6G Cellular Modem Systems Engineer

Summary

At Apple, new ideas have a way of becoming extraordinary products, services, and customer experiences — fast. Bring passion and dedication to your job and there's no telling what you could accomplish. Dynamic, sensible people and inspiring, innovative technologies are the norm here. Join us to help deliver the next groundbreaking Apple product.

We're looking for a Cellular Modem Systems Engineer to join our cellular systems engineering team as we define and build the next generation of cellular technology. This is a rare opportunity to shape the future of wireless communication at a company that ships at global scale as we transition towards 6G. In this role, you'll bring an end-to-end view of wireless systems — spanning 3GPP standards, feature definition and planning, design, hardware and software architecture and partitioning — to deliver leading-edge performance and power optimizations and features that directly improve the user experience across Apple products. If you thrive at the intersection of deep technical theory and hands-on bring-up — and you're excited about pushing beyond 5G into the 6G era — we want to hear from you.

Description

As a Cellular Systems Engineer, you will own the end-to-end lifecycle of cellular modem systems — from feature set and capability definition that improve cellular user experience of our products to concept work, algorithm design through silicon bring-up and productization. In this role you are expected to Collaborate cross-functionally with eco-system teams, SoC, PHY, PHY HW, PHY FW, and L1 SW teams to ensure end-to-end system requirements are met across the full stack.

Responsibilities

Define & architect system-level features and requirements for next-generation cellular modems, with a focus on 6G evolution and advanced PHY/L1 capabilities.
Own the E2E system view — connect 3GPP standard requirements, algorithm design trade-offs, HW/FW architecture constraints, and product-level targets into cohesive, leading-edge solutions.
Design algorithms for the physical layer, across layers and L1/RF control to optimize performance/power.
Model & simulate algorithms in floating-point and fixed-point using MATLAB, C/C++, and/or Python, and validate, through link-level simulation or correlating with data collected from field and real deployments.
Optimize for user experience by driving performance and power efficiency improvements across the wireless stack — translating system-level insights into tangible gains in throughput, latency, battery life, and connectivity reliability based on real world deployments

Minimum Qualifications

BS in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related field, with 10+ years of relevant industry experience.
Strong knowledge of cellular communication standards and associated feature sets: 6G (emerging), 5G NR, 4G LTE — particularly RAN1 3GPP.
Proficiency in MATLAB, C/C++, and/or Python for algorithm development, fixed/floating-point modeling, and link-level simulation.
Experience leveraging Generative AI and LLM-based tools to accelerate engineering workflows — e.g., algorithm prototyping, code generation, simulation analysis, or technical documentation

Preferred Qualifications

Experience in Layer-1/2 control design of cellular systems.
Experience in low-power algorithm design for power-constrained mobile platforms.
Experience in end-to-end timeline analysis for latency-critical PHY processing chains.
Strong mathematical foundations: linear algebra, stochastic processes, detection & estimation theory.
Familiarity with 3GPP standardization processes, RAN2, RAN4 topics and emerging 6G study items (e.g., AI/ML for air interface, joint communication and sensing, reconfigurable intelligent surfaces).
Track record of published research or patents in wireless communications is a plus.

Pay & Benefits — San Diego, California, United States

At Apple, base pay is one part of our total compensation package and is determined within a range. This provides the opportunity to progress as you grow and develop within a role. The base pay range for this role is between $175,000 and $308,500, and your base pay will depend on your skills, qualifications, experience, and location.

Apple employees also have the opportunity to become an Apple shareholder through participation in Apple’s discretionary employee stock programs. Apple employees are eligible for discretionary restricted stock unit awards, and can purchase Apple stock at a discount if voluntarily participating in Apple’s Employee Stock Purchase Plan. You’ll also receive benefits including: Comprehensive medical and dental coverage, retirement benefits, a range of discounted products and free services, and for formal education related to advancing your career at Apple, reimbursement for certain educational expenses — including tuition. Additionally, this role might be eligible for discretionary bonuses or commission payments as well as relocation. Learn more about Apple Benefits

Note: Apple benefit, compensation and employee stock programs are subject to eligibility requirements and other terms of the applicable plan or program.

Application Deadline

Apple accepts applications to this posting on an ongoing basis.

Pay & Benefits — Sunnyvale, California, United States

At Apple, base pay is one part of our total compensation package and is determined within a range. This provides the opportunity to progress as you grow and develop within a role. The base pay range for this role is between $184,700 and $324,800, and your base pay will depend on your skills, qualifications, experience, and location.

Apple employees also have the opportunity to become an Apple shareholder through participation in Apple’s discretionary employee stock programs. Apple employees are eligible for discretionary restricted stock unit awards, and can purchase Apple stock at a discount if voluntarily participating in Apple’s Employee Stock Purchase Plan. You’ll also receive benefits including: Comprehensive medical and dental coverage, retirement benefits, a range of discounted products and free services, and for formal education related to advancing your career at Apple, reimbursement for certain educational expenses — including tuition. Additionally, this role might be eligible for discretionary bonuses or commission payments as well as relocation. Learn more about Apple Benefits

Note: Apple benefit, compensation and employee stock programs are subject to eligibility requirements and other terms of the applicable plan or program.