Senior Engineer/Lead - Layer 1 (PHY) Firmware Engineer – 5G NR gNodeB

Company Qualcomm India Private Limited

Job Area Engineering Group, Engineering Group > Systems Engineering

General Summary We are hiring an experienced staff level - Layer‑1 (Physical Layer) Firmware Engineer to work on 5G NR gNodeB Firmware . This role focuses on PHY development on the DU side , building high‑performance, real‑time wireless software used in modern cellular networks.

You will work closely with PHY, RF, platform, and system teams to develop and optimize carrier‑grade NR PHY features .

What You’ll Do

• Develop and maintain Layer‑1 (PHY) firmware for 5G NR gNodeB

• Work on uplink and downlink PHY channels, including:

• PUSCH, PDSCH, PUCCH, PDCCH, PRACH, SRS, SSB

• Implement and optimize signal processing algorithms such as:

• Channel estimation and equalization

• HARQ processing

• MIMO and beamforming

• Work on FEC processing:

• Turbo coding/decoding (LTE)

• LDPC and Polar coding/decoding (5G NR)

• Optimize real‑time performance for latency and throughput

• Integrate PHY software with MAC, RF, and hardware platforms

• Debug complex PHY‑level and real‑time issues

Required Skills What We’re Looking For

• 5-8 years of strong experience in Layer‑1 / PHY firmware development

• Hands‑on experience with LTE and/or 5G NR

• Solid understanding of 3GPP PHY specifications

• Strong C/C++ programming skills

• Experience working on real‑time or embedded systems

• Good understanding of:

• OFDM / SC‑FDMA

• Numerologies and frame structures

• HARQ and link adaptation

Nice to Have

• Experience with gNodeB / eNodeB PHY software
• Exposure to FAPI / nFAPI or similar PHY‑MAC interfaces
• Experience with massive MIMO or beamforming
• Knowledge of O‑RAN or split‑PHY architectures
• Background in DSP or wireless signal processing
• Experience with NB‑IoT, NTN, or advanced NR PHY features

Tools & Technologies

• Programming: C, C++
• Platforms: Embedded Linux, RTOS, DSP‑based systems
• Standards: 3GPP LTE & 5G NR
• Domains: PHY, real‑time systems, wireless signal processing

Why Join Us

• Work on cutting‑edge 5G NR technology
• Build performance‑critical PHY software used in real networks
• Collaborate with highly experienced wireless and systems engineers
• Opportunity to work on next‑generation RAN architectures

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Information Systems, Computer Science, or related field and 4+ years of Systems Engineering or related work experience.

OR

Master's degree in Engineering, Information Systems, Computer Science, or related field and 3+ years of Systems Engineering or related work experience.

OR

PhD in Engineering, Information Systems, Computer Science, or related field and 2+ years of Systems Engineering or related work experience.

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