RF System Test Engineer, Senior
Company:
Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.
Job Area:
Engineering Group, Engineering Group > Software Engineering
General Summary:
Qualcomm is a company of inventors that unlocked 5G, ushering in an age of rapid acceleration in connectivity and new possibilities that will transform industries, create jobs, and enrich lives. But this is just the beginning. It takes inventive minds with diverse skills, backgrounds, and cultures to transform wireless innovation into world-changing technologies and products.
The RF System Test team is responsible for validating the modem, RF, and antenna subsystems that power cellular connectivity across billions of devices worldwide, spanning smartphones, automotive, IoT, fixed wireless access, and next-generation 5G/6G platforms.
As an RF System Test Engineer, you will define, automate, execute, debug, and analyze validation strategies for advanced wireless technologies including 5G NR and emerging cellular features. You will work across modem software, RF hardware, system design, and test infrastructure to ensure product quality, standards compliance, and successful customer deployments.
This role is increasingly AI-native. Engineers are expected to leverage AI-assisted workflows for test generation, log analysis, defect triage, root-cause investigation, and automation development to accelerate validation cycles and improve engineering productivity.
Principal Duties and Responsibilities
Define, implement, and execute RF system validation strategies across modem software, RF hardware, and integrated platform solutions.
Develop and maintain automated test frameworks used to verify wireless functionality, performance, stability, and standards compliance.
Analyze test results and identify root causes of failures spanning modem software, RF subsystems, test infrastructure, and hardware interactions.
Collaborate with software, systems, hardware, and integration teams to drive issue resolution and product readiness.
Design and improve automated regression and qualification methodologies that support rapid development and high-quality software releases.
Interpret and apply 3GPP specifications to ensure complete and accurate test coverage for new features and technologies.
Execute and analyze RF measurements including transmitter performance, receiver performance, spectrum emissions, waveform quality, mobility, and interoperability testing.
Leverage AI-assisted tools to accelerate test development, log analysis, issue triage, coverage assessment, and root-cause investigations.
Develop scripts and tools that improve test efficiency, reporting, data analysis, and engineering workflows.
Evaluate emerging modem and RF features and define appropriate validation methodologies to ensure scalable, reusable test coverage across multiple products.
Contribute to continuous improvement of engineering processes, automation infrastructure, and AI-assisted validation methodologies.
Share expertise and contribute to the growth of engineering best practices across the team.
Minimum Qualifications:
• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Information Systems, Computer Science, or related field and 2+ years of Software Engineering or related work experience.
OR
Master's degree in Engineering, Information Systems, Computer Science, or related field and 1+ year of Software Engineering or related work experience.
OR
PhD in Engineering, Information Systems, Computer Science, or related field.
• 2+ years of academic or work experience with Programming Language such as C, C++, Java, Python, etc.
Preferred Qualifications
RF and Wireless Systems
Strong understanding of wireless communication systems and RF fundamentals.
Experience with 3GPP cellular technologies
Experience with RF measurements including power, spectrum, emissions, receiver sensitivity, and modulation quality.
Test Engineering and Automation
Experience defining test plans, methodologies, and coverage strategies.
Strong analytical and troubleshooting skills with demonstrated ability to root-cause complex system-level failures.
Experience developing automation solutions using Python and/or C++.
Familiarity with large-scale automated test environments and continuous integration workflows.
Experience with log analysis, issue tracking, test reporting, and quality metrics.
AI-Native Engineering
Demonstrated interest in applying AI-assisted tools to improve engineering productivity, automation, analysis, and debugging workflows.
Experience using AI assistants and agentic tools to develop scripts, analyze logs, generate tests, and accelerate debugging.
Familiarity with AI-assisted defect classification, root-cause analysis, and data summarization workflows.
Ability to critically evaluate AI-generated output and validate technical correctness.
Interest in developing AI-enhanced validation methodologies, automation frameworks, and engineering workflows.
Tools and Technologies
Experience in one or more of the following areas is a plus:
RF test equipment and cellular base station emulators
Test automation frameworks
Python, C++, SQL, and data analytics tools
Cellular protocol analysis and diagnostic tools
Qualcomm is an equal opportunity employer. If you are an individual with a disability and need an accommodation during the application/hiring process, rest assured that Qualcomm is committed to providing an accessible process. You may e-mail disability-accomodations@qualcomm.com or call Qualcomm's toll-free number found here. Upon request, Qualcomm will provide reasonable accommodations to support individuals with disabilities to be able participate in the hiring process. Qualcomm is also committed to making our workplace accessible for individuals with disabilities. (Keep in mind that this email address is used to provide reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities. We will not respond here to requests for updates on applications or resume inquiries).
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Pay range and Other Compensation & Benefits: $117,800.00 - $176,600.00
The above pay scale reflects the broad, minimum to maximum, pay scale for this job code for the location for which it has been posted. Even more importantly, please note that salary is only one component of total compensation at Qualcomm. We also offer a competitive annual discretionary bonus program and opportunity for annual RSU grants (employees on sales-incentive plans are not eligible for our annual bonus). In addition, our highly competitive benefits package is designed to support your success at work, at home, and at play. Your recruiter will be happy to discuss all that Qualcomm has to offer – and you can review more details about our US benefits at this link.
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