Cellular Performance Engineer

Apple Inc.; Sunnyvale (CA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 278,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical and dental coverage

Retirement benefits

Employee stock purchase plan

Discretionary bonuses or relocation

Discounted products

Education expense reimbursement

Job summary

Apple Sunnyvale seeks an engineer to lead the characterization of wireless software performance in labs and beyond. You will develop expertise in cellular systems, RF frontends, hardware, and software by benchmarking power and performance for Apple products.

Act as a liaison between technology and product engineering teams as a gatekeeper of end-user-facing quality. This role offers cross-functional collaboration across Apple’s engineering groups, driving wireless technology evangelism from

Qualifications

• Experience in a laboratory environment testing and benchmarking data, voice and application performance of cellular systems.
• Deep understanding of 3GPP standards relating to 5G NR and LTE with TCP/IP experience.
• Strong ability to debug and analyze issues across all protocol stack layers (L1/L2/L3) and RF frontends.
• Experience proposing software optimizations based on performance data to enhance product quality and user experience.
• Experience with cellular call boxes and channel emulators in a laboratory setting.
• Strong Python scripting to automate performance test suites and develop KPI tools.

Responsibilities

• Characterize cellular system performance in labs and beyond.
• Develop performance-focused test plans for data, application, and voice performance in Apple products.
• Debug, analyze, and troubleshoot with logs across L1/L2/L3 to identify issues impacting performance.
• Test and analyze TCP/IP and application layers to understand end-to-end performance.
• Drive performance improvements through the product lifecycle and ensure solid user experience.
• Collaborate cross-functionally across Apple engineering teams to resolve issues and improve quality.
• Summarize findings and present key findings in cross-functional forums and executive reviews.

Skills

Cellular systems knowledge

TCP/IP understanding

Protocol stack debugging

Performance benchmarking

Python scripting

RF frontend understanding

Tools

Python scripting

Channel emulators

Lab debugging tools

Job description

Sunnyvale, California, United States Software and Services

In the Wireless Technologies group, you will be responsible for bringing groundbreaking cellular and satellite connectivity to the world. You will design, develop, and patent the next generation of our state-of-the-art wireless technologies. You will collaborate across departments to help craft solutions that elevate the customer experience with Apple products and services. Our goal is to ensure that nothing hinders our customers’ connections with their devices. If you join us, you will help build world-renowned wireless systems so seamless that they almost feel like magic. The wireless software performance team is striving for innovative ways to utilize cellular technologies to enable new services and products that surprise and delight our customers. We are seeking an experienced engineer chartered to build cellular performance labs; play a major role in the architecture, design, and enhancement of new communication technologies and products. You will work on a team that will drive new initiatives within the company and the industry, focused on end-user experience.

Description

Apple is seeking an engineer who can lead and drive characterization of wireless software performance in labs and beyond. Develop expertise in cellular systems, RF frontends, hardware, and software by benchmarking power and performance for Apple products. Act as a liaison between technology and product engineering teams as a gatekeeper of end-user-facing quality. This is an excellent opportunity to interact cross-functionally with multiple engineering groups while bringing in fresh ideas to evangelize wireless communication technologies across Apple’s product portfolio and simultaneously working towards design wins in a data-driven manner from prototyping to commercialization.

Responsibilities

• Performance characterization of cellular system performance in labs and beyond.
• Comprehend the technical feature set, software design, and develop comprehensive performance-focused test plans to evaluate data, application, and voice performance in various Apple products.
• Debug, analyze, and troubleshoot with logs across all layers of the baseband protocol stack (L1/L2/L3) to identify issues impacting overall product performance.
• Test and analyze TCP/IP and application layers to understand their impact on end-to-end product performance and user experience.
• Drive systems and software performance beyond the lab test phase by ensuring user experience remains solid throughout the product’s lifecycle.
• Interact cross-functionally across various engineering teams within Apple. Drive open issues across sub-components to a meaningful resolution while striving to improve product quality.
• Concisely summarize and present overall performance, key findings, open issues, and next steps in cross-functional forums and executive reviews.

Minimum Qualifications

• Experience working in a laboratory environment, testing and benchmarking data, voice and application performance of cellular systems.
• Deep understanding of cellular 3GPP standards relating to 5G NR and LTE, with demonstrated experience with higher-layer protocols such as TCP/IP.
• Strong ability to debug and analyze issues across all (L1/L2/L3/Application) layers of the protocol stack, as well as RF frontends.
• Experience proposing software optimizations and improvements based on performance data to enhance overall product quality and user experience.
• Experience required working with cellular call boxes and channel emulators in a laboratory setting.
• Strong knowledge of Python scripting is necessary to automate performance test suites in the laboratory and develop tools and scripts to design key performance indicators (KPIs) required to benchmark product performance.

Preferred Qualifications

• Strong collaboration and communication skills across multidisciplinary teams.
• Excellent problem-solving skills with a track record of delivering results in fast-paced environments.
• Thrive in a collaborative environment, communicate clearly while confidently driving multiple projects across various teams.
• Adapt to new technologies, think outside the box, and propose technology and product improvements in a data-driven manner.
• Obsessively passionate, inquisitive, and seek to solve everyday problems in innovative ways.

At Apple, base pay is one part of our total compensation package and is determined within a range. This provides the opportunity to progress as you grow and develop within a role. The base pay range for this role is between $150,400 and $277,600, and your base pay will depend on your skills, qualifications, experience, and location.

Apple employees also have the opportunity to become an Apple shareholder through participation in Apple’s discretionary employee stock programs. Apple employees are eligible for discretionary restricted stock unit awards, and can purchase Apple stock at a discount if voluntarily participating in Apple’s Employee Stock Purchase Plan. You’ll also receive benefits including: Comprehensive medical and dental coverage, retirement benefits, a range of discounted products and free services, and for formal education related to advancing your career at Apple, reimbursement for certain educational expenses — including tuition. Additionally, this role might be eligible for discretionary bonuses or commission payments as well as relocation. Learn more about Apple Benefits

Note: Apple benefit, compensation and employee stock programs are subject to eligibility requirements and other terms of the applicable plan or program.

Apple is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to inclusion and diversity. We seek to promote equal opportunity for all applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, Veteran status, or other legally protected characteristics. Learn more about your EEO rights as an applicant

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Apple accepts applications to this posting on an ongoing basis.