Staff RF Engineer, Coexistence & Desense

About the Role

General Motors is transforming into a software-defined, technology-driven automotive company, with a growing emphasis on in-house hardware and RF system design to enable faster innovation, deeper system integration, and improved product quality. We are seeking a highly skilled Senior RF Coexistence Engineer to support multi-radio performance execution across GM’s next-generation product platforms. In this senior individual contributor role, you will focus on coexistence behavior, throughput, latency, and system-level performance across cellular, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GNSS, UWB, and emerging wireless technologies. This role plays a critical part in GM’s in-house design (IHD) strategy, embedding coexistence expertise early in design, validation, and integration cycles while working within agile, cross-functional development teams.

Responsibilities

• Own coexistence and desense performance for assigned systems.
• Develop and implement multi-radio coexistence solutions within defined vehicle and system architectures.
• Support early design phases by identifying coexistence risks and opportunities aligned with GM’s in-house development roadmap.
• Partner with internal design teams to reduce dependency on late-stage supplier fixes.
• Analyze and improve:
  • Throughput degradation
  • Latency, packet loss, and jitter
  • Radio contention and scheduling inefficiencies
• Evaluate coexistence behavior in real-world, in-vehicle scenarios:
  • Simultaneous radio operation (e.g., Wi-Fi + Bluetooth audio + cellular data)
  • Support system trade-offs balancing performance, power, cost, and use
• Collaborate closely with internal RF, antenna, PCB, SoC, and firmware teams to enable faster iteration cycles by connecting early simulation, bench and lab validation, and vehicle-level testing.
• Influence system design decisions to improve coexistence performance, including:
  • Antenna placement and isolation
  • RF front-end architecture
  • Clocking and aggressor management
• Collaborate with firmware and software teams on:
  • Coexistence algorithms
  • Scheduling and arbitration mechanisms
  • Frequency hopping and time-domain coordination
• Act as a technical bridge between hardware realities and protocol-level behavior.
• Develop and execute coexistence validation plans, including:
  • OTA and conducted test methods
  • Throughput and sensitivity measurement under concurrent radio operation
• Define and run coexistence test matrices and stress scenarios aligned with vehicle use cases.
• Utilize tools such as wireless test systems (UXM, CMX, MT8000A, CMW500), OTA chambers, spectrum/network analyzers, protocol analyzers, and sniffers.
• Lead root-cause investigation of coexistence-related performance issues by:
  • Identifying aggressor/victim interactions
  • Analyzing conducted, radiated, and baseband coupling paths
  • Debugging across multiple layers: RF front-end and antenna systems, baseband and firmware behavior, system scheduling, and software interactions
• Capture learnings to support reuse and continuous improvement within GM’s in-house design ecosystem.
• Apply GM-defined design-for-coexistence (DfC) frameworks, including:
  • PCB layout (grounding, isolation, return paths)
  • Antenna placement and coupling minimization
  • Shielding, filtering, and noise mitigation
  • System-level timing and resource management strategies
• Support early-stage coexistence modeling and simulation in collaboration with system architects.
• Serve as a go-to coexistence subject-matter expert for assigned programs.
• Mentor junior engineers on coexistence fundamentals, testing, and debug techniques.
• Contribute to in-house guidelines, documentation, and repeatable technical practices.
• Provide technical input into architecture reviews and design decisions.
• Work comfortably with ambiguity and set objectives aligned with the product development cycle phase.

Requirements

• M.S. in Electrical Engineering or related field (PhD preferred).
• 6–10 years of RF/wireless engineering experience with a strong emphasis on coexistence (Coex).
• Strong understanding of:
  • Multi-radio interference mechanisms
  • Wireless protocols (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, LTE/5G) and their interactions
• Hands-on experience with:
  • Wireless test equipment (UXM, CMX, MT8000A, CMW500)
  • OTA testing and coexistence validation setups
  • RF simulation tools (CST, HFSS, FEKO)
• Proven system-level debugging and data-driven analysis skills.

Preferred Experience

• Automotive wireless systems (infotainment, telematics, connected vehicle platforms).
• Consumer electronics (smartphones, wearables, AR/VR).
• Experience supporting in-house hardware or platform development teams.
• Familiarity with firmware-driven coexistence algorithms and protocol analyzers.

Pay

The salary range for this role is $159,400 - $245,000. The actual base salary will vary based on factors relevant to the position, as well as the geography of the selected candidate. An incentive pay program offers payouts based on company performance, job level, and individual performance.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Health Savings Account (HSA) and Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)
• Retirement savings plan
• Sickness and accident benefits
• Life insurance
• Paid vacation and holidays
• Tuition assistance programs
• Employee assistance program
• GM vehicle discounts

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.