Tech Lead Manager (Platform)

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.

The Role

We are hiring a Tech Lead Manager (Platform) to lead our platform engineering function that builds shared services, tooling, and foundations that directly shape customer experience. This is a staff-level role that blends deep systems expertise with hands-on technical leadership and people management.

Our product operates where embedded systems, machine learning, and hardware meet the real world. In this environment, decisions about memory usage, networking, system behavior, and offline operation surface directly in the user experience. There is no clean separation between “platform” and “product”; the foundations and services we build directly shape the product experience.

That reality shapes how we think about leadership. We believe the best user experiences are built by leaders who deeply understand the systems behind them.

In this role, you will be a systems-oriented engineer who chooses to lead. You will own the systems, services, and tooling that enable everything downstream of sensor processing while guiding the team responsible for the full-stack experiences our customers interact with across web and Android.

What You’ll Own

You will be accountable for the systems and services that enable everything downstream of sensor processing, including:

• The architecture and evolution of our platform in constrained, real-world environments

• Systems design that performs reliably without cloud or internet dependencies

• The technical foundations that power customer-facing experiences across web and Android

• Large, ambiguous initiatives tied to annual company goals and outcomes

• Engineering practices that raise the bar for quality, reliability, and execution

This role is about owning the shared foundations that connect system constraints to customer experience.

How You’ll Lead

This is an engineer-first, people leader-second role.

You will:

• Stay deeply involved in system design and technical decision-making

• Lead a small team of engineers building across the stack

• Coach and develop engineers while remaining a strong technical reference point

• Hire and interview engineers as the team grows

• Own company goals and drive execution through ambiguity

What Success Looks Like

Over time, success in this role looks like:

• A platform that enables faster prototyping and clearer customer feedback

• Systems that behave predictably under real-world constraints

• Engineers who are growing in technical judgment and ownership

• Technical decisions that scale across the organization, not just the team

About You

You are someone who:

• Thinks in systems, not just frameworks

• Understands how operating systems, memory, and networks affect real software behavior

• Believes great user experiences start with strong technical foundations

• Is comfortable leading through technical and typical start up ambiguity

• Wants to stay hands-on while growing engineers and influencing the broader org

Technical Background

You’ve worked meaningfully with:

• C++ (or similar systems languages such as Rust)

• Python

• React (exposure helpful, but not required)

• Linux-based systems

• Networking fundamentals (DNS, DHCP, interfaces, data flow, queues)

• Build systems, packaging, deployment, and CI/CD practices

You understand:

• User interface systems that live on top of systems software (frontend architectures, design systems, cloud microservices, etc.)

• How systems fail under memory or networking pressure

• How to design software that cannot assume constant connectivity

This Role Is Likely Not for You If…

• You prefer cloud-native platforms built around distributed microservices

• You want to move fully away from hands-on technical work

• You are a front-end-only leader without interest in systems or platform design

• You prefer narrowly scoped ownership over end-to-end responsibility

• You are uncomfortable leading in environments where the problem is still being defined

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.