RF Hardware Engineer - Multi-Radio Coexistence

$175,800 - $312,200/Yr

Apple - Cupertino, CA

Full-time - Senior

Cupertino, CA

Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing

About the position

At Apple, we work every single day to craft products that enrich people's lives. As a member of our dynamic RF Systems Engineering team, you will have the unique and rewarding opportunity to shape upcoming products that will delight and inspire millions of Apple's customers every day. This role focuses on the overall system performance of multi-radio coexistence for various wireless technologies, including Cellular, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, and NFC. You will be responsible for assessing platform-level multi-radio coexistence performance, which involves performing hardware failure analysis at the RF/wireless system level to understand low margin or failing behaviors. This will require hands-on experimental modifications to hardware to propose design and process changes for multi-radio coexistence issues, considering design constraints and aligning with cross-functional partners on trade-offs and implementation paths. In this position, you will review designs and sign off on releases of PCB layouts, flex layouts, system-level groundings, shielding, and more. You will execute validation and characterization test plans to meet multi-radio coexistence performance targets, track validation status, analyze results, and communicate insights from data. Evaluating multi-functional change requests and updating characterization plans as needed will also be part of your responsibilities. You will work closely with RF Test Engineers to bring up devices under test, set up test procedures for multi-radio coexistence validation, and perform simple experiments using hardware mock-ups and system prototypes. Collaboration with cross-functional partners for circuit-level and system-level simulations to understand risk areas and root cause issues will be essential to your success in this role.

Responsibilities

• Assess platform-level multi-radio coexistence performance.
• Perform hardware failure analysis at the RF/wireless system level.
• Propose design and process changes for multi-radio coexistence issues.
• Review designs and sign off on releases of PCB layouts and flex layouts.
• Execute validation and characterization test plans to meet performance targets.
• Track validation status and analyze results, communicating insights from data.
• Evaluate multi-functional change requests and update characterization plans as needed.
• Work with RF Test Engineers to bring up devices under test and set up test procedures.
• Perform simple experiments using hardware mock-ups and system prototypes.
• Collaborate with cross-functional partners for circuit-level and system-level simulations.

Requirements

• Experience on at least one radio technology such as Cellular, GPS, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Thread, NFC, or UWB.
• Knowledge of wireless architectures including front-end, antenna sharing, and link budget line-up.
• Proven understanding of RF hardware and methodologies for system-level grounding, shielding, isolation, and electromagnetic interference mitigation.
• Knowledge of RF component characteristics and experience using lab equipment including spectrum analyzers, network analyzers, signal generators, and oscilloscopes.
• Experience performing hands-on disassembly and system-level debugging on modules or reference boards.
• Experience debugging and optimizing conducted or radiated radio systems.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to travel domestically and internationally up to 20%.

Benefits

• Comprehensive medical and dental coverage
• Retirement benefits
• Discounted products and free services
• Reimbursement for certain educational expenses including tuition
• Discretionary bonuses or commission payments
• Relocation assistance
• Participation in Apple's discretionary employee stock programs
• Opportunity to purchase Apple stock at a discount through the Employee Stock Purchase Plan