Senior Firmware Engineer, Cellular Protocol Stack

Minimum qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience.
• 7 years of experience in coding in a general-purpose programming language (e.g., C/C++).
• Experience in cellular modem software development or protocol stack engineering (LTE, NR, or IoT).
  
  

Preferred qualifications:

• Master's degree or PhD in Electrical Engineering or Computer Science in the field of wireless communications.
• Experience with 3GPP protocol layers (e.g., RRC, NAS, MAC, RLC, PDCP, or PHY).
• Experience in designing, implementing, or debugging radio resource control (RRC) state machines and procedures.
• Experience with real-time operating systems (RTOS) in embedded environments.
• Experience in modem function and performance troubleshooting in lab, field, and carrier tests.
• Knowledge in 3GPP release, and more than 17 specifics (IoT-NTN or NR-NTN).
  
  

About The Job

Google's software engineers develop the next-generation technologies that change how billions of users connect, explore, and interact with information and one another. Our products need to handle information at massive scale, and extend well beyond web search. We're looking for engineers who bring fresh ideas from all areas, including information retrieval, distributed computing, large-scale system design, networking and data storage, security, natural language processing, UI design and mobile; the list goes on and is growing every day. As a software engineer, you will work on a specific project critical to Google’s needs with opportunities to switch teams and projects as you and our fast-paced business grow and evolve. We need our engineers to be versatile, display leadership qualities and be enthusiastic to take on new problems across the full-stack as we continue to push technology forward.

With your technical expertise you will manage project priorities, deadlines, and deliverables. You will design, develop, test, deploy, maintain, and enhance software solutions.

In this role, you will be at the forefront of the next frontier in connectivity: Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN). You will design, develop, and optimize the protocol stack for next-generation satellite-to-device communications. Your work will span across the internet of things (IoT)-NTN, non-terrestrial network (NR)-NTN, and direct-to-cell (DTC) technologies, ensuring seamless handovers and robust performance between terrestrial and satellite networks.

You will work across the stacks (L1/L2/L3/NAS) and across cores (AP (application processor)/CP (communication processor)) to address unique NTN challenges such as TN/NTN mobility (network selection, handover, cell reselection), extreme doppler shifts, long propagation delays, and satellite ephemeris-based timing.

The Platforms and Devices team encompasses Google's various computing software platforms across environments (desktop, mobile, applications), as well as our first party devices and services that combine the best of Google AI, software, and hardware. Teams across this area research, design, and develop new technologies to make our user's interaction with computing faster and more seamless, building innovative experiences for our users around the world.

Responsibilities

• Develop modem software and verify end-to-end modem feature functionalities and performance for NTN (IoT-NTN and NR-NTN) and direct-to-cell (LTE/NR DTC).
• Solve complex system-level problems related to high mobility, high latency and doppler frequency compensation, inherent in satellite-based cellular networks. Improve NTN user experience, including but not limited to call, voice quality, data, thermal or power, connectivity.
• Identify key performance scenarios and recreate the scenario in the lab environment for further research and development for more optimized solutions. Work with test teams to define validation strategies and root-cause issues found during lab testing with satellite emulators and field trials.
• Debug, analyze and fix modem issues from factory, certification (GCF/PTCRB/IoT), field and end users.
• Work with vendors and solution providers on modem protocol design and optimization.
  
  
  

Google is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. See also Google's EEO Policy and EEO is the Law. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know by completing our Accommodations for Applicants form .