RF and Compute Hardware Lead Engineer
About The Position
SkySafe is evolving its hardware platform to support the next generation of drone detection systems. Weâre looking for an RF and Compute Hardware Engineer to define and drive the technical direction of our detection hardwareâspanning RF front ends, compute architecture, and system-level tradeoffs.In this role, you will lead the design and evaluation of future detection systems, including decisions around CPU vs GPU acceleration, FPGA utilization, memory architecture, and SDR platforms. Youâll work closely with software, internal tools, and operations teams to ensure our hardware roadmap supports scalable, reliable, and field-deployable systems.This is a hands-on technical leadership role with significant architectural ownership and influence over SkySafeâs long-term detection capabilities.
Requirements
- 8+ years of experience in electrical engineering, RF engineering, or related fields
- Strong background in RF systems and SDR platformsExperience designing systems using: CPUs, GPUs, and/or FPGAs + High-speed data interfaces and memory systems
- Deep understanding of signal processing pipelines and hardware constraints
- Experience performing system-level architecture tradeoffs
- Ability to translate detection requirements into hardware specifications
- Strong communications skills and experience leading technical direction
Nice To Haves
- Experience with Ettus or similar SDR platforms
- FPGA development experience (e.g., VHDL/Verilog, HLS)
- Experience with GPU-accelerated signal processing or ML inference
- Experience with real-time or near-real-time RF detection systems
- Familiarity with embedded Linux platforms
- Experience supporting deployed, fielded hardware systems
Responsibilities
- Lead the design of next-generation drone detection hardware systems
- Evaluate and define compute architecture for future platforms, including: CPU selection and scaling + GPU acceleration for signal processing or ML workloads + FPGA utilization on SDR platforms
- Determine system-level requirements for: RAM capacity and bandwidth + Storage and data throughput + Thermal and power constraints
- Drive architectural trade studies balancing performance, cost, power, and deployability
- Lead RF system design and integration for SDR-based detection platforms
- Evaluate RF front-end architectures, bandwidth, sampling rates, and signal chains
- Define requirements and interfaces for FPGA-based signal processing
- Partner with software teams to align hardware capabilities with DSP, ML, and detection pipelines
- Work closely with: Internal Tools Lead Engineer on telemetry, diagnostics, and control interfaces + Software teams on DSP, detection algorithms, and system integration + Field operations teams to ensure designs are deployable and serviceable
- Provide technical leadership and mentorship across Hardware and RF domains
- Lead prototyping, testing, and validation of new hardware platforms
- Define test methodologies for RF performance, system stability, and environmental resilience
- Support field trials and iterate designs based on real-world data
Benefits
- Competitive salary and benefits, including full health coverage, unlimited PTO, and flexible work hours.
- A supportive and innovative team environment that values collaboration and creativity.
- The chance to deliver high-impact solutions, contributing to the success of a small, fast-moving team where your work will make a tangible difference
Stand Out From the Crowd
Upload your resume and get instant feedback on how well it matches this job.
What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Mid Level
Education Level
No Education Listed
