From Distributed Spectrum's posting. “We” and “our” refer to the employer.
DS creates systems that power the next generation of radio spectrum intelligence. We collect radio data from all over the world, train neural networks to decipher it, and run them on the smallest chips we can. We’re solving a new, technically hard problem where nothing from other fields works out of the box, and along the way, we’ve built our own stack from scratch, including entirely new embedding model architectures, custom GPU kernels, and much more.
Joining DS means owning major parts of a fast-growing AI research organization, joining a collaborative, talent-dense team with decades of experience in probabilistic ML, accelerated computing, embedded systems, and signal theory, and growing your career in the areas that interest you. You’ll fit in if you want to come to work for the problem itself and don’t want to choose between technical rigor, business value, and real-world impact.
We work with high ownership and trust.
The Role
We’re hiring someone who brings clear thinking and relentless follow-through to critical work happening across the company.
You'll report directly to the COO and work across engineering, research, product, and growth. Your job is to make sure that everyone working on an effort understands what success looks like, that there's a concrete plan to get there, and that the work happening today still supports that plan. You'll keep asking whether those things are true as new information comes in.
This is a hands-on individual contributor role for someone who wants real responsibility early. You'll help turn technical work into capabilities people can use, work directly from founders and senior leaders, and take on more as you earn trust. If you want to build a company yourself someday, this is a chance to learn by helping build one.
What You'll Do
Make success explicit.
Help founders and project owners agree on concrete, written success criteria. Check that everyone means the same thing by progress and readiness.
Get to the substance.
Read plans and results, talk to the people doing the work, and assess progress for yourself.
Stay ahead of dependencies and drift.
Track owners, handoffs, and work needed now for milestones months away. When plans shift, make sure everyone understands what happens next.
Turn uncertainty into decisions.
Resolve routine coordination gaps. Bring leaders the evidence, tradeoffs, and decisions that need their judgment, while keeping technical and growth decisions with their owners.
Keep the shared picture accurate.
Keep project records current, conversations focused, and decisions documented. Follow through on commitments and keep coordination overhead low.
Close the loop on evidence.
Get test results and field observations to the right people. Check their implications for upcoming milestones and agreed success criteria.
Who You Are
You think clearly.
Break messy problems into their important parts, separate facts from assumptions, and identify what to find out next.
You create clarity.
Distill conflicting explanations into a concise account of what's happening, what's uncertain, and what needs attention.
You're technically curious and learn quickly.
Follow technical conversations, ask basic questions freely, and learn what you're missing until you understand the answer.
You earn trust through useful work.
Understand people's constraints, spot gaps, and help them move forward. Follow up at every level and do the unglamorous work.
You're fluent with AI tools.
Use tools like Claude to learn, synthesize information, and automate repetitive work. Verify the output and own its accuracy.
Your background could be engineering, consulting, investing, program management, military leadership, or operations at another startup. You may be only a year or two into your career. What matters is a pattern of taking on hard problems, doing unusually good work, and earning responsibility quickly.
What Success looks like at Distributed Spectrum
Intellectual honesty.
Question what doesn't make sense, including with your boss. Say "I was wrong" and change your mind when the evidence changes.
High standards, low ego.
Care about getting to a sound answer together. Stay level-headed under pressure and disagreement.
Ownership.
Notice what needs doing, act, and follow through. Raise uncomfortable news early.
Ambition and curiosity.
Seek hard problems, learn from those around you, and take on increasing responsibility.
Who Thrives at Distributed Spectrum
Fast learners over specific backgrounds
– We care more about how quickly you can pick up new skills than where you’ve worked before.
Intellectual honesty
– The right answer matters more than being right. You challenge assumptions, test ideas, and pivot when needed.
Adaptability
– We’re organized, but sometimes things change quickly. You find a way to make it work and balance short-term deliverables with long-term goals.
Ownership of outcomes
– You optimize your own time, focus on what matters to deliver quickly, and cut out inefficiencies.
Not building in a vacuum
– You stay connected to the rest of our teams and our customers to make sure all the pieces fit together.
What We Offer
Above-market salary, equity, and benefits package.
Early Series A Equity
Excellent health, dental, and vision coverage
401(k) match - up to 4% of your salary
Flexible PTO
Daily office lunches in NYC
ITAR Requirements
To conform to U.S. Government technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITAR here.
About this listing
LAYIQ is an independent job-discovery service. This listing does not imply a partnership with or endorsement by the employer. Review the original posting for current details and availability.
