Assured PNT and Sensor Fusion Research Associate

University of Texas at Austin•Austin, TX

1d•$120,000 - $165,000•Onsite

About The Position

Applied Research Laboratories (ARL:UT) is a University Affiliated Research Center at The University of Texas at Austin. Its Space and Geophysics Laboratory conducts research in electromagnetic propagation, geo-positioning, and remote sensing. The Research Associate will provide expertise in secure, robust, and precise positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT), applying scientific rigor to technologies relevant to SGL and advancing the state of the art. The work focuses on navigation-level problems in contested and degraded environments, including detecting, characterizing, and geolocating radio-frequency interference and spoofing sources; fusing GNSS with complementary sensors; and extracting PNT from non-traditional signals, including LEO satellite constellations. The role involves independent GNSS signals and software research, algorithm and system development, field data collection, and evaluation of PNT techniques. The Research Associate will collaborate with a team to implement and test software, publish and present research, provide technical leadership, and guide other employees and students. The position is based at the Pickle Research Campus in North Austin, with standard office conditions and occasional travel.

Requirements

PhD in aerospace engineering, electrical engineering, physics, computer science, mathematics, or a related field.
Experience developing software for scientific applications.
Experience developing GNSS, radionavigation, or PNT estimation algorithms.
Demonstrated record of authoring peer-reviewed scientific publications.
Demonstrated record of presenting scientific content to technical and non-technical audiences.
US citizenship; selected applicants will undergo a government security investigation and must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information at the level appropriate to project requirements.
Ability to work with new technologies, stay organized, plan and coordinate multiple tasks, and manage time effectively.
Attention to detail, effective problem-solving skills, and excellent judgment.
Ability to work independently with sensitive and confidential information, maintain a professional demeanor, work as a team member without daily supervision, and communicate effectively with varied client groups.
Ability to work under pressure and accept supervision.
Regular and punctual attendance.
Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0.

Nice To Haves

Experience with GNSS spoofing and jamming detection, signal authentication, or interference characterization.
Experience with RF emitter geolocation techniques, such as TDOA/FDOA or Doppler-based methods, from single or multiple platforms.
Experience with carrier-phase differential GNSS (CDGNSS/RTK), integer ambiguity resolution, and navigation integrity.
Experience with tightly coupled GNSS/inertial navigation, visual SLAM or bundle adjustment, or radar-based odometry and localization.
Experience with LEO-based PNT, including characterizing non-cooperative signal structure, OFDM-based ranging, and time-of-arrival and Doppler estimation.
Experience developing software-defined GNSS receivers, including real-time implementations and RF front-end integration.
Experience with adversarial estimation or game-theoretic decision-making, such as counter-UAS applications.
Experience collecting and curating large raw-RF or multi-sensor datasets.
Experience in multi-rate signal processing, remote sensing, radar, wireless communications, RF signal processing, ionosphere, reference frames, orbital mechanics, or digital design.
Experience estimating orbits of spacecraft and satellites.
Experience writing proposals for and leading externally funded research projects.
Experience with high-performance computing.
Proficiency with Python, C/C++, FORTRAN, or similar programming languages.
Experience developing on Linux and Windows, including terminal-based environments (bash), version control (Git and GitHub/GitLab), and cloud services such as AWS.
Proficiency with LaTeX.
Eligibility for immediate access to classified information.

Responsibilities

Perform high-level independent GNSS signals and software research relevant to SGL.
Present and publish research internally and externally, including at project reviews, technical interface meetings, scientific journals, and conferences.
Contribute to first-principles problem formulations, algorithm development, system designs, software implementations, and collection methods for PNT applications in contested and degraded environments.
Develop and evaluate techniques to detect, characterize, and mitigate GNSS spoofing and jamming, and develop methods to geolocate interference sources from terrestrial, airborne, and space-based platforms.
Develop state estimators that tightly couple GNSS carrier-phase measurements with inertial, visual, radar, or other sensor data, including integer ambiguity resolution and integrity monitoring.
Characterize and exploit signals of opportunity, including broadband LEO downlinks and other non-navigation signals, for ranging, timing, and positioning; derive estimation performance bounds to guide system design.
Plan and execute field data collection campaigns using software-defined radio, GNSS, and multi-sensor platforms; analyze results and recommend improvements.
Implement algorithms in a collaborative software environment, define interfaces between program components, document implementations, and define, implement, and execute software tests.
Further develop knowledge of PNT, estimation theory, sensor fusion, and software development principles.
Provide guidance and assistance to full-time employees and student employees.
Provide technical leadership and identify new research directions.
Perform other related functions as assigned and travel occasionally to support meetings.