Senior RF Engineer, Coexistence & Desense
About The Role
General Motors is accelerating investments in in-house hardware and RF system design to improve product quality, increase development speed, and drive innovation across our vehicle portfolio. We are seeking an Senior RF Desense Engineer to play a key role in identifying, analyzing, and resolving RF interference issues across GM's next-generation vehicle platforms. This position focuses on hands-on RF testing, desense analysis, debug, and validation activities that ensure reliable performance of critical wireless systems, including cellular, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GNSS, UWB and other vehicle connectivity technologies. This is an excellent opportunity for an engineer who enjoys solving complex technical challenges, working in laboratory environments, and collaborating across hardware, software, and systems engineering teams to deliver world-class vehicle performance.
What You'll Do
- RF Desense Analysis & Investigation: Evaluate RF desense performance across vehicle systems and subsystems. Measure and characterize receiver sensitivity degradation caused by internal and external interference sources. Identify RF performance risks early in the design and integration process. Support vehicle and subsystem-level RF troubleshooting activities.
- RF Testing & Validation: Perform conducted and over-the-air (OTA) RF testing. Perform sensitivity, desense, coexistence and antenna isolation measurements. Validate RF coexistence performance across technologies including LTE, 5G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GNSS. Develop, execute, and document test plans and validation activities. Analyze test results and provide recommendations to support engineering decisions.
- Debug & Root Cause Analysis: Investigate interference sources within vehicle electronic systems. Diagnose issues originating from processors, memory devices, power converters, displays, clocking circuits, and communication interfaces. Utilize lab equipment including: spectrum analyzers, network analyzers, signal generators, and near-field probes. Conduct root cause investigations and verify corrective actions through regression testing.
- Design Support & Mitigation Development: Partner with GM hardware engineering teams during product development. Review PCB layouts and hardware designs for potential RF interference risks. Support improvements related to grounding, shielding, isolation, and signal integrity. Recommend and validate mitigation strategies including: shielding solutions, filtering and decoupling techniques, antenna tuning and optimization, and firmware and software-based interference mitigation. Provide feedback that drives continuous improvement in future vehicle designs.
- Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work closely with RF, antenna, hardware, PCB layout, mechanical, software, and systems engineering teams. Collaborate with suppliers and external test partners. Support compliance and regulatory testing activities, including FCC, CE, and OEM requirements.
- Documentation & Continuous Improvement: Document test procedures, findings, and technical recommendations. Contribute to lessons learned and RF best practices. Support the evolution of GM's internal RF validation and design methodologies.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electrical Engineering or a related technical discipline.
- 5+ years of experience in RF engineering, RF validation, or wireless systems development.
- Hands-on experience performing RF testing, troubleshooting, or desense analysis.
- Strong understanding of RF fundamentals, wireless communication systems, and interference mechanisms.
- Experience using RF test equipment, including: spectrum analyzers, network analyzers, signal generators, and near-field probes.
- Familiarity with OTA testing and RF performance validation.
- Exposure to RF simulation and modeling tools such as: CST Studio Suite, HFSS, and FEKO.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with automotive wireless systems, including infotainment, telematics, connected vehicle technologies, or ADAS platforms.
- Background in consumer electronics or highly integrated wireless products.
- Experience reviewing PCB layouts for RF or high-speed digital designs.
- Knowledge of EMC/EMI testing and regulatory compliance processes.
- Familiarity with automotive product development and validation environments.
What You'll Gain
- The opportunity to influence wireless performance across millions of vehicles.
- Exposure to cutting-edge automotive connectivity technologies.
- Collaboration with world-class engineering teams shaping the future of transportation.
- The ability to solve challenging RF problems while contributing directly to GM's software-defined vehicle transformation.
Pay
The salary range for this role is $125,200 - 192,700. The actual base salary a successful candidate will be offered within this range will vary based on factors relevant to the position, as well as geography of the selected candidate. An incentive pay program offers payouts based on company performance, job level, and individual performance.
Schedule
This role is categorized as hybrid. The selected candidate is expected to report to a specific location at least 3 times a week (or other frequency dictated by their manager). The selected candidate will be required to travel less than 25% for this role.
Benefits
GM offers a variety of health and wellbeing benefit programs. Benefit options include medical, dental, vision, Health Savings Account, Flexible Spending Accounts, retirement savings plan, sickness and accident benefits, life insurance, paid vacation & holidays, tuition assistance programs, employee assistance program, GM vehicle discounts and more.