Coherent Systems Architect - Mixed Signal AFE development

Skip to main content.

View More Jobs

Coherent Systems Architect - Mixed Signal AFE development

United States(Onsite)

We are seeking a hands-on Coherent RF Architect to lead silicon bring-up, validation, and production test development for a mixed-signal Analog Front-End (AFE) featuring high-speed DACs, ADCs, PLL/clocking , and the RF electrical interface to the Transmitter and Receiver Optical Sub‑Assembly (TROSA) used in the optical coherent pluggable. The role owns end-to-end AFE characterization, from bench measurement and automation through correlation to simulation test coverage.

NION2026

Your responsibilities

• Key Responsibilities

• Silicon Bring-up & Debug

• Own first-silicon bring-up for DAC/ADC/PLL blocks: power-up sequencing, register access, clock tree bring-up, and initial functional validation.

• Debug mixed-signal issues across domains (clocking, analog biasing, digital control, interfaces, and test modes).

• Create debug playbooks and “known-good” procedures to accelerate lab triage and cross-team communication.

• Full AFE Characterization (Bench + Automation)

• DAC: SFDR, IMD, THD, SNR, ENOB, spurs vs. output amplitude, output frequency, sampling frequency, temperature, supply, and code format; static linearity where applicable.

• ADC: SNR, ENOB, SFDR, interleaving mismatch (offset/gain/timing), harmonic/spurious behavior, clock sensitivity.

• PLL/Clocking: phase noise, integrated jitter, spur analysis, jitter transfer/tolerance where relevant to the system.

• AFE-level metrics: frequency response, passband ripple, impedance/termination impact, crosstalk, noise coupling, and sensitivity to board/connector effects.

• Design experiments for PVT sweeps and margin analysis; develop guard-banding strategies aligned to production realities.

• RF characterization of TROSA

• Characterize RF electrical behavior of the Transmitter and Receiver Optical Sub‑Assembly, including bandwidth, frequency response, impedance matching, insertion and return loss, Gain, noise figure (where applicable), and linearity.

• Work closely with photonics, SiGe IC, and module teams to correlate electrical AFE performance to optical metrics.

• Support electro‑optical (E/O) and opto‑electrical (O/E) RF validation for coherent transmit and receive chains.

• Measurement Infrastructure & Data Analytics

• Build and maintain automated measurement systems using Python and standard instrument control (SCPI/PyVISA).

• Use robust data practices: versioned test scripts, metadata capture, calibration traceability, and reproducible analysis notebooks.

• Create dashboards/reports summarizing performance trends, correlations, and anomalies.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration & Requirements

• Work with design teams to define: test hooks, observability, calibration registers, and design-for-test requirements for analog blocks.

• Define measurable acceptance criteria aligned to coherent system requirements.

• Collaborate closely with Analog/RF design, SiGe IC teams, DSP, Signal Integrity (SI), photonics, module, and manufacturing teams.

Your skills and experience

Required Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering or Applied Physics with experience in mixed-signal silicon test/validation/characterization, high-speed electronics or systems.

• Strong fundamentals in high speed electronics and practical experience with test equipment such as high bandwidth oscilloscopes, phase noise analyzer, spectrum analyzer, VNA.

• Experience characterizing high-speed RF and mm-wave interconnects, amplifiers, and components

• Solid automation skills in Python including data pipelines and plotting.

• Ability to read schematics, understand board-level effects, and debug signal integrity/power integrity interactions.

• Comfortable in a fast-moving lab environment: hands-on probing, rework coordination, fixture bring-up

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with optical coherent systems and coherent transceiver architectures.

• Experience with MZ modulator drivers (MZMD) and TIAs in coherent links.

• Experience with high‑speed data converters, interleaved ADCs, and calibration techniques.

• Apply Now

Job Info

• Job CategoryApplied R&D
• Posting Date04/23/2026
• Degree LevelDoctor’s degree (e.g PhD)
• Job ScheduleFull time
• Job TypeExperienced
• Job Identification35004
• Will NSA/CAPS approval be required? (E.g., accessing a US Customer Network?)No
• Role TypeIndividual contributor
• Salary RangeUS Annual Base Salary Range*: $159,000 - $295,000 USD
• Experience levelExperienced
• Locations6373 San Ignacio Avenue, San Jose, California, 95119-1200, US390 March Road, Ottawa, Ontario, K2K 3H4, CAThurn-und-Taxis-Str. 10, Nuremberg, 90411, DE(Onsite)
• Regular or TemporaryRegular

Similar Jobs

• Staff PIC RF Test Development Engineer\ \ United States(Hybrid)Posted on 10/23/2025\ \ Nokia Optical Network division is looking for an individual to engage in the development of coherent and direct-detect Photonic Integrated Circuits (PIC) for high-bandwidth data communications systems. The individual will work with PIC design, sub-system, and optical architecture engineering teams and engage in coherent and direct-detect optical module test, design validation, and process evaluation for current and next generation versatile pluggable modules in a fast-paced environment.

• Staff PIC Test Development Engineer\ \ United StatesPosted on 04/02/2026\ \ Job Description Join Nokia California as a PIC Test Development Engineer, creating and implementing SW and HW solutions for large throughput and production-level complex photonic integrated circuits (PICs) testing! Work with a team of experienced PIC test engineers and PIC developers to grow and adapt the PIC Test to the demands of the rapidly expanding coherent and linear-drive pluggable module market.

• High Speed Mixed Signal Circuit Design Engineer\ \ United States(Hybrid)Posted on 06/02/2026\ \ The successful candidate shall possess the capability to design and analyze high-speed, high-performance analog/mixed-signal circuits, including data converters, PLLs, and SERDES, in advanced CMOS FinFET technologies. She or he shall bring the design to production. Engaging in high-speed analog circuit design gives you the chance to create the technical differentiation that will allow Infinera to hold market leadership. By building cutting-edge circuitry, we will together revolutionize the era of efficient high-speed transmission.

See More Jobs

At Nokia, we want every candidate to be able to perform their best. If you need any adjustments or support during the recruitment process, please let us know. All requests are treated confidentially.

AI Statement: Nokia embraces the strategic use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) within our recruiting process to enhance the candidate experience and significantly improve our operational efficiencies. By leveraging AI-powered tools, we aim to create a more responsive and equitable journey for all applicants. Concurrently, we advocate for the intelligent, ethical, and safe use of AI by candidates and applicants when preparing and submitting their applications for our roles. This includes ensuring that any AI-generated content is thoroughly reviewed for accuracy, originality, and relevance, and that its use aligns with principles of transparency and integrity. Our goal is to foster a recruitment environment that benefits from technological advancements while upholding fairness, authenticity, and human oversight.

American English

• Deutsch
• American English
• Français
• Português do Brasil
• 简体中文

I am an employee

We use cookies & similar technologiesLearn more

AcceptDecline

Are You Still With Us?

It seems you've been gone for a while. For security reasons we will end your session automatically in 03:00 unless you would like to continue working.

End SessionContinue Working

Work Summary

This summary is generated by AI Assist. Click inside the summary text box to make changes as necessary.

DiscardAdd Summary

Page Coherent Systems Architect - Mixed Signal AFE development - Nokia Careers loaded