Senior Software Engineer / RF Systems

Quartermaster AI; Virginia (MN); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Quartermaster AI is building a maritime intelligence platform with edge-to-cloud software powering RF sensing on vessels worldwide. We seek a Senior Software Engineer to own end-to-end software from embedded mast units to cloud services, collaborating across RF, FPGA, and hardware teams.

You will ship high-performance, hardware-aware code, optimize data paths for IQ data and detections, and work with customers to refine requirements while growing in a small, senior team with field impact.

Qualifications

• 4+ years of professional software development experience and a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field.
• Strong coding and debugging skills in C, C++, or Rust; production Rust experience preferred.
• Systems-level development on resource-constrained, embedded Linux platforms with hardware interfaces (device drivers, memory-mapped I/O, DMA).
• Proficiency with IP networking, including custom TCP/UDP protocols.
• Experience building and operating large-scale, distributed data processing pipelines in the cloud (AWS) and familiarity with IaC tooling.
• 2+ years working with RF, SDR, or wireless software; familiarity with GNU Radio, UHD/USRP, libiio, VITA 49, SigMF is a plus.
• Security clearance in the US or eligibility/willingness to obtain one.
• Bonus: FPGA-based SoCs exposure; DSP or GNSS timing experience; defense/maritime/government project background.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, and maintain high-performance software across edge devices and the cloud.
• Architect hardware-aware software interfacing with SDR hardware, FPGA fabric, and embedded Linux.
• Develop streaming data paths for IQ samples, detections, and metadata end-to-end.
• Build and operate large-scale cloud data processing pipelines for real-time insights.
• Collaborate with customers to translate operational needs into technical solutions.
• Turn algorithms prototyped in Python/GNURadio into production-grade implementations.
• Own provisioning, configuration, and release tooling for remote unit updates and monitoring.
• Establish automated testing, CI/CD, and robust documentation; support field deployments.

Skills

C/C++/Rust

Embedded Linux

Networking (TCP/UDP)

AWS / Cloud

RF/SDR knowledge

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS/Engineering

Tools

GNU Radio

UHD/USRP

libiio

VITA 49

SigMF

Job description

About Us

Quartermaster is building the world's most comprehensive maritime intelligence platform. Our SmartMast™ system transforms commercial and civilian vessels into a persistent, distributed sensing network—combining HD video, AI, radar, RF sensing, and AIS to deliver real-time maritime domain awareness at global scale. With 600+ sensors deployed across 25+ countries and more than 400,000 vessels identified outside of AIS, we are setting a new standard for what ocean surveillance and safety can look like. We are a mission-driven, high-velocity team building dual-use technology for defense agencies, coast guards, and commercial maritime operators.

Job Description

We are looking for a Senior Software Engineer to help build the software backbone of Quartermaster's RF sensing platform—the edge applications, distributed data pipelines, and cloud services that turn raw spectrum captured on vessels around the world into actionable maritime intelligence. You will work alongside RF, FPGA, and hardware engineers to take signal processing from the lab bench to a deployed fleet: writing high-performance, hardware-aware code that runs on compute-constrained embedded Linux at the mast, moving timestamped IQ data and detections reliably from ship to cloud, and processing that data at scale as our sensor network grows into the thousands.

This role sits at the intersection of systems software, cloud data processing, and RF. You do not need to be an RF engineer, but you should have worked with or alongside RF or SDR software and understand the constraints that come with it—sample rates, timing, throughput, and hardware that lives in harsh, remote environments. You will own components end-to-end, work directly with customers to shape requirements, operate with a high degree of independence, and collaborate closely with a small, senior team where every engineer's work is visible in the field.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, build, and maintain high-performance software in Rust, C, and/or C++ that runs across a distributed system spanning edge devices and the cloud.

• Architect optimized, hardware-aware software that interfaces with SDR hardware, FPGA fabric, and embedded Linux on compute-constrained SmartMast units.

• Develop reliable streaming data paths for IQ samples, detection events, and metadata—from hardware drivers and DMA buffers through packetization (e.g., VITA 49), custom TCP/UDP transport, on-device processing, and upload to the cloud.

• Build and operate large-scale cloud data processing pipelines that ingest, process, store, and serve high-bandwidth RF captures and telemetry from a globally distributed fleet to deliver real-time insights.

• Work directly with customers to understand operational needs, derive and refine requirements, and translate them into technical solutions.

• Partner with RF and DSP engineers to turn algorithms prototyped in Python or GNU Radio into production-grade, tested, and maintainable implementations.

• Own device provisioning, configuration, versioning, and release tooling that allows new units to be brought up, updated, and monitored remotely with confidence.

• Establish strong engineering practices across the stack: automated testing, hardware-in-the-loop validation, CI/CD, code review, design discussions, and clear documentation.

• Support field deployments and diagnose issues on live units, using logs, telemetry, and captured data to identify root causes and drive durable fixes.

Qualifications (Preferred)

• 4+ years of professional software development experience and a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field.

• Strong coding and debugging skills in compiled, native languages (C, C++, or Rust); production Rust experience is strongly preferred.

• Systems-level development on resource-constrained, embedded Linux platforms, including hardware-software interfaces (e.g., device drivers, memory-mapped I/O, DMA) and the computer architecture knowledge to write hardware-aware, performance-optimized code.

• Proficiency with IP networking, including implementing or debugging custom TCP/UDP protocols.

• Experience building and operating large-scale, distributed data processing pipelines in the cloud for high-volume or streaming data. Hands-on AWS experience (e.g., S3, IoT Core, Lambda, ECS, Kinesis) and familiarity with infrastructure-as-code tooling preferred.

• 2+ years working with or adjacent to RF, SDR, or wireless communications software. Familiarity with tools and standards such as GNU Radio, UHD/USRP, libiio, VITA 49, or SigMF is a plus.

• Demonstrated ability to independently decompose ambiguous, complex problems—including directly with customers—and carry them to deployment with minimal guidance.

• Active U.S. security clearance, or eligibility and willingness to obtain one.

• Bonus: Exposure to FPGA-based SoCs (e.g., Xilinx Zynq/MPSoC); background in digital signal processing (filtering, channelization, FFT-based analysis, CFAR detection) or GNSS timing and geolocation; prior experience on defense, maritime, or government programs.

Work Environment:

• Small, senior, cross-disciplinary team spanning RF, FPGA, hardware, and software.

• Start-up atmosphere with significant autonomy and ownership given to engineers.

• Hands‑on work with real hardware, with occasional travel to support testing and field deployments.

• In-office and flexible hours