Cellular Compliance Engineer

Skydio•San Mateo, CA

4d•$170,000 - $258,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Skydio is seeking a Cellular Compliance Engineer with strong hands-on experience in cellular certification and validation. This role is crucial for ensuring Skydio products meet complex industry and carrier certification requirements, including PTCRB and carrier certification testing. The engineer will drive and support cellular certification testing, working closely with internal engineering teams, cellular module and chipset vendors, certification labs, and mobile network operators. A significant portion of this role involves onsite support at third-party certification labs for test execution, troubleshooting, and issue resolution. Up to 50% travel is required, primarily to certification and carrier test labs.

Requirements

BS or MS in Electrical Engineering, Wireless Communications, Telecommunications, or a related technical field
5+ years of experience in cellular testing, certification, wireless validation, or cellular product development
Hands-on experience with PTCRB certification and associated cellular test requirements
Hands-on experience supporting carrier certification with major mobile network operators; experience with U.S. carriers such as Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile is strongly preferred
Strong understanding of LTE and 5G NR technologies, including cellular bands, RF requirements, protocol behavior, network registration, and mobility
Experience supporting certification of products using commercial cellular modules or modem platforms
Experience troubleshooting cellular RF, protocol, modem firmware, and network interoperability issues
Familiarity with cellular certification test equipment and platforms such as Rohde & Schwarz CMW500/CMX500, Keysight, Anritsu, or equivalent systems
Experience collecting and analyzing modem and protocol logs using chipset or module vendor diagnostic tools
Understanding of cellular RF measurements including Tx power, EVM, ACLR, sensitivity, throughput, and related conducted RF measurements
Experience working directly with third-party certification labs, cellular module vendors, chipset vendors, and mobile network operators
Strong troubleshooting skills and ability to independently drive complex certification failures to resolution
Strong organizational and communication skills, with the ability to manage multiple certification programs and test activities simultaneously
Comfortable working in a fast-paced product development environment and supporting time-critical certification activities
Ability and willingness to travel up to 50% of the time, including extended onsite support at certification and carrier test labs when required

Nice To Haves

Obtaining FAA Part 107 certification within the first 60 days of employment is strongly encouraged for all Skydio employees and required for certain positions.
Familiarity with OTA cellular performance testing, including TRP and TIS, is preferred.

Responsibilities

Own and support cellular certification testing for Skydio products, including PTCRB and carrier certification programs
Develop certification plans, test strategies, schedules, and test configurations based on product architecture and target carriers/markets
Work directly with third-party certification labs to execute PTCRB and carrier test campaigns
Provide hands-on onsite support during certification testing, including device setup, configuration, log collection, debugging, and issue resolution
Troubleshoot cellular certification failures and work with internal engineering teams, module vendors, chipset vendors, labs, and carriers to identify root causes and corrective actions
Support cellular modem configuration, firmware, RF parameter, band, power, and network settings required for certification testing
Analyze modem logs, signaling logs, RF measurements, and test reports to identify and resolve certification issues
Track certification status, failures, retests, waivers, and open issues and communicate risks and progress to cross-functional teams
Partner closely with RF, antenna, EE, software, systems, regulatory, manufacturing, and program management teams throughout the certification process
Coordinate with cellular module vendors and chipset suppliers to resolve modem firmware, protocol, RF, and network interoperability issues
Interface with mobile network operators and certification labs to clarify test requirements and drive issues to closure
Support pre-certification testing and readiness reviews to identify potential issues before formal certification begins
Support cellular RF and OTA validation related to certification, including conducted RF, TRP/TIS, and antenna performance testing
Review certification test reports and ensure all required testing and documentation are completed for product launch
Develop and improve internal cellular certification processes, test procedures, documentation, and best practices
Support products through certification from engineering validation through production and market launch