Electrical Engineer - Atmospheric Observation

Overview

What if the humidity of the atmosphere could be measured just by watching how a radio signal bends? As FWI's MLOS Development Engineer supporting NSSL's Microwave Line-of-Sight (MLOS) proof-of-concept program, you'll help answer that question. You will advance a system built to demonstrate whether RF transmissions - and the phase shifts within them - can be reliably used to retrieve relative humidity estimates, working hands-on with electronic circuits, RF signal measurement, and enclosure design in Norman, Oklahoma. This is applied research at the hardware level: real circuits, real signals, real atmospheric physics, with the goal of turning a promising concept into a validated measurement technique.

FWI is expanding rapidly and has been recognized as a 2024, 2025 and 2026 Top Workplace, offering excellent growth opportunities in a collaborative environment.

Work Schedule and Location:

Hybrid: This full-time hybrid position will work Monday through Friday, 8 AM CST to 5 PM CST, with 90% at National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL), National Weather Center, Norman, Oklahoma, or designated field deployment locations.

Responsibilities

• Continue development of the MLOS proof-of-concept system to demonstrate feasibility of using RF transmissions to retrieve relative humidity estimations
• Collaborate with NOAA/NSSL scientists and engineers to evaluate the existing project's circuitry, parts, and test plans
• Install and configure test equipment at the Norman, Oklahoma site
• Perform experiments to assess the viability of using the system to derive humidity measurements from RF phase shift data, including collecting data across a broad range of operating conditions and humidities, as conditions permit
• Use experimental results to refine the experimental design, equipment, and/or retrieval scheme to improve humidity detection, including collaborating on mechanical or electrical solution design (e.g., phase-locked oscillators, enclosure climate control, feed horn replacement, transmitter power adjustments) and testing as applicable
• Evaluate whether the measured phase difference can be digitized and used in an algorithm to obtain reliable relative humidity measurements
• Collaborate with NSSL scientists, engineers, and external partners to validate against other operational and/or experimental observations
• Assist NSSL staff in deploying other research systems, as appropriate for validation
• Create and maintain software that uses digitized phase shift data to calculate relative humidity and is capable of reporting humidity data in real time, if applicable
• Provide technical documentation (e.g., schematics, code repositories, test reports) for development activities
• Prepare quarterly reports of status
• Write a brief report following AMS guidelines and prepare a conference-style presentation; present to project stakeholders and at a national or international conference if possible

Qualifications

Required:

• BA/BS in Electrical Engineering or a related engineering discipline
• 6+ years of full-time electrical engineering experience

Desired:

• Knowledge of RF electronics, circuit design, and signal propagation principles
• Experience using test equipment (multimeters, oscilloscopes, signal analyzers, etc.) to measure electronic signals and interfacing software
• Experience with digital receivers and data acquisition and analysis, including basic statistics
• Basic software programming skills (e.g., MATLAB, Python, C++)
• Strong communication skills, including technical writing
• Experience designing and implementing custom solutions for deploying observing platforms (preferred)
• Familiarity with atmospheric measurement techniques (preferred)
• Experience developing software and visualization techniques for scientific data collection and analysis (preferred)

Work Setting and Environment:

• Primary location: National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL), National Weather Center, Norman, Oklahoma, or designated field deployment locations
• Normal work hours are Monday through Friday, 8 hours per day / 40 hours per week, excluding federal holidays; field data-collection activities may require irregular hours during active severe weather events
• Remote work arrangements must be reviewed and approved in advance by the Contracting Officer's Representative (COR); on-site presence may be required based on mission, field operations, collaboration, or security needs
• Local and non-local travel may be required, not anticipated to exceed 5% annually; all unplanned travel must be approved in writing by the COR at least 10 calendar days in advance
• Must complete an online IT security awareness course within one week of starting work
• Government-furnished equipment provided, including access to HPC resources, specialized mobile observation platforms, laboratory test equipment, computers, and office workspace, as applicable

FWI is an Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability/vets.

Why Join Our Team

At FWI, we place the highest importance on creating an exceptional employee experience. You'll have opportunities to achieve your career aspirations through internal promotions, professional development, and other recognition and rewards programs. Join our team and take advantage of the many benefits we offer, including:

• Health Insurance
• Dental Insurance
• Vision Insurance
• Long-term and Short-term Disability Insurance
• Life Insurance
• 401(k) Plan
• Holiday Pay
• Paid Time Off

Pay Range

$70,000.00 to $74,000.00 depending on experience, education, and clearance level.