RF Firmware Engineer

About the Role

The RF Firmware Engineer will play a key role in developing advanced RF sensing capabilities for Mach's autonomous defense platforms. Working on the DART team, you will focus directly on next-generation counter-UAV radar systems and RF seekers. You will be responsible for designing, implementing, verifying and optimizing the embedded firmware that controls the RF front-end of Mach's RF seeker across the full development lifecycle - bare-metal board bring-up to final deployment. This role involves close collaboration with cross-functional teams that include antenna and RF hardware engineers to ensure the entire radar RF front-end system meets the mission-critical requirements. Success in this role requires strong technical execution, adaptability, and a hands-on approach in a fast-paced, iterative environment.

Responsibilities

• Mission: Build next generation counter-UAV defense systems that will be used to defend human lives, critical infrastructure, and high value assets for the United States and its allies.
• Firmware development: Write high-performance, bare-metal C/C++ firmware for resource constrained microcontrollers powering the RF front-end boards in Mach's radar products.
• Hardware co-design: Work with hardware engineers on component selection, board bring-up, and optimal hardware-software trade-offs (power, cost, form factor).
• Firmware bring-up: Bring-up low level C/C++ bare-metal code from scratch, including peripherals/drivers (I2C, SPI, CAN, GPIO) to configure RF/microwave ICs (such as DDS, PLL, LNA, PA, filters, switches, etc) and interface to other subsystems.
• RF performance verification: Devise lab tests using RF/microwave test equipment to verify the functionality of the firmware and performance of the RF front-end boards.
• RF calibration: Analyze amplitude, phase, and performance metrics to develop calibration techniques and implement calibration techniques in firmware to optimize the performance of the RF front-end boards.
• Automation/Scripting: Write scripts (Python) to automate factory RF/microwave calibration processes to speed up calibration and ensure a high calibration accuracy.
• Testing and reliability: Own firmware quality, reliability and performance by proactively identifying, documenting/tracking and fixing issues to maintain high reliability of Mach's radar systems.
• Software validation: Develop functional and lab tests to validate the accuracy and performance of newly implemented embedded software or new features.
• Documentation: Author clear software specifications, architectural designs, and testing procedures to support manufacturing scalability.
• Project planning: Contribute to project planning, including communicating risks/blockers and manage engineering trade-offs.

Required Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or Software Engineering or a related field.
• Experience: 5+ years of experience developing embedded firmware for RF/microwave front-ends, for products such as radar/RF seekers or wireless radio (4G/5G/BLE/Wifi) products.
• Languages: Proficiency in bare-metal C/C++ with proven ability to write clean, well-tested, and highly efficient code in memory constrained environments.
• MCU bring-up: Demonstrated experience bringing up new microcontrollers and processors from scratch, including MCU clock/PLL configuration, low-level peripheral bring-up (I2C, SPI, CAN, GPIO) on development kits and Mach's custom hardware.
• RF/Microwave knowledge: Deep familiarity with RF/microwave transmitter and receiver architectures and components (DDS, PLL, LNA, PA, mixers, filters, and down-conversion stages) and calibration techniques.
• Test equipment: Hands-on experience using lab test equipment (oscilloscopes, spectrum analyzers, signal generators, logic/protocol analyzers) to debug and measure the performance of RF front-end hardware.
• Automation/scripting: Proficiency in Python or other scripting language to automate the collection of RF/microwave measurements and calibration data.
• Protocols: Deep understanding of standard communication protocols (SPI, I2C, UART, CAN and Ethernet) used to control RF/microwave ICs and interface with other subsystems.
• Schematics Reading: Ability to read electronics circuit schematics to isolate hardware/software issues.
• Optimization: Skilled in optimizing code to meet strict real-time timing and deterministic software constraints.
• Testing: Ability to debug, test and validate embedded software using functional tests, logic/protocol analyzers and lab tests to ensure the functionality of embedded software.
• Execution: Strong grasp of full software development life cycle and ability to execute and thrive in a fast-paced, high-iteration environment, delivering frequent software updates with speed and precision.
• Location: Ability to work 100% on-site at our headquarters in Huntington Beach, CA.

Preferred Qualifications

• RF/Microwave Theory: Strong theoretical background in radar, electromagnetic wave propagation, wireless communication or RF sensing and RF calibration techniques.
• Compliance: Knowledge of military, aerospace, or safety-critical software standards (e.g., DO-178C, MISRA C, ASIL).

Pay

• Engineer: $120,000—$160,000 USD
• Senior Engineer: $165,000—$230,000 USD

Benefits

• Healthcare, dental and vision plans
• Retirement savings
• Paid time off
• Stock options or equity participation
• Performance-based bonuses tied to individual and company performance
• Professional development funds for continuing education, training, and career growth