting pre-silicon validation via emulation and FPGA prototyping. Required skills include C, assembly, Python, and experience with ARM CPUs. The role requires expertise in digital signal processing, multi-thread environments, and wireless standards such as Bluetooth, WLAN, ZigBee, and UWB to solve complex connectivity challenges.

What you'll do

  • Implement embedded firmware for SoC bring-up and wireless connectivity enablement.
  • Develop RF calibrations, signal processing algorithms, and performance tuning for the silicon.
  • Create system-level APIs and firmware functionality to support manufacturing and productization needs.
  • Translate Python reference implementations into optimized C code for embedded CPUs.
  • Integrate time-critical, online calibration routines into the firmware flow.
  • Debug real-time systems using development boards and lab equipment like oscilloscopes and logic analyzers.
  • Support pre-silicon validation through simulation, emulation, and FPGA prototyping.
  • Develop diagnostics, manufacturing tests, and protocol compliance software for wireless standards.

What we're looking for

  • Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related field.
  • Knowledge of embedded systems including multi-thread environments, interrupt processing, and resource management.
  • Experience in embedded firmware development using C and assembly languages with familiarity with ARM CPUs.
  • Understanding of wireless communication systems, Radio/PHY fundamentals, and digital signal processing algorithms.
  • Proficiency in scripting languages such as Python, Perl, or Tcl.
  • Ability to translate Python libraries like NumPy/SciPy into embedded C code.
  • Experience with low-level hardware interfaces, bare-metal development, and clock/power management.
  • Fluency in using lab equipment including logic analyzers, oscilloscopes, and spectrum analyzers.

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