Sr. RF Firmware Engineer

About the role

As a Sr. RF Firmware Engineer, you 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—from bare-metal board bring-up to final deployment. This role involves close collaboration with cross-functional teams, including antenna and RF hardware engineers, to ensure the entire radar RF front-end system meets mission-critical requirements. Success in this role requires strong technical execution, adaptability, and a hands-on approach in a fast-paced, iterative environment.

Responsibilities

• Build next-generation counter-UAV defense systems to defend human lives, critical infrastructure, and high-value assets for the United States and its allies.
• Develop high-performance, bare-metal C/C++ firmware for resource-constrained microcontrollers powering the RF front-end boards in Mach’s radar products.
• Collaborate with hardware engineers on component selection, board bring-up, and optimal hardware-software trade-offs (power, cost, form factor).
• Perform firmware bring-up from scratch, including configuring peripherals/drivers (I2C, SPI, CAN, GPIO) to control RF/microwave ICs (e.g., DDS, PLL, LNA, PA, filters, switches) and interface with other subsystems.
• Devise lab tests using RF/microwave test equipment to verify firmware functionality and RF front-end board performance.
• Analyze amplitude, phase, and performance metrics to develop and implement calibration techniques in firmware to optimize RF front-end performance.
• Write scripts (Python) to automate factory RF/microwave calibration processes, improving speed and accuracy.
• Own firmware quality, reliability, and performance by proactively identifying, documenting, tracking, and fixing issues to maintain high reliability of Mach’s radar systems.
• Develop functional and lab tests to validate the accuracy and performance of newly implemented embedded software or features.
• Author clear software specifications, architectural designs, and testing procedures to support manufacturing scalability.
• Contribute to project planning, including communicating risks/blockers and managing engineering trade-offs.

Requirements

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

Preferred Qualifications

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

Disclosures

This position may require access to information protected under U.S. export control laws and regulations, including the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) and the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). Any offer for employment may be conditioned on authorization to receive software or technology controlled under these U.S. export laws without sponsorship for an export license. Mach participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm work authorization in the U.S.

Pay

The salary range for this role is an estimate based on a wide range of compensation factors, inclusive of base salary only. Actual salary offers may vary based on work experience, education, training, critical skills, and business considerations. Highly competitive equity grants are included in most offers as part of Mach’s total compensation package.

Benefits

• Health insurance
• Retirement plans
• Opportunities for professional development