RF Systems Integration Engineer

DS creates systems that power the next generation of radio spectrum intelligence. We collect radio data from all over the world, train neural networks to decipher it, and run them on the smallest chips we can. We’re solving a new, technically hard problem where nothing from other fields works out of the box, and along the way, we’ve built our own stack from scratch, including entirely new embedding model architectures, custom GPU kernels, and much more.

Joining DS means owning major parts of a fast-growing AI research organization, joining a collaborative, talent-dense team with decades of experience in probabilistic ML, accelerated computing, embedded systems, and signal theory, and growing your career in the areas that interest you. You’ll fit in if you want to come to work for the problem itself and don’t want to choose between technical rigor, business value, and real-world impact.

We work with high ownership and trust, and we do it together in the office 5 days/week.

Distributed Spectrum is building a passive RF sensing system for maritime domain awareness and related mission areas. The system is not a single piece of software or hardware. It is a stack: sensors with embedded compute and RF hardware, a datapath and processing pipeline, a sensor management and command-and-control layer, and a user-facing interface. Making all of that work together, reliably, in a lab and in the field, is the job of the Systems Integration Engineer.

This role is genuinely split between lab and field. Some of the time you are in our facility in New York, building test infrastructure, running integration tests, and chasing down bugs. Some of the time you are in the field, deploying sensors, running experiments, and operating the system in the kinds of conditions our customers will encounter.

Lab Integration and Test

• Build and maintain the hardware-in-the-loop test infrastructure for validating end-to-end system behavior. This is the framework that catches failures the component-level and software tests miss.

• Define and execute integration test plans for new hardware variants, carrier board ports, and sensor software releases.

• Own the post-manufacturing QA process for sensors built at volume. As the manufacturing ramp scales toward hundreds of units, this process needs to be fast, repeatable, and ruthless about quality.

• Root cause failures at the intersection of firmware, hardware, RF, and network infrastructure. You will not always own the fix, but you will own understanding what broke and why.

RF Data Generation / Simulation Harnesses

• Data generation pipelines and frameworks to support both hardware-in-the-loop and simulated test environments

• Frameworks tying physics-based modeling (off the shelf and custom) into custom data generation and analysis.

• Collaborate deeply across disciplines—including Machine Learning, Embedded Software, and RF Systems—to build the tools and collect the data needed to develop and test our systems.

Field Operations and Data Collection

• Deploy sensors in the field for experiments and customer demonstrations. This includes physical installation, network configuration, and validation that the system is performing as expected in its deployed state.

• Operate the system during data collection runs and live demonstrations. You are the person who knows the difference between normal system behavior and a bug in the field.

• Collect, log, and preserve data from field experiments in a form that lets the engineering team analyze it back in the lab.

• Bring field observations back to the engineering team in a structured way: what worked, what did not, what conditions we have not yet tested.

• Experience integrating hardware and software systems, ideally in embedded or sensor-heavy contexts. You understand what happens between the hardware driver and the application, and you have debugged problems at that boundary.

• Comfort with Linux system administration and networking. Our sensors run Linux. Our test infrastructure runs on Linux. You need to be able to configure, debug, and operate these systems without hand-holding.

• Ability to write test automation and basic tooling using Python. We are not looking for a software engineer, but we do need someone who can write a test script, analyze a log file, and build tooling to make repetitive work faster.

• Physical and logistical competence in the field. You need to be comfortable working outdoors, in variable conditions, carrying and installing equipment, and solving problems without access to a lab bench.

• Willingness to travel. Some excursions are day trips to New York Harbor, or NYC-area test sites. Others are multi-day trips to test sites or customer locations.

• Clear written communication. Field reports and test results need to be readable by people who were not there.

• BS or equivalent technical experience, Electrical/Computer engineering or similar.

• Background in RF test and measurement, signal processing/analysis, or electronic systems that include an RF front end.

• Software engineering experience (embedded or Linux system programming)

• Familiarity with containerized software deployment or sensor network management.

• Prior experience in a defense or government context, particularly one involving field operations with partner forces or in austere environments.

• Fast learners over specific backgrounds – We care more about how quickly you can pick up new skills than where you’ve worked before.

• Intellectual honesty – The right answer matters more than being right. You challenge assumptions, test ideas, and pivot when needed.

• Adaptability – We’re organized, but sometimes things change quickly. You find a way to make it work and balance short-term deliverables with long-term goals.

• Ownership of outcomes – You optimize your own time, focus on what matters to deliver quickly, and cut out inefficiencies.

• Not building in a vacuum – You stay connected to the rest of our teams and our customers to make sure all the pieces fit together.

• Above-market salary, equity, and benefits package.

• Early Series A Equity

• Excellent health, dental, and vision coverage

• 401(k) match - up to 4% of your salary

• Flexible PTO

• Daily office lunches in NYC

ITAR Requirements
To conform to U.S. Government technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITAR here.