RF System Test Engineer, Senior

Qualcomm•San Diego, CA

1d•$117,800 - $176,600

About The Position

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.

Requirements

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.

Nice To Haves

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.
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.
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.
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

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.