Hardware Systems Design Engineer – 5G Cellular Base Stations

InnoPhase Inc., DBA GreenWave Radios™, is at the forefront of innovation in Open RAN digital radios. Our cutting-edge solutions, powered by the Hermes64 RF SoC, are designed to enhance network energy efficiency while dramatically reducing operational expenses, with purpose-built silicon that is the heart of ORAN-based active antenna arrays. Headquartered in San Diego, California, GreenWave Radios™ has established itself as a pioneer in delivering power-efficient digital-to-RF solutions. The company is supported by a talented team of over 100 engineers spread across four global R&D facilities. With an extensive portfolio of more than 120 global patents, GreenWave Radios™ continues to push the boundaries of radio technology and innovation. To learn more about GreenWave Radios™ and hear what our employees have to say, visit the GreenWave™ certification profile at GreatPlacetoWork.com or explore our Home - GreenWave Radios website. About the Role We're looking for an experienced Staff Hardware Systems Design Engineer to contribute to PCB design and development for next-generation, high-performance cellular base stations. Our 5G base station architecture is unique. We co-designed every element, from silicon through firmware, to deliver a compelling value proposition. You'll architect/design the board-level circuitry that complements our custom silicon — spanning digital processing, high-speed SerDes, power management, and RF transmission/reception — to deliver a complete base station solution Sitting within the Systems Engineering Group in San Diego, CA, this role bridges PCB design, RF/system validation, and test automation. Because you understand both how the hardware is built and how it is measured, you'll close the loop between design intent and real-world performance faster than either discipline could alone. What You'll Do Develop an in-depth understanding of the base station system architecture and how its PCB hardware components, interfaces, and custom silicon work together Design and implement RF, analog, digital, and power circuits for base station and evaluation boards, owning development from concept through production Lead and review schematic capture and PCB layout; optimize stack-up for signal integrity, power integrity, thermal performance, and cost Design test boards, fixtures, and lab hardware that enable efficient characterization and validation of RF SoC and radio platforms Drive board bring-up, silicon bring-up, and system-level debug, isolating root causes across hardware, firmware, and RF subsystems Develop and execute system test methodologies, including 3GPP Radio Conformance Testing (RCT), across multiple wireless technologies and carrier configurations Build automated validation frameworks, instrument drivers, and regression environments in Python and/or MATLAB to improve coverage, repeatability, and throughput Characterize RF signal chains — PA, LNA, filters, CFR, and DPD — against key metrics such as EVM, ACLR, sensitivity, Noise Figure, and spectral emissions Analyze test data to identify trends and performance limits, and feed findings back into the next board revision and design guidance Lead PCB vendor engagement through DFM review, and author test procedures, reports, and documentation that support certification and manufacturing readiness What You Bring BS in Electrical Engineering or related field required; MS preferred 10+ years of combined experience in board-level hardware design and RF/system test, validation, or characterization of wireless communication products Proven track record in PCB schematic and layout design, ideally in high-speed and RF/analog applications, with hands-on experience in Altium or Cadence Allegro Solid grasp of signal integrity, power integrity, thermal management, and PCB fabrication/DFM best practices Deep understanding of RF measurement principles and hands-on experience with spectrum analyzers, VSAs/VSGs, VNAs, oscilloscopes, and power meters Strong software skills in Python and/or MATLAB, with demonstrated experience building automated test infrastructure Experience validating 4G/5G wireless systems and debugging complex hardware and RF performance issues to root cause Excellent cross-functional communication skills and a track record of mentoring less experienced engineers Nice to Have Experience with 5G base stations, Radio Unit (RU) architectures, or O-RAN/vRAN systems Experience with RF SoC validation or production test development Familiarity with CI/CD-enabled test automation using GitLab or similar platforms Interest in or experience with AI-assisted test data analysis and ML-based signal/power integrity prediction tools to catch issues earlier in the design cycle Experience using Claude Code or similar AI coding assistants to accelerate design scripting, test automation, documentation, or code review — familiarity with agentic AI tools for engineering workflows is a genuine differentiator General comfort adopting AI-augmented workflows to boost design productivity — this is a plus, not a requirement, for the right hands-on hardware and RF test expert Compensation and Benefits At InnoPhase, dba GreenWave Radios, our total rewards package includes both a competitive base salary and pre-IPO stock options. The anticipated base salary range for this position is $160,000 to $190,000 annually. Actual compensation will be determined based on several factors, including market conditions, interview performance, skills, qualifications, experience, education, and geographic location. In addition to base pay, employees are eligible for a comprehensive benefits package. For detailed information on our benefits programs, please visit our website.