5G Protocol Engineer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

As a Software Engineer on the Firmware team, you will own the software integration, performance, optimization, and debugging of our TCU (Telematics Control Unit). Managing a complex architecture that integrates third-party hardware with our autonomous vehicle platform, you will analyze diagnostics and log outputs across cellular networks, 4G/5G modems, internal software layers, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth. You will not only reactively troubleshoot complex field issues but also proactively architect and develop robust host-side connectivity software to handle cellular edge cases and vulnerabilities before they impact operations.

Your work will directly safeguard the safety, reliability, and scaling of the Zoox autonomous fleet. Robust, low-latency connectivity is fundamental to autonomous vehicle deployment, powering essential real-time cloud services, fleet management pipelines, and teleoperation capabilities. By ensuring our vehicles maintain seamless, high-performance connections under the most demanding real-world conditions, you will bridge the gap between cutting-edge hardware, cloud infrastructure, and test systems to enable Zoox to deliver the future of autonomous mobility.

You will leverage a profound understanding of how these stacks operate to define the architecture, utilize vendor interfaces, and debug complex cross-layer issues.

• Contribute and Develop: Contribute to Zoox's firmware and cellular wireless connectivity stack (LTE/5G), developing and enhancing connectivity features across multiple generations of hardware. 

• Vendor Integration: Act as the primary technical expert working with cellular chipset vendors (e.g., Qualcomm) to integrate their proprietary firmware, SW stacks, and L1-L3 implementations into our custom embedded Linux platform.

• Architecture Definition: Define, architect, and validate the critical software interfaces between the RF-baseband, the vendor's protocol stack (AP), and our host system, writing the host-side glue code (C/C++) needed for the Linux networking stack.

• Prototyping: Prototype and evaluate next-generation wireless platforms for future Zoox products.

• Telemetry and Analytics: Develop the telemetry and analytics platform enabling data collection, analysis, and visualization of data reported from the Zoox fleet.

• Investigate and Solve: Investigate and root-cause issues reported by QA teams and customer feedback. Differentiate between host-side bugs and vendor firmware issues using your deep knowledge of cellular protocols.

• Quality and Automation: Support test automation frameworks, collaborate with QA, manufacturing, and other software teams, and drive continuous improvements and best practices within the broader organization.

• More than 10+ years of experience in embedded linux systems and cellular/wireless stack software/firmware development.

• B.S. or M.S. degree in Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Physics, Electrical Engineering, or equivalent experience.

• Exceptional programming skills in C/C++, Linux OS, and Python/Shell scripting.

• Deep architectural understanding of LTE/5G Protocol Stacks (NAS, PDCP, RRC, RLC, MAC, PHY) and 3GPP specifications.

• Proven experience successfully integrating third-party cellular modems and proprietary stacks, with hands-on experience using Qualcomm ecosystems and cellular network analysis tools (e.g., QXDM, Shannon Tools, Wireshark).

• Good understanding of Embedded Systems, OS concepts, computer architecture, data structures, and algorithms.

• Hands-on experience in maintaining the Linux Applications, kernel code and embedded services, including experience porting and patching open-source packages within the Yocto Project environment.

• Strong understanding of networking concepts (Ethernet, TCP/IP, IP routing design, VLANs, firewalls, and both IPv4 and IPv6 protocols).

• Working experience in the Automotive industry.

• Familiarity with other wireless technologies (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, BLE).

• Familiarity with embedded interfaces (UART, I2C, I2S, SPI, CAN, PCIe, etc.).

• Prior experience collaborating with test teams using industry-standard network emulation tools (e.g., Keysight UXM).

• Experience in design, develop, and secure wireless software systems by implementing robust network protocols and advanced wireless security protocols.

• Highly motivated and self-directed. Thrives in a collaborative environment and can clearly communicate complex technical issues to both internal teams and external vendors.