Principal RFIC Design Engineer
About The Position
Oso Semiconductor is an early-stage fabless semiconductor company developing next-generation mmWave beamforming technology. Founded by UC Berkeley PhDs, our proprietary RFIC architecture delivers 2–4x power reduction for phased array systems across satellite communication (SATCOM), 5G, and radar. We’ve raised Series A funding, secured our first defense and commercial customers, and are preparing to scale the team 3X. We’re looking for a Principal RFIC Design Engineer to join the core design team. You’ll design, simulate, and validate mmWave front-end circuit blocks for our next-generation beamformer chips—including LNAs, PAs, phase shifters, VGAs, and complete transceiver signal chains. This is a senior technical role with significant design ownership. You’ll work directly with the founding engineers, contribute to architecture decisions, and see your designs go from schematic to silicon to customer products.
Requirements
- MS + 5 years industry experience or PhD + 2 years industry experience in Electrical Engineering with a focus on RF/mmWave IC design.
- Demonstrated expertise in at least two of: PA, LNA, phase shifter, VGA, mixer, or frequency multiplier design at mmWave frequencies.
- Expert proficiency with Cadence EDA suite (Virtuoso, ADE, and Layout) and EM simulation tools (Ansys HFSS, EMX, or ADS Momentum).
- Experience with at least one full tapeout cycle: schematic to layout to fabrication to bring-up to characterization.
- Strong understanding of mmWave transmission line theory, matching networks, and on-chip passive design.
- Track record of published work or shipped products demonstrating circuit design excellence.
Nice To Haves
- Experience with phased array or multi-channel beamformer IC design.
- Background in SATCOM, 5G NR FR2, or automotive radar mmWave applications.
- Experience in SOI nodes with high resistivity substrates.
- Familiar with system-level RF specs: EVM, P1dB, noise figure, IP3, EIRP, and G/T.
- Experience in a startup or small-team environment with high design ownership.
- Strong communication skills and ability to present design tradeoffs clearly.
Responsibilities
- Design mmWave front-end circuit blocks (PAs, LNAs, phase shifters, VGAs, mixers) in advanced CMOS or RFSOI (SiGe and III-V processes are a plus).
- Perform transistor-level schematic design, simulation, and optimization using Cadence Virtuoso (Spectre, ADE).
- Conduct full-custom IC layout or direct layout engineers, ensuring DRC/LVS-clean designs at mmWave frequencies.
- Perform post-layout extraction and EM simulation (Ansys HFSS, EMX, ADS Momentum) to validate performance through parasitics.
- Collaborate on chip-level architecture and system partitioning for multi-channel beamformer ICs.
- Support silicon bring-up, bench characterization, and debugging of fabricated chips.
- Contribute to tapeout preparation, design reviews, and documentation.
- Mentor junior RFIC designers and contribute to a culture of technical excellence.
Benefits
- Stock option grant with 4-year vesting and 1-year cliff
- Comprehensive health coverage with employer-sponsored medical, dental, and vision plans
- Unlimited PTO
- Employer-matched retirement plan
- Equal parental leave for all parents
- Company-paid life insurance
- Flexible spending and health savings account options available
- Pre-tax transit and parking benefits
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Principal
