Guilherme M. Zilli

Wireless Systems Engineer | 5G/NR | PHY/MAC Algorithms | Optimization & Simulation

Wireless systems engineer and researcher with extensive experience in algorithm design, constrained optimization, system-level simulation, and signal processing. Worked across industry and academia on the development and evaluation of LTE and 5G-NR technologies, including spectrum management, carrier aggregation, and massive MIMO. Experience includes designing and validating optimization-driven algorithms, supporting integration and troubleshooting of commercial radio systems, and contributing to intellectual property development. Strong focus on translating mathematical models and system concepts into efficient, production-oriented implementations in C++ and Python.

  • Wireless Systems (LTE / 5G NR)
  • Beamforming & MIMO
  • Scheduling & Radio Resource Management
  • Algorithm Design
  • Signal Processing & Adaptive Algorithms
  • Software Development (C++, Python, MATLAB)

Professional Experience

Senior Wireless System Engineer

Huawei Technologies Canada

Ottawa, ON

Jun 2023 - Present

  • Led the integration of ray-tracing channel models into a C++ system-level simulator, improving the accuracy of radio performance evaluations and enabling more realistic trade-off analyses.
  • Performed system-level analysis and validation of advanced MIMO techniques (e.g., sensing-assisted precoding, CoMP) using 3GPP-compliant stochastic and ray-tracing channel models.
  • Investigated and resolved discrepancies in simulation results by analyzing detailed logs, identifying issues such as antenna misconfigurations and suboptimal MIMO rank behavior.
  • Implemented network and UE energy-saving models aligned with 3GPP specifications, including sleep strategies and optimization approaches for energy-efficient wireless deployments.
  • Developed Python-based tools to process simulation data, compute KPIs, and generate visualizations, enabling efficient analysis across large-scale simulation campaigns.
  • Contributed to 40+ intellectual property filings in areas including MIMO systems and energy-efficient wireless network design, and participated in their standard promotion.

Wireless System Engineer

BLiNQ Networks

Markham, ON

May 2021 - Jun 2023

  • Designed and implemented a spectrum controller for small-cell networks, formulating frequency allocation logic under regulatory, hardware, and spectrum availability constraints.
  • Developed and validated LAA/CBRS frequency selection algorithms (interference monitoring, channel ranking, dynamic reconfiguration), and supported their integration into the production codebase.
  • Designed carrier aggregation management algorithms and contributed to MAC scheduler enhancements, improving throughput by up to 17% and fairness by 10% in product evaluations.
  • Supported integration and troubleshooting of commercial LTE eNBs by analyzing over-the-air protocol traces, identifying implementation issues, misconfigurations, and performance bottlenecks.
  • Produced detailed documentation and internal studies on 3GPP 5G NR features and the PHY/MAC software stack, enabling cross-functional alignment and smoother feature development and validation.

Academic Experience

Graduate Research Assistant

Concordia University

Montreal, QC

Sep 2017 - Apr 2021

Hybrid beamforming for narrowband and broadband/OFDM millimeter-wave massive MIMO

  • Investigated hybrid beamforming techniques for point-to-point and multi-user mmWave massive MIMO systems, targeting spectral efficiency improvements for 5G and beyond.
  • Formulated constrained matrix and tensor decomposition methods to address hybrid beamforming design under hardware and system limitations.
  • Developed and evaluated solvers for non-convex optimization problems, analyzing convergence behavior and computational complexity.
  • Designed and conducted simulation studies across multiple scenarios, translating results into documented findings and research reports.

Teaching Assistant

Concordia University

Montreal, QC

Summer 2019, Fall 2020

Digital Signal Processing

  • Designed MATLAB-based assignments and developed reference solutions to support core DSP concepts.
  • Supported student learning through office hours, assignment guidance, and detailed feedback on projects and exams.
  • Delivered lectures to classes of 30+ students, covering selected course topics and reinforcing key theoretical concepts.

Graduate Research Assistant

Federal University of Santa Catarina

Florianopolis, Brazil

Mar 2014 - Jul 2017

Low-complexity adaptive algorithms for beamforming in smart antennas

  • Conducted a comprehensive review of adaptive beamforming techniques for antenna array systems, identifying gaps in complexity and performance trade-offs.
  • Developed low-complexity reduced-rank adaptive beamforming algorithms and joint antenna selection strategies to improve computational efficiency.
  • Formulated stochastic models for constrained LMS-based approaches, supporting the theoretical foundation of the proposed methods.
  • Implemented and evaluated algorithms through simulation studies, comparing performance against existing techniques under varying system conditions.

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Santa Catarina State University

Joinville, Brazil

Jul 2011 - Jun 2012

Speaker-independent constrained vocabulary automatic speech recognition

  • Built a speech dataset of 3,500+ recordings from 30 speakers for a constrained-vocabulary Brazilian Portuguese recognition task.
  • Developed an end-to-end processing pipeline, including voice activity detection, audio preprocessing, and MFCC feature extraction.
  • Implemented and trained machine learning models in MATLAB, achieving up to 92% classification accuracy.

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Santa Catarina State University

Joinville, Brazil

Jan 2009 - Jun 2010

Assistive technology adaptations for visually impaired individuals

  • Developed an assistive washing machine interface for visually impaired users, enabling audio-based interaction and feedback.
  • Implemented embedded software in C for an ARM microcontroller, including drivers for a color sensor, external memory, and audio CODEC (I2S interface).
  • Integrated color detection and audio playback features, allowing users to identify clothing and receive spoken feedback during operation.

Education

Scholarships & Awards

  • Concordia Conference and Exposition Award - School of Graduate Studies, Concordia University (2021)
  • Concordia Accelerate Award - School of Graduate Studies, Concordia University (2021)
  • Concordia International Tuition Award of Excellence - Graduate Awards Office, Concordia University (2017-2020)
  • Doctoral scholarships for foreign students - Fonds de recherche du Quebec-Nature et technologies (FRQNT) (2017-2020)
  • Master's-level scholarship - Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) (2014-2016)
  • Highest GPA among Electrical Engineering students in summer 2014 - Santa Catarina State University (2014)
  • Whirlpool Innovation Award - Whirlpool Latin America (2010)

Other Relevant Training

  • Reinforcement Learning Specialization - University of Alberta / Coursera (2023)
  • Time Series with Python and Machine Learning Fundamentals with Python - Datacamp (2023)
  • Machine Learning Specialization - University of Washington / Coursera (2022)
  • Google Data Analytics Certificate - Google / Coursera (2022)
  • NumPy, Pandas, and Python Parallel and Concurrent Programming - LinkedIn Learning (2022)
  • Applied Machine Learning: Foundations, Algorithms, and Feature Engineering - LinkedIn Learning (2022)
  • LTE Air Interface - Huawei Talent Online (2021)
  • 5G System Principals - IEEE Learning Network (2021)
  • Discover 5G - IEEE Learning Network (2021)
  • Convolutional Neural Networks in TensorFlow - Coursera (2020)
  • Introduction to TensorFlow for AI, ML, and DL - Coursera (2020)
  • Discover Techniques and End-to-End Systems of 5G Networks Virtual Event - IEEE (2020)
  • University Teaching for Engineering and Computer Science Students - Concordia University (2019)
  • Machine Learning - Coursera / Stanford (2018)

Scholarly Activity

Journal Reviewing

  • IEEE Journal on Selected Areas in Communications
  • IEEE Transactions on Signal Processing
  • IEEE Transactions on Communications
  • IEEE Transactions on Circuits and Systems II: Express Briefs
  • IEEE Signal Processing Letters
  • IEEE Wireless Communications Letters
  • IEEE Access
  • Journal of the Franklin Institute - Engineering and Applied Mathematics
  • Journal of Communication and Information Systems
  • Transactions on Emerging Telecommunications Technologies
  • Chinese Journal of Aeronautics

Conference Reviewing

  • IEEE 97th Vehicular Technology Conference: VTC2023-Spring (2023)
  • IEEE International Symposium on Circuits and Systems (2021)
  • XXXVIII Brazilian Telecommunication Symposium (2020)
  • 11th IEEE Sensor Array and Multichannel Signal Processing Workshop (2020)
  • 16th IEEE International NEWCAS Conference (2018)
  • XXXV Brazilian Telecommunication Symposium (2017)
  • 9th IEEE Sensor Array and Multichannel Signal Processing Workshop (2016)
  • XXXIV Brazilian Telecommunication Symposium (2016)
  • XXI Brazilian Conference on Automation (2016)
  • XXXIII Brazilian Telecommunication Symposium (2015)

Publications

Journals

  1. G. M. Zilli and W.-P. Zhu, "Constrained Tensor Decomposition-Based Hybrid Beamforming for mmWave Massive MIMO-OFDM Communication Systems," IEEE Transactions on Vehicular Technology, v. 70, n. 6, pp. 5775-5788, Jun. 2021.
  2. G. M. Zilli and W.-P. Zhu, "Constrained Channel Decomposition-Based Hybrid Beamforming for mmWave Massive MIMO Systems," IEEE Open Journal of the Communications Society, v. 1, pp. 1707-1720, Oct. 2020.
  3. G. M. Zilli, C. A. Pitz, E. L. O. Batista, R. Seara, and W.-P. Zhu, "An Adaptive Approach for the Joint Antenna Selection and Beamforming Optimization," IEEE Access, v. 7, pp. 99017-99030, Jul. 2019.
  4. G. M. Zilli, C. A. Pitz, E. L. O. Batista, and R. Seara, "LCMV-Based Reduced-Rank Beamforming Algorithm with Enhanced Tracking Capability," IEEE Wireless Communications Letters, v. 5, pp. 328-331, Apr. 2016.
  5. F. R. Rocha, G. M. Zilli, D. Sebben, and A. H. Sousa, "A Case Study on Assistive Technology for Visual Impairment Individuals: Adaptations in Household Appliances," Journal of Control, Automation and Electrical Systems, v. 25, pp. 228-236, Jan. 2014.

Conferences

  1. G. M. Zilli and W.-P. Zhu, "TUCKER2-based Hybrid Beamforming Design for mmWave OFDM Massive MIMO Communications," in IEEE 93rd Veh. Technol. Conf.: VTC2021-Spring, Helsinki, Finland, Apr. 2021, pp. 1-5.
  2. G. M. Zilli and W.-P. Zhu, "Constrained-SVD based hybrid beamforming design for millimeter wave communications," in IEEE 92nd Veh. Technol. Conf.: VTC2020-Fall, Victoria, BC, Canada, Nov. 2020, pp. 1-5.
  3. G. M. Zilli, C. A. Pitz, E. L. O. Batista, and R. Seara, "Novo Algoritmo para Conformacao de Feixe e Selecao de Antenas em Sistemas de Comunicacoes Moveis," in XXXV Brazilian Telecommunication Symposium, Sao Pedro, Brazil, Sep. 2017, pp. 117-121.
  4. G. M. Zilli, C. A. Pitz, E. L. O. Batista, and R. Seara, "Um Novo Algoritmo Adaptativo de Posto Reduzido para Conformacao de Feixe em Sistemas de Comunicacoes Moveis," in XXXIII Brazilian Telecommunication Symposium, Juiz de Fora, Brazil, Sep. 2015, pp. 663-667.
  5. G. M. Zilli, L. Negri, and A. S. Paterno, "Reconhecimento de Fala por meio de um novo Algoritmo de Deteccao de Palavra e Redes Neurais Artificiais," in XIX Brazilian Conference on Automation, Campina Grande, Brazil, Sep. 2012, pp. 5413-5420.
  6. L. Negri, G. M. Zilli, et al., "FBG refractometry and electrical impedance analysis in fuel samples characterization," in 2011 SBMO/IEEE MTT-S IMOC, Natal, Brazil, Oct. 2011, pp. 867-871.
  7. A. S. Paterno, L. Negri, G. M. Zilli, et al., "FBG interrogation and the benchmark for algorithms in the processing of experimental data," in 2011 SBMO/IEEE MTT-S IMOC, Natal, Brazil, Oct. 2011, pp. 623-627.
  8. G. M. Zilli, D. Sebben, F. R. Rocha, and A. H. Sousa, "Estudo sobre adaptabilidade em eletrodomesticos para portadores de deficiencia visual," in XVIII Brazilian Conference on Automation, Bonito, Brazil, Sep. 2010, pp. 1734-1740.
  9. G. M. Zilli and G. Lambert, "Desenvolvendo a Educacao atraves da Robotica Movel: Uma Proposta Pedagogica para o Ensino de Engenharia," in XXXVIII Brazilian Congress of Engineering Education, Fortaleza, Brazil, Sep. 2010.
  10. G. M. Zilli, J. R. Rusczak, D. Sebben, and F. R. Rocha, "Desenvolvimento de um Ar Condicionado com sistema de desinfeccao do ar atraves de Radiacao Ultravioleta," in XXIV CRICTE, Rio Grande, Brazil, Sep. 2010, pp. 1-4.
  11. G. M. Zilli, D. Sebben, F. R. Rocha, and A. H. Sousa, "Desenvolvimento de um prototipo para reproducao de mensagens sonoras," in XXIII CRICTE, Joinville, Brazil, Oct. 2009, pp. 1-4.

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