RF Hardware Engineer - Multi-Radio Coexistence

Summary

At Apple, we work every single day to craft products that enrich people’s lives. Do you love working on challenges that no one has solved yet? As a member of our dynamic group, you will have the unique and rewarding opportunity to shape upcoming products that will delight and inspire millions of Apple’s customers every day! Our RF Systems Engineering team is looking for a passionate, self-motivated individual to work on overall system performance of multi-radio coexistence for various wireless technologies (e.g., Cellular, Wi-Fi, BT, GPS, NFC).

Minimum Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering with 10+ years relevant work experience. Experience on at least one radio of Cellular, GPS, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Thread, NFC, and UWB. Knowledge of RF component characteristics and experience using lab equipment including spectrum analyzer, network analyzer, signal generator and oscilloscopes. Knowledge of wireless architectures including front-end, antenna sharing, link budget line-up. Ability to travel domestically and internationally up to 20%.

Preferred Qualifications

Master’s degree in electrical engineering with 10+ years relevant work experience. Experience working with chipset teams to define RF/wireless system-level requirements and influence chipset architecture or design decisions. Proven understanding of RF hardware and standard methodologies for system-level grounding, shielding, isolation, and electromagnetic interference mitigation. Experience performing hands-on disassembly and system level debug on module, reference board or system level. Experience debugging and performing optimizations at the conducted or radiated radio systems level. Excellent communication written and verbal skills.

Description

You will be responsible for assessing platform-level multi-radio coexistence performance, including: - Performing HW failure analysis at the RF/wireless system level to understand low margin or failing behaviors making use of hands-on experimental modifications to hardware. - Proposing design and process changes for multi-radio coexistence issues considering design constraints and align with cross-functional partners on trade-offs and implementation path. - Reviewing designs and sign-off on releases of PCB layouts, flex layouts, system level groundings, shielding. - Execution of validation & characterization test plans to meet multi-radio coexistence performance targets. - Tracking validation status, analyze results and communicate insight from data. - Evaluating multi-functional change requests and update characterization plans as needed, highlight any issues. - Working with RF Test Engineers to bring-up device-under-test, setups and test procedures for multi-radio coexistence validation. - Performing simple experiments using hardware mock-ups, system prototypes and experimental setups. - Collaborating with cross-functional partners for circuit-level, system-level simulations to understand risk areas and root cause issues.

Responsibilities

Assess and debug multi-radio coexistence issues across Apple platforms by performing hands-on hardware experiments, failure analysis, and root-cause investigations at the RF/wireless system level. Review and sign off on hardware designs, including PCB layouts, flex layouts, system grounding, and shielding, ensuring multi-radio coexistence standards are met before release. Define and execute validation and characterization test plans, track results, and communicate data-driven insights to cross-functional partners and leadership. Provide system-level coexistence requirements to chipset teams, validate early EVBs, fine-tune chipset blocking performance and optimize coexistence system mitigation technique. Collaborate with RF Test Engineers and cross-functional teams to bring up devices under test and develop test procedures, mock-ups, and experimental setups for coexistence validation. Evaluate system hardware change requests and update characterization plans accordingly, proactively identifying and escalating any coexistence risks or trade-offs.