Senior RF/mmWave Post-Silicon Validation Engineer

The role

This person will bring up and characterize highly integrated RF and mmWave SoCs from first silicon through product integration. They will work with RFIC designers, systems/DSP, mixed-signal, firmware, hardware, and validation teams.

What you will do

• Bring up and characterize RF/mmWave silicon, including TX/RX signal chains, LNAs, PAs, mixers, LO generation, PLLs, and RF front ends.
• Develop and execute RF characterization plans across frequency, power, voltage, temperature, process, and operating modes.
• Measure key RF performance including gain, noise figure, output power, compression, linearity, EVM, ACLR, phase noise, spurious performance, harmonics, sensitivity, and dynamic range.
• Develop automated RF/mmWave test setups for characterization, regression, data collection, analysis, and reporting.
• Work closely with RFIC designers to correlate silicon measurements with simulations and identify performance gaps and root causes.
• Partner with systems/DSP teams to validate RF calibration and signal-processing algorithms on silicon and correlate performance with system models.
• Debug complex issues spanning silicon, package, PCB, firmware, calibration, test setup, and system behavior.
• Support the transition from chip-level RF characterization to product integration and system-level validation.
• Contribute to building the RF/mmWave validation lab, measurement infrastructure, test methodology, and automation from the ground up.
• Document characterization results, silicon limitations, workarounds, and lessons learned for future silicon generations.

Required qualifications

• BS/MS in Electrical Engineering or related field.
• 5+ years of RF/mmWave silicon validation, characterization, RFIC test, or related experience.
• Strong understanding of RF transceiver architectures and RF/mmWave circuits, including LNAs, PAs, mixers, PLLs, and frequency-generation systems.
• Deep hands-on experience with RF/mmWave test equipment including vector network analyzers, spectrum/signal analyzers, vector signal generators, oscilloscopes, power meters, noise-figure analyzers, and
• Strong understanding of RF measurement techniques, calibration, de-embedding, noise, linearity, modulation quality, and spectral analysis.
• Experience developing automated characterization environments using Python or similar scripting languages and instrument-control interfaces.
• Strong debugging skills and ability to isolate problems across silicon, package, PCB, firmware, and measurement environments.
• Experience working closely with RFIC designers and systems engineers to correlate measurements with circuit simulations and system models.
• Ability to operate effectively in a fast-moving environment and build RF test capability from the ground up.

Nice to have

• Ka-band or higher-frequency mmWave silicon characterization experience.
• Experience with wideband RF transceivers.
• Experience validating digitally assisted RF circuits and calibration algorithms.
• Familiarity with modulated waveform measurements, EVM, ACLR, and communication-system performance.
• Experience with RF probing, mmWave fixtures, calibration, and package/PCB de-embedding.
• Familiarity with high-speed ADC/DAC interfaces and mixed-signal SoCs.
• Experience with automated PVT characterization and large-scale measurement data analysis.
• SI/PI, RF packaging, antenna, and high-frequency PCB experience.

Benefits

• paid time off
• medical/dental/vision/ coverage
• life insurance
• paid parental leave
• many other perks

Before you apply

• Must be a U.S. person as defined by 22 C.F.R. § 120.15 or otherwise eligible for a federally issued export control license.
• The person hired will have access to information and items controlled by U.S. export control regulations, including ITAR.

About the company

K2 is building the largest and highest-power satellites ever flown, mass-producing the highest-power satellite platforms ever built for missions from LEO to deep space.