Principal Design & Firmware Engineer

Job Title

Principal Design & Firmware Engineer

Role Summary

Design, build, test, and maintain embedded controller hardware and firmware for phased array reference designs and array products within the Antenna Technologies team (Defense & Aerospace). Work on digital control circuitry, DC power supply, and firmware that enable near real-time beamsteering, calibration, and system interfaces for satellite, line-of-sight, and radar applications.

Experience Level

Senior / Professional — typically requires 5+ years of relevant engineering experience.

Responsibilities

Primary duties include hands-on hardware and firmware development, integration, and verification for phased array systems:

• Architect active IC control logic and design embedded controller hardware for phased array systems.
• Develop embedded control firmware for beamsteering updates, IC polling, temperature monitoring, calibration, and error handling.
• Implement SPI digital links between microcontrollers and peripherals and manage other serial interfaces.
• Create and maintain Interface Control Documents (ICDs) and implement firmware for GPS/INS and other external interfaces.
• Lead debugging, test verification, and validation of high-speed digital systems and interfaces.
• Specify resources and requirements for digital, firmware, and embedded software designs; develop maintenance processes for deployed firmware.
• Expand ownership of high-speed digital electronics, DC power supply designs, embedded processors, and signal/power integrity improvements.

Requirements

Must-have skills and experience:

• Minimum ~5 years of relevant experience designing and testing embedded controller hardware and firmware.
• Experience with embedded controller testing and troubleshooting; schematic capture, PCB layout, and BOM tools.
• Strong analog and digital circuit design skills, including DC power supply/regulation design and power management.
• Experience with serial interfaces and protocols: SPI, I2C, UART, and system-level ICDs.
• Familiarity with GPS receivers, INS sensors, and navigation data interfaces.
• Experience with high-speed digital electronics, signal and power integrity analysis, and embedded processor systems.
• Ability to work on aggressive schedules in a fast-paced environment and lead hardware/firmware integration and verification.

Nice-to-have / Preferred:

• Experience with phased array beamsteering algorithms and array math implemented in firmware.
• Experience with PCB design and layout for high-speed digital line rates (1+ Gb/s).
• Experience developing software in Python and familiarity with object-oriented programming.
• Digital system partitioning and FPGA implementation and simulation experience.
• Experience related to RF circuit design and low-voltage power regulation for RF systems.

Education Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering (BSEE) or equivalent technical degree, or equivalent practical experience. The role references a BSEE or equivalent as the preferred academic background.

About the Company

Company: Qorvo

Headquarters: Greensboro, NC, US

Qorvo supplies innovative semiconductor solutions that enhance connectivity and power for a variety of applications, including consumer electronics, automotive, and healthcare. With a focus on RF and power solutions, Qorvo combines technology leadership and global manufacturing to address complex challenges in fast-growing industries. Their commitment to excellence and innovation drives them to shape the future of wireless communications.