Job Description & Details
This is a focused, hands-on hardware gig centered around a cellular modem swap on an existing board. If you know your way around RF routing, impedance control, and squeezing a new 5G or LTE module into a tight footprint without breaking signal integrity, this project will let you do what you do best without getting bogged down in greenfield architecture.
What You'll Actually Be Doing
Your day-to-day will involve taking existing schematics and board files, ripping out the legacy cellular modem, and routing the new replacement module. You'll be sweating the details on component placement, power delivery networks, and keeping those critical antenna-feed lines pristine. Expect to collaborate closely with the primary hardware and RF engineers to iron out schematic tweaks, generate final manufacturing outputs, and occasionally help troubleshoot the first round of physical prototypes on the bench.
The Core Tech Stack
You need to be completely fluent in industry-standard PCB CAD tools like Altium Designer or Cadence Allegro. Beyond pushing traces, the real separator here is deep practical knowledge of multi-layer PCB design, aggressive grounding strategies, and signal integrity fundamentals—specifically for wireless, battery-operated, or low-power gadgets. Experience handling Nordic nRF91-series hardware or cellular LTE/4G/5G integrations will make you instantly effective from day one.
Interview Expectations
The hiring team is going to want proof that you can handle high-frequency layout challenges under tight physical constraints. They'll likely ask you to explain how you route a controlled-impedance antenna feed line past a noisy switching regulator, and what specific steps you take to mitigate EMI in a dense multi-layer cellular design. They aren't looking for textbook definitions; they want to hear war stories about how you handled a failed prototype bring-up and salvaged the board layout.
Application Advice
Skip the generic hardware buzzwords and focus heavily on your actual routing portfolio and tool proficiency. Make sure your resume explicitly mentions Altium or Allegro, alongside concrete examples of wireless, RF, or cellular modem integrations you've successfully pushed through to manufacturing. If you have direct experience with low-power battery devices or specific modules like the Nordic nRF9151, put those right at the top so the ATS picks them up immediately.