Senior Embedded Software Engineer – RFIO / RF Systems Integration

Quest Defense Systems & Solutions, Inc.•Phoenix, AZ

5d•$127,000 - $167,000•Hybrid

About The Position

We are seeking an experienced Embedded Software Engineer to develop and integrate software that controls, calibrates, and interfaces with RF transmit/receive systems. This hands-on role combines C/C++, Python, RF hardware, FPGA/firmware, and laboratory testing to characterize system performance, develop calibration and compensation techniques, and troubleshoot complex hardware/software issues.

Requirements

5–15 years of relevant engineering experience in embedded software and hardware/software integration.
Strong C and C++ development skills.
Experience developing embedded or FPGA-facing software interfacing directly with RF or mixed-signal hardware.
Practical understanding of RF transmit/receive signal chains, including phase, gain, synchronization, power leveling, sensitivity, calibration, and temperature compensation.
Experience configuring hardware through low-level interfaces and device registers and interpreting component datasheets.
Strong Python skills for test automation, instrumentation, data collection, and engineering analysis.
Experience debugging issues across software, FPGA/firmware, and hardware.
Hands-on experience with oscilloscopes, spectrum analyzers, network analyzers, and RF/electronic test equipment.
Strong mathematical and analytical skills related to calibration, signal behavior, and system characterization.
Ability to independently troubleshoot and drive root-cause resolution in a laboratory environment.
Experience with requirements, traceability, verification, and validation processes.
Experience with multi-channel RF systems, phased arrays, beamforming, radar, communications, electronic warfare, or similar RF-intensive systems.
Familiarity with DO-178B/C or comparable requirements-based software development and verification.
Must meet U.S. Person requirements.

Nice To Haves

Experience developing multi-channel RF calibration algorithms.
Experience characterizing RF performance across temperature or other environmental conditions.
Experience automating RF laboratory equipment using Python.
Experience with SPI, I²C, UART, GPIO, or similar device-control interfaces.
Familiarity with FPGA-based architectures and software-to-FPGA interfaces.
Aerospace, defense, or other high-reliability embedded product experience.
Experience supporting formal integration, verification, qualification, or certification activities.

Responsibilities

Develop and maintain RFIO software interfacing embedded software/FPGA with RF subsystem hardware.
Develop C/C++ software to configure, control, monitor, and characterize RF and mixed-signal devices.
Implement multi-channel transmitter control, including phase alignment, beamforming, power/gain leveling, and programmable RF components.
Develop receiver calibration and compensation techniques for gain, phase, sensitivity, temperature, and other RF variations.
Integrate RF hardware with FPGA/firmware, embedded software, and system-level components.
Interpret device datasheets and develop low-level register/configuration interfaces.
Develop Python test and automation for laboratory equipment, RF testing, data collection, and analysis.
Perform hands-on laboratory integration, characterization, measurement, troubleshooting, and debugging.
Diagnose cross-domain issues involving software, FPGA/firmware, RF, and hardware.
Work across RF, FPGA, hardware, systems, and software teams to resolve technical issues.
Follow disciplined software processes for requirements, traceability, verification, validation, configuration management, and documentation.