Cellular RF Receiver Systems Architect

Job Title

Cellular RF Receiver Systems Architect

Role Summary

Design and architect cellular RF receiver systems for Apple products, focusing on 5G and future 6G receiver architectures. Work within the RF System Engineering team to define system-level requirements and deliver production-ready receiver solutions in collaboration with RF circuit design, platform architecture, and software teams.

Lead concept-to-product efforts including integration, validation, and optimization for mass production.

Experience Level

Senior — requires a minimum of 10 years relevant industry experience.

Responsibilities

Primary responsibilities include system architecture, simulation, specification, and cross-team delivery.

• Architect the complete RF receiver chain from the antenna through the RF frontend to the digital baseband.
• Translate high-level system requirements into detailed component and block-level specifications; develop RF line-up analysis, level plans, and link budgets.
• Create and maintain system-level simulations using MATLAB and Python.
• Perform trade-off studies, influence architecture decisions, and ensure performance targets are met.
• Develop system features and DSP algorithms to compensate for analog impairments.
• Collaborate with baseband engineering on 5G and future 6G physical layer use cases and receiver procedures.
• Author detailed system and block-level specifications for internal RFIC and external RF frontend module partners.
• Drive integration, validation, calibration, and optimization from architectural phase through mass production.

Requirements

Must-have technical skills and experience; preferred items summarized separately.

• Minimum 10 years relevant industry experience.
• System engineering experience designing complex communication RF systems (cellular, WiFi) with deep expertise in receiver architectures.
• Mastery of RF line-up analysis and development of level plans.
• Strong understanding of RF performance metrics and impairments (NF, non-linearity, phase noise, IQ imbalance, DC) and their impact on system performance.
• In-depth knowledge of 3GPP RF requirements and physical layer procedures for FR1 and FR2.
• Proficiency in MATLAB and Python for RF system modeling and simulation.
• Experience with lab bring-up, system calibration, and RF debugging.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and cross-functional communication skills.

Preferred:

• Experience in radio receiver design (approximately 5 years preferred).
• Understanding of cellular system use cases, transmit/receive interactions, and coexistence challenges.
• Experience in clock/frequency planning and familiarity with baseband algorithms (e.g., channel estimation/equalization).
• Understanding of analog data converters from a system perspective and familiarity with RFIC design, layout considerations, and semiconductor processes.
• Experience applying AI/ML to multi-objective optimization of RF line-up and link budget models.
• Familiarity with modern digital modem architectures.

Education Requirements

BS degree required; posting specifies a Bachelor of Science and a minimum of 10 years relevant industry experience.

About the Company

Company: Apple

Headquarters: Cupertino, California, United States

Apple is a multinational technology company that designs, manufactures, and sells consumer electronics, software, and online services. Known for its innovative products such as the iPhone, Mac computers, and iPad, Apple emphasizes a strong commitment to high-quality design and user experience.