9 Mothers ยท 1 day ago
Systems Engineer (Acoustic)
Austin, TX
Full-time
Onsite
Senior Level
$150K/yr - $250K/yr9 Mothers is a funded startup building autonomous machines for defense markets, and they are seeking a Senior Microphone Array Hardware Engineer to build the acoustic platform for their autonomous csUAS platforms. The role involves selecting microphones, designing enclosures, and solving synchronization challenges to deliver a robust real-time capture stack for harsh outdoor environments.
Defense & Space
No H1B
U.S. Citizen Only
Responsibilities
Architect the Array: Lead microphone selection (self-noise, dynamic range) and geometry tradeoffs (spacing vs. aliasing) while making critical mechanical decisions regarding wind protection and vibration isolation
Own Multichannel Acquisition: Manage clocking, sync, drift, and channel mapping to ensure "it never randomly breaks" reliability and strict latency budgets
Design Calibration: Develop rigorous procedures for phase/gain matching, timing offsets, and automated health tests to account for temperature and aging
Ship Baseline Pipelines: Implement dependable first-pass bearing/confidence outputs (e.g., GCC-PHAT, SRP-PHAT) with proper instrumentation
Build Field Tooling: Create infrastructure for logging, replay, and ground-truth procedures to enable rapid failure triage and regression testing
Product Integration: Deliver real-time modules with clear interfaces and diagnostics that integrate seamlessly with the broader autonomy stack
Qualification
Required
Proven track record of shipping real-time audio or timing-sensitive sensor systems into production or field deployments
Hands-on understanding of mic physics, including SNR, directivity, propagation/multipath, and how wind/handling noise appears in logs
Strong implementation skills in C++ or Rust, with Python for tooling and analysis
Experience with digital mic interfaces (I2S/TDM/PDM), multichannel ADCs, and PTP concepts on embedded Linux/Jetson platforms
This position requires access to export-controlled information under ITAR. Only U.S. persons are permitted to access such information
Must be willing to submit to a background check
Preferred
Prior defense startup experience
Security clearance or ability to obtain one
Passion for building robots or engineering projects as a hobby
Company
9 Mothers
Cost effective C-UAS. AI detection, tracking and defensive systems.
Founded in 2024
2-10 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Early StageCompany data provided by crunchbase