Principal RF Protocols Engineer

Work with cutting edge AI technology, making the world a safer and more secure place. DroneShield (ASX:DRO) offers an opportunity to solve some of world’s most challenging technical problems in the rapidly growing counter‑drone sector. Our customers are militaries, government agencies, airports, critical infrastructure, law enforcement and many others.

With one of the largest listed defence company market capitalisations in Australia, part of the ASX200 index, and having raised approximately $250m in 2024 alone, DroneShield is undergoing a hyper‑growth stage, fuelled by rapidly increasing use of drones for nefarious applications, from battlefield to terrorism, to contraband delivery and commercial espionage.

This role will be based within a new DroneShield facility located in the Adelaide CBD. DroneShield has approximately 300 staff based within its Sydney headquarters and is scheduled to grow to 400 staff in Australia by the end of 2026. Overseas on‐the‑ground presence includes Virginia (USA), Denmark, Germany and Dubai, as well as distributors in over 70 countries globally.

About the role

DroneShield is seeking a Principal Radio‑Frequency (RF) Protocols Engineer with relevant experience to join the team in Adelaide, South Australia.

The position will report to the Director of Engineering, Sensors and Effectors.

This challenging role will have you working on production algorithms and features used in the EW space with a focus on driving both new and current capabilities forward with modern design practices.

Responsibilities, Duties and Expectations

- Architecting and driving the design and development of jamming systems for countering unmanned aerial systems (UAS).
- Working closely with the product development team to integrate jamming technology into portable, vehicle‑mounted, and stationary anti‑drone systems.
- Adapting to the evolving landscape of drone technology and counter‑drone measures to ensure that jamming systems remain effective against new threats.
- Optimising RF system performance by analysing and resolving interference issues, and improving signal quality, to increase range and reliability.
- Performing field tests of jammer systems to validate their effectiveness in real‑world scenarios and environments.
- Collaborating with cross‑functional teams, including hardware engineers, software engineers, and project managers, to ensure that RF design considerations are integrated into the overall system design from the outset.
- Staying up‑to‑date with the latest RF technologies and industry trends to ensure that designs are innovative and competitive.
- Reading and interpreting technical specifications that describe communications protocols.

Qualifications, Experience and Skills

- Bachelor (or higher) degree in Electronic Engineering, Computer Science, or a similar technical field of study or equivalent practical experience.
- 10+ years of experience in RF, communication protocols, and digital signal processing, preferably in the context of counter‑UAS or electronic warfare systems. Demonstrable in‑depth hobbyist experience also considered.
- The following attributes would be essential:
- Strong understanding of practical RF systems, including modulation, demodulation, and signal propagation.
- Extensive knowledge of RF communication protocols and modulation schemes such as Wi‑Fi, LTE, 4G, 5G, FHSS, FSK, PSK, QAM, etc.
- Knowledge of multi‑antenna techniques and procedures such as MIMO, beamforming, etc.
- Knowledge of positioning and ranging based services and solutions.
- Knowledge of Digital Signal Processing (DSP) fundamentals and applications.
- Experience with RF test equipment, including spectrum analyzers, signal generators, VNAs, oscilloscopes, etc.
- The following attributes would be highly desirable:
- Knowledge of electronic warfare (EW) systems and counter‑UAS technologies.
- Knowledge of machine learning concepts and how they are applied to solve problems in RF sensing.
- Programming experience in Python, MATLAB, C++, or similar languages for signal processing and analysis.

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