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RF/Firmware Engineer

San Diego

ABOUT US

At RADAR, we're transforming the way the world thinks about physical retail. RADAR has raised over $104M from top investors, retailers, and strategics and works with some of the world's retail brands including American Eagle and Gap. We’re building the future of in-store experience where every product and every person can be precisely located in real time.

Our platform combines RFID and AI to unlock hyper-accurate product visibility and automation at scale. From real-time inventory tracking to seamless checkout experiences, our technology empowers some of the world’s largest retailers to streamline operations, reduce loss, and elevate both employee and customer experiences.

We’re a fast-growing, mission-driven startup where bold ideas, collaboration, and impact are at the core of everything we do. Join us as we reshape the physical world with digital precision, starting with retail and expanding far beyond!

OUR VALUES

Mission-Driven: We're transforming retail with cutting-edge technology and building something that truly matters.

Collaborative Team: We thrive on curiosity, shared goals, and solving complex problems together.

High Impact: You’ll make meaningful contributions from day one and help shape the future of our product and company.

Clear Communication: We value honesty, humility, and respectful dialogue—everyone’s voice matters.

Balanced Lives: We work hard, but not at the expense of well-being. We respect time, boundaries, and life outside of work.

Diverse Perspectives: We believe better ideas come from diverse backgrounds, experiences, and viewpoints.

Empathy-Driven Design: We build with deep respect for our end users, listening closely to their feedback and needs.

ABOUT THE JOB

RADAR is looking for a high energy individual who can work cross-functionally to bring new radio designs to life.   In this role, you will implement FPGA firmware and embedded software on new digital and RF architectures for RADAR’s next generation RFID sensor.  You will help guide the development of the RFID radio prototyping platform hardware, quickly adapt existing FPGA and software designs to integrate with new devices, and optimize the performance of the RFID radio.  Collaboration with engineers in the hardware, FPGA, systems, and software teams will be integral to the role.  You will also interact with device vendors to assess their offerings and work with their field application engineers to bring up their devices in our labs. 

This is a hybrid position with the expectation of going into the office 2-3 times a week. However, there will be periods where you will need to be in the lab daily working with the hardware. 

Responsibilities:

  • Own all aspects of the RFID radio prototyping platform
  • Review radio hardware designs and schematics
  • Modify existing FPGA designs and integrate 3rd party BSPs to adapt to new RF interfaces
  • Integrate new Linux device drivers for controlling RF transceivers and other peripherals
  • Evaluate new algorithms for RF cancellation
  • Test the integrated system in the lab and optimize performance of the RFID radio

ABOUT YOU

Required:

  • You have 5+ years of experience working in software defined radio hardware or software development
  • You have a BS in Electrical Engineering or other relevant fields
  • You are a proactive problem solver, seeking out solutions even when the problem is outside your area of expertise
  • You have strong verbal and written communication skills
  • You have experience in RTL designs with VHDL and/or Verilog
  • You have experience with FPGA development/simulation tools such as Vivado, Quartus, and ModelSim
  • You have experience in C/C++ development for embedded systems
  • You are familiar with Linux device trees and can integrate a new device driver
  • You understand RF system architecture and key concepts such as gain, noise figure, and linearity
  • You are proficient using lab test equipment such as a spectrum analyzer, signal generator, oscilloscope, and network analyzer

Preferred:

  • You have worked on a commercial product that was successfully launched to production
  • You have designed a digital or mixed-signal board
  • You have experience with FPGA multi-gigabit transceiver interfaces, preferably JESD204
  • You are familiar with Yocto and have built an embedded Linux distribution with it
  • You have worked on products using FPGA SoCs from AMD or Altera
  • You have an understanding of signal processing (wireless systems preferred)
  • You have experience with Python scripting for data analysis

WHAT YOU'LL DO

In your first 30 days, you will:

  • Learn Radar’s mission, technology stack and core values.
  • Complete onboarding and security compliance training.
  • Review and provide feedback on the RFID radio prototyping platform design

In your first 60 days, you will:

  • Learn to build the existing sensor FPGA and embedded software
  • Learn how to measure the key performance metrics of the existing RADAR RFID sensor
  • Refactor the existing RF interface FPGA code to allow easier adaptation to other RF interfaces

In your first 90 days, you will:

  • Integrate 3rd party FPGA code for interfacing with an RF transceiver
  • Modify the sensor Linux code to integrate the device driver for an RF transceiver
  • Adapt existing RF cancellation algorithms to work on a new RF transceiver

At RADAR, your base pay is one part of your total compensation package. The expected base salary range for this position is $130,000 - $200,000. Individual pay is determined by work location and additional factors,  including job-related skills, experience and relevant education or training.You will also be eligible to receive other benefits including: equity, comprehensive medical and dental coverage, life and disability benefits, 401k plan,  flexible time off, and paid parental leave. The pay range listed for this position is a good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible base compensation at the time of posting. 

Research has shown that women & underrepresented minorities are more likely to read lists of requirements and consider themselves unqualified if they don't meet every single one. This list represents what we're ideally looking for, but everyone has unique strengths & weaknesses, and we hire for strength & potential, not lack of weakness.

Use of artificial intelligence or a LLM such as ChatGPT during the interview process will be grounds for rejection of your application process.

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