EW Software Architect/Lead Engineer

SPEC (Systems & Processes Engineering Corp); Austin (TX); On-site; USD 130,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

SPEC (Systems & Processes Engineering Corp) in Austin, TX, seeks an Electronic Warfare (EW) Software Architect/Lead Engineer to lead software architecture, prototype development, and technical demonstrations for EW capabilities.

This hands-on leader translates mission needs into modular software designs, guides integration across hardware and software interfaces, and builds demonstrations communicating capability, performance, and maturity to customers and stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in CS/EE or related field.
• 7-10 years of software engineering experience with architecture/leadership.
• Experience taking software from concept through prototype, integration, and stakeholder demonstration.
• Strong programming proficiency in C++, Python, or other languages relevant to the program.
• Experience designing modular software systems, defining interfaces, and integrating complex components.
• Experience with real-time or near-real-time applications, distributed systems, or hardware-integrated software.
• Proficiency with version control, automated testing, continuous integration, and software debugging.
• Ability to communicate architectural decisions, technical risks, and performance tradeoffs clearly.
• Experience leading technical demonstrations, design reviews, or customer-facing engineering presentations.
• Ability to meet government clearance and program-access requirements.

Responsibilities

• Define software architectures for EW applications, signal-processing workflows, control interfaces, and mission-system integration.
• Translate customer needs and operational use cases into software requirements, interface definitions, and achievable development increments.
• Establish modular components, clear interfaces, and architectural patterns that support reuse, extensibility, and integration.
• Evaluate design tradeoffs involving processing latency, throughput, scalability, deployment constraints, and maintainability.
• Lead architecture and design reviews, document technical decisions, and mentor software engineers.
• Coordinate with systems, RF, signal-processing, hardware, and test teams to resolve cross-disciplinary integration challenges.
• Develop proof-of-concept applications and software prototypes to demonstrate emerging EW capabilities.
• Remain hands-on with implementation, code reviews, debugging, and integration.
• Integrate algorithms, RF equipment, simulation tools, data sources, and user interfaces into cohesive demonstration environments.
• Define APIs, data models, messaging approaches, and hardware abstraction interfaces.
• Develop simulation, playback, and hardware-in-the-loop capabilities to support repeatable demonstrations.
• Guide the transition of successful prototypes into maintainable, production-oriented software.
• Own demonstration planning, including use cases, scenarios, success criteria, dependencies, and execution plans.
• Translate complex technical capabilities into clear, mission-relevant demonstrations for technical and nontechnical audiences.
• Build demonstration scripts, visualizations, dashboards, and supporting technical presentations.
• Lead rehearsals, assess readiness, establish fallback approaches, and troubleshoot issues during execution.
• Present architecture, system behavior, performance results, and design tradeoffs to customers and program stakeholders.
• Clearly distinguish demonstrated functionality from simulated, planned, or prototype capabilities.
• Capture stakeholder feedback and translate it into architectural improvements and development priorities.
• Define verification approaches that connect demonstration outcomes to system requirements and performance objectives.
• Establish automated checks, integration tests, and repeatable software builds for demonstration baselines.
• Analyze logs and performance data to identify bottlenecks, integration issues, and capability gaps.
• Maintain configuration control of software, datasets, interfaces, and demonstration environments.
• Document results, limitations, technical risks, and recommended next steps.

Skills

Software architecture

C++

Python

Technical leadership

Communication

Version control

CI/CD

Debugging

Education

Bachelor’s degree in CS/EE or related field

Tools

Linux

Embedded software

Job description

SPEC is seeking an Electronic Warfare (EW) Software Architect/Lead Engineer to lead software architecture, prototype development, and technical demonstrations for EW capabilities.

This role bridges architecture and hands-on execution. You will translate mission needs into modular software designs, guide integration across hardware and software interfaces, and build demonstrations that clearly communicate capability, performance, and technical maturity to customers and stakeholders.

The ideal candidate is a hands-on technical leader who can move from a whiteboard architecture to a working prototype, explain design tradeoffs, and lead a team through successful integration and demonstration.

Key Responsibilities

Software Architecture & Technical Leadership

• Define software architectures for EW applications, signal-processing workflows, control interfaces, and mission-system integration.
• Translate customer needs and operational use cases into software requirements, interface definitions, and achievable development increments.
• Establish modular components, clear interfaces, and architectural patterns that support reuse, extensibility, and integration.
• Evaluate design tradeoffs involving processing latency, throughput, scalability, deployment constraints, and maintainability.
• Lead architecture and design reviews, document technical decisions, and mentor software engineers.
• Coordinate with systems, RF, signal-processing, hardware, and test teams to resolve cross-disciplinary integration challenges.

Prototyping & Integration

• Develop proof-of-concept applications and software prototypes to demonstrate emerging EW capabilities.
• Remain hands-on with implementation, code reviews, debugging, and integration.
• Integrate algorithms, RF equipment, simulation tools, data sources, and user interfaces into cohesive demonstration environments.
• Define APIs, data models, messaging approaches, and hardware abstraction interfaces.
• Develop simulation, playback, and hardware-in-the-loop capabilities to support repeatable demonstrations.
• Guide the transition of successful prototypes into maintainable, production-oriented software.

Technical Demonstrations & Customer Engagement

• Own demonstration planning, including use cases, scenarios, success criteria, dependencies, and execution plans.
• Translate complex technical capabilities into clear, mission-relevant demonstrations for technical and nontechnical audiences.
• Build demonstration scripts, visualizations, dashboards, and supporting technical presentations.
• Lead rehearsals, assess readiness, establish fallback approaches, and troubleshoot issues during execution.
• Present architecture, system behavior, performance results, and design tradeoffs to customers and program stakeholders.
• Clearly distinguish demonstrated functionality from simulated, planned, or prototype capabilities.
• Capture stakeholder feedback and translate it into architectural improvements and development priorities.

Verification & Technical Readiness

• Define verification approaches that connect demonstration outcomes to system requirements and performance objectives.
• Establish automated checks, integration tests, and repeatable software builds for demonstration baselines.
• Analyze logs and performance data to identify bottlenecks, integration issues, and capability gaps.
• Maintain configuration control of software, datasets, interfaces, and demonstration environments.
• Document results, limitations, technical risks, and recommended next steps.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related technical discipline, or equivalent relevant experience.
• 7-10 years of software engineering experience, including responsibility for software architecture or technical leadership.
• Demonstrated experience taking software from concept through prototype, integration, and stakeholder demonstration.
• Strong programming proficiency in C++, Python, or other languages relevant to the program.
• Experience designing modular software systems, defining interfaces, and integrating complex components.
• Experience with real-time or near-real-time applications, distributed systems, or hardware-integrated software.
• Proficiency with version control, automated testing, continuous integration, and software debugging.
• Ability to communicate architectural decisions, technical risks, and performance tradeoffs clearly.
• Experience leading technical demonstrations, design reviews, or customer-facing engineering presentations.
• Ability to meet government clearance and program-access requirements.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience developing software for EW, radar, RF sensing, communications, or related mission systems.
• Familiarity with signal-processing workflows, sensor data, emitter characterization, or electronic attack and protection concepts.
• Experience with software-defined radios, RF instrumentation, threat simulation, or recorded-data playback.
• Familiarity with open architectures, modular mission systems, and standards applicable to the program.
• Experience deploying software on Linux, embedded computing platforms, or accelerated processing environments.
• Experience developing operator interfaces, real-time visualizations, or mission-data displays.
• Experience supporting customer evaluations, field demonstrations, technical exchanges, or proposal activities.
• Matlab/Labview experience is a plus.
• Active government issued clearance is a plus.