[Remote] Coherent Systems Architect - Mixed Signal AFE development

Note: The job is a remote job and is open to candidates in USA. Nokia is 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). The role involves end-to-end AFE characterization, RF electrical behavior analysis, and cross-functional collaboration to ensure coherent system requirements are met.

Responsibilities

• 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
• 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
• 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
• 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
• 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

Skills

• 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
• 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

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