Electronic Warfare 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.

This year we’ve done 8-figure revenue, tripled our headcount, and raised a $25M Series A led by Sarah Guo (Conviction), Akhil Iyer (Shield Capital), and Nat Friedman (NFDG). We’re using it to invest in new research and to grow our small, New York-based team across engineering, research, and product.

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.

We’re hiring an Electronic Warfare (EW) Engineer to drive the development of advanced tactical EW capabilities across our sensing platforms. Your work will range from signal processing algorithm design to EW System Architecture, helping us expand our ability to characterize complex RF environments and build capabilities to conduct effects in the electromagnetic spectrum. Whether you’re building out modeling and simulation tools or designing novel algorithms pairing machine learning analysis with classical signal processing, you’ll have a central role in identifying and defeating emerging threats.

What You'll Do

• Develop and refine EW capabilities—from designing signal identification platforms deployed onto networks of hundreds of sensors to building automated electronic attack systems.

• Work on radar-focused projects, including wideband waveform characterization and system-level design to transmit, capture, and analyze signals.

• Collaborate with our signal processing, hardware, and machine learning teams to design, test, and optimize algorithms for real-world environments.

• Contribute to modeling and simulation frameworks, ensuring we can rapidly prototype and validate new EW techniques.

• Investigate how to extend our systems into more advanced applications to face emerging threats in the electromagnetic spectrum.

• Grow fast with real opportunities – We’ll keep expanding your scope and giving you bigger challenges to help you reach your goals. If you don’t know exactly what role you want to grow into, you’ll have the freedom to take on different responsibilities and find the right path.

Who We're Looking For

• Hands-on EW experience, either as an operator or an engineer.

• Deep understanding of signal processing and RF systems—able to apply theory to practical challenges.

• Familiarity with common electromagnetic modeling and simulation tools and experience validating system performance through real-world testing campaigns

• Comfort in building new capabilities—you’ll own projects from initial concept to fully deployed solutions

• A passion for pushing the boundaries of electronic warfare—constantly looking for better ways to detect, defeat, and protect against threats.

Who Thrives at Distributed Spectrum

• 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.

What We Offer

• 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.