Wireless Netwrok Protocol Engineer

About the Role We are building a next-generation

SDR-based wireless mesh network

for real-time

voice, video, and data

in challenging environments. Our stack includes a custom

PHY ,

frequency hopping , and

multi-hop MANET routing .

We’re looking for a

Wireless Network Protocol Engineer

who can bridge the gap between

radio hardware (SDR)

and

Linux networking , designing robust MAC / link-layer protocols and integrating them with

mesh routing (e.g., batman-adv) .

If you enjoy making packets survive over noisy RF links, tuning protocols at MAC level, and working close to the metal, this role is for you.

Key Responsibilities

Design & implement the radio MAC / link layer

on top of our existing PHY :

Frame structure, sequence numbers, ARQ / retransmissions

Fragmentation / reassembly for larger packets

Basic QoS for voice, video, and file / data traffic

Integrate the radio with Linux networking :

Expose the radio as a

Linux network interface (netdev)

(e.g., sdr0)

Make it work seamlessly with

batman-adv

or similar mesh / MANET protocols

Support standard IP networking over the mesh

Work with frequency hopping and scheduling :

Implement time-slot based transmission and

frequency hopping patterns

Design a link-layer scheduler that respects QoS and slot timing

Performance & reliability :

Measure and optimise

throughput, latency, and packet loss

over multi-hop links

Tune parameters (MTU, retries, timers, CW, etc.) based on real-world tests

Collaboration :

Work closely with the

hardware / SDR / FPGA team

on timing, RF tuning, and integration

Coordinate with

application / AI / backend teams

to understand traffic patterns and QoS needs

Documentation & testing :

Write clear documentation for protocols, APIs, and configuration

Develop test plans, simulation setups, and on-device tests for various topologies

Must-Have Qualifications

Strong proficiency in

for systems / embedded programming

Solid understanding of

computer networking fundamentals :

Ethernet, ARP, IP, UDP / TCP

L2 vs L3, routing vs bridging, MTU, fragmentation

Hands-on experience with

wireless protocols at MAC / driver level , for example :

Wi-Fi (802.11), 802.11s mesh, Wi-SUN, LoRa / LoRaWAN, 6LoWPAN, ZigBee, or similar

Experience with

Linux networking :

Working with network interfaces, routing, bridging

Using tools like ip, tcpdump, wireshark, tc, etc.

Exposure to at least one of :

Mesh / ad hoc networking

(batman-adv, OLSR, Babel, 802.11s, OpenWrt)

Software Defined Radio (SDR)

(USRP, GNU Radio, LimeSDR, etc.)

Nice-to-Have Skills

Experience writing or modifying

Linux network drivers

(netdev) :

Familiarity with ndo_start_xmit, netif_rx, SKBs, and kernel networking APIs

Knowledge of

OFDM / COFDM , SNR, link budgets, and RF basics

Experience with

frequency hopping

and time-synchronised TDMA or similar schemes

Familiarity with

OpenWrt

or embedded Linux systems

Experience with

network security / crypto , such as :

WireGuard, IPsec, TLS, or custom link-layer encryption

Prior work on

MANET research

(ns-3 simulations, academic projects, theses, etc.)

What We’re Looking For (Mindset)

You like working

close to the hardware , not just at the application layer

You’re comfortable debugging with

tcpdump, Wireshark, logic analyzers, and RF tools

You enjoy reading specs, protocol RFCs, and digging into kernel code when needed

You can take a high-level “we need voice + video over a mesh in bad RF conditions” requirement and turn it into a concrete protocol and implementation plan