Senior Mesh Network and MAC Engineer

About the role

Stark is a defence technology company focused on developing autonomous platforms and unmanned systems for NATO forces. As a Senior Mesh Network and MAC Engineer, you will design and implement medium access control and routing layers for directional wireless communication in dynamic, tactical environments. You will bridge the gap between theoretical signal processing and real-world hardware execution to ensure robust, self-healing network performance.

Responsibilities

• Architect and implement MAC protocols and routing algorithms tailored for directional multi-node systems, directly tackling the challenge of neighbour discovery under highly focused, narrow beams.
• Build dynamic TDMA schedules and beam coordination mechanisms in lockstep with the physical layer (PHY) and antenna steering systems, ensuring routing decisions are grounded in real-time RF characteristics rather than simple hop counts.
• Deliver resilient multi-hop relay capabilities that sustain high-bandwidth video and control links between mobile platforms over tactical distances, routing back seamlessly to ground control stations under dynamic conditions.
• Build and maintain multi-node Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) testbeds alongside automated logging pipelines to quantitatively evaluate and verify network join times and topology reform behaviours.

Required skills

• Mesh networking
• Linux networking
• Kernel development
• Packet level debugging
• TDMA
• MAC protocols
• Routing algorithms
• Embedded systems

Nice to have

• batman-adv
• olsrd
• Babel
• mmWave backhaul
• Beamforming

Qualifications

• Successfully designed and shipped mesh networking protocols in commercial or defence products
• Deep, practical familiarity with the Linux networking stack at the kernel and packet levels
• Strong understanding of wireless propagation and physical layer realities
• Hands-on experience designing medium-access control schemes or TDMA schedulers

About the Company

STARK is a defence technology company redefining the engineering and deployment of autonomous platforms. Their core mission is to deliver fully operational unmanned systems, integrating critical subsystems like Electronic Warfare for NATO forces.