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 operate in some of the most challenging and high-stakes environments in the world, including military organisations, government agencies, airports, critical infrastructure operators, and law enforcement. Protecting airspace in these settings requires technology that performs under pressure and teams that understand what’s at stake. At DroneShield, employees work at the leading edge of counter-drone innovation, helping to address real-world security challenges as drone threats continue to evolve globally.
With one of the largest listed defence company market capitalisations in Australia, now part of the ASX200 index, DroneShield is experiencing a period of hypergrowth. Revenue has surged from A$57 million in 2024 to over A$217 million in 2025, representing record profitability and cashflow. The total addressable global market for counter-drone is assessed at approximately $100 billion, and is currently at the nascent stage with much of the growth still to come, with DroneShield well positioned as a global market leader, and the only public listed pure-play business in this sector.
The company has grown from 11 employees in 2017 to over 450 staff globally today, and is on track to reach around 550 by the end of 2026. This expansion includes investment of over A$50 million annually in R&D, a global pipeline exceeding A$2.5 billion, and continuous scaling of production capacity to meet accelerating demand.
The role is based at DroneShield’s central Sydney headquarters. Overseas on-the-ground presence includes Virginia (USA), Netherlands, Denmark, Mexico and Dubai, as well as distributors in over 70 countries worldwide.
About the role
DroneShield is seeking an experienced FPGA & DSP Team Lead to lead the FPGA & DSP Engineering team in Sydney, Australia. Reporting to the Hardware Manager, Embedded Systems, this role combines technical leadership with hands-on engineering responsibilities.
The primary focus of the position is the development and advancement of RF Detection and Defeat products using Software-Defined Radios (SDRs), FPGAs, and advanced signal processing technologies.
Responsibilities, Duties and Expectations
Technical Leadership
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Lead and support a team of FPGA and DSP engineers developing electronic warfare products using Agile development methodologies and best-practice project management techniques
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Assign and prioritise work across the team, balancing technical trade-offs and business objectives
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Maintain project plans, resource forecasts, and workforce planning activities, including quarterly planning sessions
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Provide regular updates to management on team progress, risks, dependencies, and project status
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Collaborate with other engineering leaders to establish consistent processes, tools, and ways of working aligned with industry best practice
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Conduct regular one-on-one meetings, performance and development discussions, and support professional growth through training and development opportunities
Technical Contribution
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Design and implement RF solutions, FPGA applications, ARM-based embedded systems, digital signal processing algorithms, and machine learning implementations
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Research, design, and develop complex multi-FPGA architectures for high-bandwidth, low-latency embedded systems
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Design and implement embedded MPSoC platforms supporting real-time wide-bandwidth (>1 GHz) RF digital signal processing applications
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Enhance the performance, accuracy, reliability, maintainability, and scalability of DroneShield's core technologies
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Develop and improve automated verification and validation (V&V) frameworks that support Agile and CI/CD development practices
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Develop and maintain reliable automated build and deployment systems
Qualifications, Experience and Skills
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Bachelor's degree in Electronic Engineering or a related technical discipline, or equivalent practical experience
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Demonstrated experience working effectively within engineering teams and providing technical leadership
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Strong experience developing, debugging, and verifying FPGA designs using Verilog, VHDL, or SystemVerilog
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Experience with FPGA development environments such as Vivado (preferred), Quartus, Vitis, or equivalent tools.
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Experience designing high-throughput, low-latency, fully pipelined FPGA architectures
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Experience developing and implementing automated verification and validation frameworks
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Experience writing C/C++ firmware for FPGA-based systems, with proficiency in Python or other scripting languages preferred
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Experience working in Linux-based development environments
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Experience interpreting PCB schematics, performing board bring-up activities, and debugging hardware issues.
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Understanding of RF systems, RF transmission protocols, and related engineering principles
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Strong knowledge of digital signal processing concepts and implementation techniques
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Exposure to, or practical experience with, machine learning concepts and FPGA-based implementation
Note for recruitment agencies: We do not accept unsolicited candidates from external recruiters unless specifically instructed.
