Mechatronic Engineer

Our systems listen, so others can be forearmed.

We are hiring a Mechatronic Engineer as we embark on the next critical phase of our Acoustic Detection product roadmap.

Arcani takes its name from the Arcani of Roman Britain - elite scouts known for their agility, intel and mobility. Today, we’re building the modern equivalent - sensor scouts designed to detect and protect, giving defenders the edge.

We’re hiring across multiple roles to handle high-demand from global defence primes, and nation state militaries from all over NATO. If you want to join a fast-moving startup and help shape the future of threat detection, we’d love to hear from you.

Type: Full-time

Security: Must be eligible to work with defence customers and sensitive projects

About Arcani

Arcani is building next-generation passive sensing systems for modern defence environments. Our flagship platform, HARK (Hostile Acoustic Recognition Kit), is a low-cost, omnidirectional acoustic drone detection system designed to detect and classify drones in contested environments, including RF-silent and autonomous threats.

Arcani is currently working alongside defence partners, NATO programmes, and operational end users across the globe.

Role Overview

You will own and contribute to the design, integration, testing, and iteration of ruggedised sensing hardware systems deployed in real-world operational environments.

This is not a purely theoretical engineering role — we are looking for someone comfortable rapidly prototyping, debugging in the field, integrating electronics into deployed systems, and solving difficult real-world engineering problems under tight timelines.

You will work closely with software, ML, acoustics, and deployment teams to develop next-generation sensing hardware for defence applications.

Responsibilities

Hardware Design & Integration

• Design and prototype electronic systems for acoustic sensing platforms
• Develop and integrate:
  • Embedded compute systems (Jetson, Raspberry Pi, ARM platforms)
  • Power systems and battery integrations
  • Sensor interfaces and communication buses
  • RF and networking hardware
• Design rugged field-ready enclosures and mounting solutions
• Support thermal management, waterproofing, vibration resistance, and environmental hardening
• Work with microphones, antenna systems, GNSS modules, and edge AI hardware

Prototyping & Testing

• Rapidly prototype new hardware concepts
• Perform bench testing and field validation
• Diagnose hardware, power, EMI, grounding, and integration issues
• Support operational deployments and defence trials
• Build and maintain test rigs and evaluation systems

Production & Manufacturing

• Assist with transition from prototype to scalable manufacture
• Work with suppliers and manufacturing partners
• Create BOMs, assembly instructions, and hardware documentation
• Support DFM (Design for Manufacture) improvements
• Evaluate cost reductions and alternative components
• Work closely with:
  • Acoustic engineers
  • Embedded software developers
  • Defence integration partners
• Support integrations into:
  • CoT systems
  • Vehicle platforms (UGV)
  • External command-and-control systems

Required Skills

• Strong practical electronics engineering experience
• CAD / CAM
• Experience with embedded systems and edge compute platforms
• Understanding of:
  • Power systems
  • DC/DC conversion
  • Battery integration
  • Signal integrity
  • EMI/EMC considerations
• Experience bringing hardware from prototype to deployed product
• Power analysers
• Hands-on mechanical integration experience
• Comfortable working in a fast-moving startup environment
• Defence, aerospace, robotics, or autonomous systems experience
• PCB design experience (KiCad, Altium, or similar)
• Experience with:
  • NVIDIA Jetson platforms
  • Audio/acoustic hardware
  • RF systems
  • GNSS/RTK systems
  • Mesh networking
  • Low-power field systems
• Familiarity with Linux-based embedded systems
• Experience with ruggedisation and environmental testing
• Experience with military or NATO interoperability standards

What We’re Looking For

• Builder mentality
• Highly practical engineer
• Comfortable operating with ambiguity
• Fast learner
• Strong ownership mentality
• Excited by defence technology and real-world deployment
• Willing to travel occasionally for trials, testing, and exercises

Nice-to-Have Experience

• Autonomous systems
• Drone technologies
• Acoustic sensing
• C-UAS systems
• AI hardware acceleration
• Field deployments in harsh environments
• Injection moulding or production manufacturing

What You’ll Work On

• Tactical networking integrations
• Rugged deployable sensing systems
• Vehicle-mounted and portable defence hardware

Compensation

• Competitive salary (reviewed every 6 months)
• Bonus based on milestones
• Opportunity to work on cutting-edge defence technology with real-world operational impact

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