Staff Engineer, Hardware Application Engineering

Qualcomm•Santa Clara, CA

About The Position

As a Staff Hardware Application Engineer, you will lead the customer-facing hardware enablement of Qualcomm’s next‑generation WLAN Gateway and Access Point platforms for North American customers. This role sits at the intersection of hardware design, RF/WLAN systems, Ethernet networking, and SoC platforms, and is critical to enabling customers to design, tune, validate, and successfully launch products based on Qualcomm solutions. You will work closely with customers, ODM/OEM partners, and internal hardware, RF, system, firmware, and software teams to translate customer requirements into robust hardware designs and ensure end‑to-end readiness from schematic review through production launch.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Electrical/Electronics Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field and 4+ years of Hardware Applications Engineering or Hardware Design experience or related work experience.
OR
Master's degree in Electrical/Electronics Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field and 3+ years of Hardware Applications Engineering or Hardware Design experience or related work experience.
OR
PhD in Electrical/Electronics Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field and 2+ years of Hardware Applications Engineering or Hardware Design experience or related work experience.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field.
5-8+ years of experience in hardware design, hardware applications engineering, or customer engineering.
Strong hands‑on experience with:
WLAN AP / Gateway hardware design
RF circuits, antenna systems, and RF tuning
Schematic and PCB design reviews
Ethernet interfaces and networking subsystems
Proven experience working directly with customers or ODM/OEM partners in a product development environment.
Deep expertise in Wi‑Fi standards (802.11ax / 802.11be) and WLAN system architecture.
Experience with Qualcomm WLAN or networking SoC platforms.
Strong knowledge of RF test equipment and hardware validation methodologies.
Familiarity with regulatory requirements (FCC/ETSI) and pre‑compliance testing.
Experience supporting products through high‑volume manufacturing.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to explain complex hardware topics to diverse audiences.
Ability to thrive in a fast‑paced, customer‑driven environment and manage multiple engagements in parallel.

Responsibilities

Customer Hardware Enablement
Act as the primary technical interface for customers during WLAN gateway / AP hardware bring‑up, validation, and commercialization.
Translate customer requirements into hardware architecture guidance, feature recommendations, and reference design adaptations.
Support customers through EVT/DVT/PVT phases to ensure on‑time product launch.
WLAN AP & RF Design Expertise
Provide hands‑on guidance for WLAN AP design, including Wi‑Fi 6/6E/7 architectures, multi‑band/multi‑radio systems, and coexistence considerations.
Lead and review RF tuning, including gain budgets, antenna matching, PA/LNA optimization, thermal impacts, and regulatory margin analysis.
Support RF validation using spectrum analyzers, signal generators, vector network analyzers, and Wi‑Fi test systems.
Board Design & Hardware Reviews
Perform schematic and PCB layout reviews for WLAN gateways and APs, with focus on:
High‑speed interfaces (PCIe, RGMII/SGMII, USB)
Power integrity and sequencing
RF layout, isolation, grounding, and antenna routing
Identify design risks early and drive corrective actions with customers and ODMs.
Ethernet & Networking Interfaces
Support designs involving Ethernet PHYs, switches, GMAC/XGMAC, and multi‑port gateway architectures.
Debug and resolve Ethernet bring‑up, link stability, and performance issues in customer designs.
SoC & Platform-Level Debug
Deep understanding of Qualcomm SoC‑based gateway platforms, including hardware blocks, interconnects, and system dependencies.
Collaborate with firmware, BSP, and systems teams to debug hardware/software interaction issues impacting WLAN or Ethernet performance.
Cross‑Functional Collaboration
Work closely with RF, hardware systems, firmware, networking, and customer engineering teams to resolve complex customer issues.
Drive alignment across internal teams to close customer gaps and accelerate enablement.
Documentation & Knowledge Sharing
Create and maintain hardware application notes, design guidelines, bring‑up checklists, and customer training material.
Capture field learnings and feed them back into reference designs and future platform improvements.