RF Engineer

Specter is building a software-defined control plane for the physical world. Our mission is to protect and empower American businesses by granting them ubiquitous perception over their physical assets. We’re creating a connected hardware–software ecosystem built on multi-modal wireless mesh sensing technology, driving down the cost and time of deploying sensors by 10×. Ultimately, Specter’s platform will serve as the perception engine for a company’s physical footprint - enabling real-time perimeter visibility, autonomous operations management, and “digital twinning” of physical processes. Our founders, Xerxes Libsch and Philip Clark, are building a team of exceptional engineers from Anduril, Tesla, Uber, and the U.S. Special Forces who are redefining how machines sense and understand the physical world. The Role Specter is hiring a Lead RF Engineer to lead the design and development of our modular software-defined radio (SDR) architecture - the communications backbone for our distributed sensing network. You’ll own end-to-end RF system design, from concept and architecture through prototyping, validation, and deployment. This includes architecting a scalable, high-bandwidth, long-range mesh communications layer connecting thousands of edge devices into a cohesive sensing fabric. As the RF lead, you’ll define the company’s radio strategy, establish our RF lab and test infrastructure, and grow a small, elite team capable of taking designs from benchtop prototypes to production hardware. Responsibilities Architect and develop Specter’s modular SDR platform, integrating multi-node mesh networking with real-time software control. Define RF system and software requirements across transceiver, front-end, and antenna subsystems. Lead system-level trades to determine optimal network topology, frequency bands, and modulation schemes within software-defined constraints. Design and prototype analog front-end components (LNAs, PAs, filters, matching networks) with tight integration to digital baseband and firmware. Develop automated RF test infrastructure and validation workflows (VNA, spectrum analyzer, OTA testing) with software-driven test harnesses. Collaborate with firmware, networking, and cloud teams to integrate PHY-layer and OpenWRT-based mesh protocols into the broader control plane. Drive DFM, certification, and production-scale RF test automation. Preferred Background Led RF or communications system development from concept to production, including firmware and software integration. Deep experience with software-defined radios, analog/RF front-end design, and embedded networking systems ( Strong understanding of 802.11 physical layer protocols, OpenWRT, and real-time embedded Linux networking. Skilled with RF simulation and measurement tools (ADS, HFSS, MATLAB, VNA, spectrum analyzer) and software test automation. Experience bringing connected radio products through FCC certification, DVT, and production ramp. Hands-on, experimental mindset - fluent moving between low-level firmware, signal processing, and physical layer hardware. #J-18808-Ljbffr