{"id":469539,"url":"https://alion.io/job/aerovironment-principal-rfdsp-engineer","title":"Principal RF/DSP Engineer","company":{"id":176366,"name":"AeroVironment","domain":"avinc.com","url":"https://alion.io/company/aerovironment","size_band":"1001-5000","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Workday","truth_index":{"grade":"B","score":81,"open_postings":34,"ghost_share":0,"stale_share":0.765,"repost_share":0,"time_to_fill_p50_days":36,"computed_at":"2026-11-15T07:52:55Z"}},"role":"Hardware","role_family":"Hardware","seniority":"lead","employment_type":"full_time","work_mode":"on_site","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["Leesburg, United States"],"countries":["US"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":{"min":153500,"max":234250,"currency":"USD","period":"year","gross":null,"usd_annual":234250},"salary_estimate":null,"experience_years_min":null,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[{"name":"C++","optional":false},{"name":"Git","optional":false},{"name":"Linux","optional":false},{"name":"Machine Learning","optional":true}],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-09-01T00:00:00Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-09-01","last_verified_at":"2026-11-15T19:54:22Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":75,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":75},"description":"Worker Type\nRegularJob Description\nAV is seeking a hands-on Principal RF/DSP Engineer to take on the hardest RF detection and classification problems in our Counter-UAS products.\nThe Principal RF/DSP Engineer will own our most difficult and least-documented RF targets end-to-end - signals where the first several hypotheses will be wrong, where documentation does not exist, and where the path from \"we recorded something\" to \"we can reliably detect and identify it\" must be invented, not followed. Given only a newly encountered drone/controller pair and complex-IQ recordings, this engineer will independently frame the problem, generate and rank hypotheses, design the experiment campaign, characterize the waveform, develop the algorithms, implement them in production C++, and validate performance against real-world RF data - without needing the approach handed to them.\nA major focus of this role is direction finding. Our line-of-bearing capability needs a strong technical owner, and this engineer will drive its improvement: antenna-array signal processing, bearing estimation, array calibration, and the practical realities of DF performance in the field - mutual coupling, multipath, platform effects, and coherent multichannel capture. Direction-finding experience is required for this position, not preferred.\nBeyond individual targets, this engineer will design and own reusable components within our signal-processing architecture - synchronization libraries, impairment-injection and synthetic-waveform frameworks, replay and validation harnesses - that raise the throughput of the entire team. They will serve as the day-to-day technical lead for other signal-processing engineers: reviewing analysis and code, de-risking approaches, and unblocking stalled investigations. They will inform the technical roadmap by identifying emerging target classes and recommending where the team invests next.\nThis is a hands-on, individual-contributor technical leadership role. The successful candidate will personally analyze signals, develop algorithms, write and debug production code, and lead laboratory and field validation campaigns. It is not primarily a project-management, vendor-management, or advisory position.\nPrior experience with every waveform or protocol we encounter is neither expected nor possible. We are looking for an engineer with exceptional fundamentals and a demonstrated record of taking undocumented wireless systems from first contact to fielded capability, largely on their own initiative.\nWhat you'll do:\nTake ownership of our most difficult unfamiliar RF targets with no prior framing: generate hypotheses, rank them, and design the experiment plan that discriminates between them.\nAnalyze wideband complex-IQ recordings from known and unfamiliar RF systems.\nCharacterize signal bandwidth, timing, modulation, synchronization, channel access, frequency-hopping behavior, framing, coding, and other observable properties.\nDesign controlled experiments that isolate transmitter behavior and reveal waveform or protocol structure, and decide when a line of investigation should be redirected or abandoned.\nDevelop algorithms for burst detection, synchronization, demodulation, signal characterization, protocol recovery, classification, and tracking.\nDesign, implement, and own reusable signal-processing components - synchronization libraries, synthetic-waveform and impairment-injection frameworks, replay fixtures, and validation harnesses - used across the team.\nOwn and improve line-of-bearing performance: develop and refine array signal-processing algorithms for bearing estimation (e.g., correlative interferometry, subspace methods such as MUSIC, beamforming), and quantify accuracy against ground truth.\nDiagnose and mitigate real-world DF error sources including array calibration drift, mutual coupling, channel phase/gain mismatch, multipath, platform and mast effects, and coherent-source conditions.\nDesign array calibration procedures and validate them in conducted, anechoic/open-range, and field settings.\nDistinguish target signals from noise, interference, receiver artifacts, and benign emitters in dense RF environments.\nImplement and optimize production DSP capabilities in modern C++.\nConvert exploratory analysis into maintainable, observable, and computationally bounded production components.\nValidate algorithms using synthetic, conducted, over-the-air, and field-recorded data, and lead field validation campaigns.\nMeasure detection probability, false-alarm rate, packet error rate, acquisition behavior, latency, and computational performance.\nDiagnose failures involving CFO, sample-clock error, timing recovery, multipath, clipping, IQ imbalance, spectral inversion, dropped samples, and interference.\nServe as day-to-day technical lead for other signal-processing engineers: review their analysis, experiment designs, and code; de-risk their approaches; and step into stalled efforts and get them moving.\nIdentify emerging target classes and systemic bottlenecks, and recommend technical investments to leadership.\nWork with RF, FPGA, embedded software, data science, test, and mission teams.\nDocument observations, assumptions, confidence levels, known limitations, and recommended next experiments.\nRequired Qualifications:\nBS or higher in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Applied Physics, or a related technical field.\nSubstantial professional experience developing RF, communications, radar, electronic-warfare, or related signal-processing systems.\nStrong DSP and digital-communications fundamentals, including several of the following: Sampling and aliasing; Digital downconversion; FIR/IIR and multirate filtering; FFT and time-frequency analysis; Matched filtering; Detection and estimation; Carrier, phase, symbol-timing, and frame synchronization; Modulation and demodulation; Channel coding and error detection.\nDemonstrated ability to independently investigate an unfamiliar signal or system using measurements and controlled experiments, from initial hypothesis through validated conclusion.\nExperience analyzing real complex-IQ data-not only simulations or high-level system models.\nHands-on experience implementing, testing, and debugging DSP algorithms.\nProficiency writing production-quality C++ in a Linux environment.\nHands-on experience with direction finding and antenna-array signal processing: bearing estimation on real multichannel data (interferometric, beamforming, or subspace methods), array calibration, and an understanding of practical DF error sources such as mutual coupling, channel mismatch, and multipath.\nExperience creating automated tests and replaying recorded data through algorithm pipelines.\nExperience with collaborative source control and code review using Git or an equivalent system.\nUS Citizenship is required.\nPreferred Qualifications:\nTrack record of independently reverse-engineering an undocumented or partially documented wireless waveform or protocol through to a fielded or productized capability.\nDemonstrated technical leadership of other engineers: reviewing designs and code, setting methodology, and raising team output while remaining hands-on.\nExperience designing reusable DSP libraries, frameworks, or test infrastructure adopted by other engineers.\nExperience with Software Defined Radios, RF laboratory equipment, and conducted or over-the-air testing.\nExperience with frequency-hopping, spread-spectrum, OFDM, cellular, telemetry, command-and-control, or other modern communication systems.\nExperience building detectors that operate in congested RF environments with measurable false-alarm requirements.\nExperience with FPGA-based DSP, fixed-point implementation, hardware/software partitioning, or high-rate sample transport.\nExperience optimizing real-time C++ DSP pipelines using profiling, SIMD, threading, bounded queues, and reusable buffers.\nExperience generating synthetic waveforms and injecting controlled impairments such as noise, CFO, clock offset, fading, and interference.\nRF antenna design experience: element or array design, simulation (e.g., HFSS, CST, FEKO), pattern and impedance measurement, or working directly with antenna engineers on array geometry and platform integration trades.\nDeeper array-processing experience: wideband DF, DF on frequency-hopping or short-burst emitters, coherent multichannel receiver architectures, or emitter geolocation (TDOA/AOA fusion, multi-sensor triangulation).\nFamiliarity with statistical classification or machine learning applied to RF data.\nExperience with Counter-UAS, electronic warfare, SIGINT, radar, or related mission systems.\nDuring the first several months, a successful engineer will be able to:\nTake full ownership of a novel, undocumented RF target with no prior framing, and independently produce a credible hypothesis set and experiment plan.\nDemonstrate a detector, demodulator, or protocol feature against recorded IQ, and carry it into the production C++ architecture with positive, negative, and regression tests.\nQuantify performance, communicate known limitations, and lead validation against additional devices, environments, and RF conditions - including running a field campaign.\nAssess the current line-of-bearing capability against ground-truth data, identify the dominant error sources, and land at least one measurable accuracy or robustness improvement.\nMeasurably raise the output of other signal-processing engineers: unblock at least one stalled effort, and have their reviews and methodology visibly improve others' work.\nSurface at least one emerging target class or systemic bottleneck with a concrete, prioritized recommendation.\nThe strongest candidate may come from communications, SDR, FPGA, radar, telemetry, electronic warfare, or protocol-analysis work. Exact domain overlap matters less than demonstrated ability to:\n1. Learn an unfamiliar signal from first principles, without a framing handed to them.\n2. Design experiment campaigns rather than guess - and know when to kill a dead-end thread.\n3. Work directly with imperfect real-world data.\n4. Turn analysis into reliable production code and reusable components others build on.\n5. Validate claims quantitatively and defend them in review.\n6. Make the engineers around them better while remaining hands-on through integration and field testing.\nClearance Level\nNo ClearanceThe salary range for this role is:\n$153,500 - $234,250AeroVironment considers several factors when extending an offer, including but not limited to, the location, the role and associated responsibilities, a candidate’s work experience, education/training, and key skills.\nITAR Requirement:\nThis position requires access to information that is subject to compliance with the International Traffic Arms Regulations (“ITAR”) and/or the Export Administration Regulations (“EAR”). In order to comply with the requirements of the ITAR and/or the EAR, applicants must qualify as a U.S. person under the ITAR and the EAR, or a person to be approved for an export license by the governing agency whose technology comes under its jurisdiction. Please understand that any job offer that requires approval of an export license will be conditional on AeroVironment’s determination that it will be able to obtain an export license in a time frame consistent with AeroVironment’s business requirements. A “U.S. person” according to the ITAR definition is a U.S. citizen, U.S. lawful permanent resident (green card holder), or protected individual such as a refugee or asylee. See 22 CFR § 120.15. Some positions will require current U.S. Citizenship due to contract requirements.\nBenefits: AV offers an excellent benefits package including medical, dental vision, 401K with company matching, a 9/80 work schedule and a paid holiday shutdown. For more information about our company benefit offerings please visit: http://www.avinc.com/myavbenefits.\nWe also encourage you to review our company website at http://www.avinc.com to l...","description_format":"text","description_chars":13408,"description_truncated":true,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":null,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":{"level":"bachelor","optional":false},"security_clearance":true,"languages":[]},"benefits":["401k plan"],"hiring_locations":[{"name":"United States","iso":"US","kind":"country"}],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":false,"industries":["Drones & UAVs","Military Drones","Defense Manufacturing"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-09-06T13:02:54Z"}],"visa":[],"liveness":{"score":14,"band":"cold","label":"Long shot","p_open":1,"p_active":0.5,"p_room":0.28,"age_days":75,"expected_fill_days":36,"reasons":["conf:5","stale_co","velocity","win:tail","crowd:brand"],"computed_at":"2026-11-15T07:52:55Z"},"pay":{"stated_usd_annual":234250,"is_top_pay":true},"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/aerovironment-principal-rfdsp-engineer","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/aerovironment-principal-rfdsp-engineer.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-11-15T23:10:50Z","cache_seconds":300,"methodology":"https://alion.io/methodology","terms":"https://alion.io/terms","contact":"https://alion.io/contact","api":"https://alion.io/developers","about":"Alion is a live layer of people, companies and AI agents: who they are, whether they are real and active right now, what they do and how to work with them, readable by people and by agents and paid per call.","catalog":"https://alion.io/catalog.json","usage":{"tier":"crawler_verified","counted_by":"address","units_charged":1,"used_today":19749,"day_limit":null,"remaining_today":null,"minute_limit":300,"resets_at":"2026-11-16T00:00:00Z"}},"offers":[{"id":"company.slices","title":"One company in depth, by slice","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.1,"usd":0.01,"plus_per_slice":{"credits":0.05,"usd":0.005}},"unit":"per company, plus each slice with data","note":"the employer in depth","call":{"mcp_tool":"get_company","arguments":{"id":176366},"rest":"https://alion.io/mcp/rest/get_company?id=176366"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.slices&for=job%2Faerovironment-principal-rfdsp-engineer"},{"id":"market.stats","title":"A market slice: pay, demand and time to fill","status":"free","price":{"credits":0,"usd":0},"unit":"per slice","note":"pay, demand and time to fill for this role and place","call":{"mcp_tool":"market_stats"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=market.stats&for=job%2Faerovironment-principal-rfdsp-engineer"},{"id":"job.search","title":"Open jobs by role, technology, place, pay and visa","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.1,"usd":0.01},"unit":"per posting in a list","note":"similar open postings","call":{"mcp_tool":"search_jobs"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=job.search&for=job%2Faerovironment-principal-rfdsp-engineer"},{"id":"company.verify","title":"Is this company real and active right now","status":"pilot","price":null,"unit":"per company","request":{"url":"https://alion.io/catalog/request","method":"POST","body":"{\"offer\": \"company.verify\", \"for\": \"job/aerovironment-principal-rfdsp-engineer\", \"note\": \"what you need it for\"}"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.verify&for=job%2Faerovironment-principal-rfdsp-engineer"}],"agent":{"mcp":"https://alion.io/mcp/jobs","mcp_open":"https://alion.io/mcp/open","next":[{"tool":"get_job","arguments":{"id":469539}},{"tool":"search_jobs","arguments":{"company":"avinc.com","detail":"compact"}},{"tool":"match_people","arguments":{"job_id":469539},"note":"people open to offers who fit this vacancy"}],"note":"The same data through MCP tools: https://alion.io/mcp/open needs no sign-in (compact searches, postings, people); https://alion.io/mcp with an Alion account has everything. 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