Principal Digital Signal Processing Engineer, RF Payloads

True Anomaly • Los Angeles, CA

1d • $190,000 - $275,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

True Anomaly is seeking a Principal Digital Signal Processing Engineer to lead the architecture, development, implementation, and integration of advanced DSP capabilities for space-based RF payloads. In this role, you will develop real-time processing systems for high-rate complex I/Q data collected from RF sensors, phased arrays, SIGINT payloads, radar systems, and software-defined radios. You will own DSP efforts across the full development lifecycle—from algorithm development and modeling through implementation on embedded processors, FPGAs, GPUs, and other flight computing platforms. The ideal candidate is a technical leader who can take algorithms from initial analysis through real-time implementation, hardware-in-the-loop testing, payload integration, and delivery. You will work closely with RF, antenna, FPGA, software, hardware, systems, and payload engineers to define architectures that meet demanding requirements for bandwidth, latency, memory, power, and computational resources. Experience in one or more of the following areas is highly desirable: phased-array signal processing, digital beamforming, SIGINT, electronic warfare, radar, RF sensing, software-defined radio, communications, or geolocation.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Physics, Mathematics, or a related technical field. A Master’s degree or Ph.D. is preferred.
• 10+ years of experience in digital signal processing, RF systems, radar, communications, SIGINT, electronic warfare, or a related technical field.
• Extensive hands-on experience processing high-rate complex I/Q data from RF systems, sensors, radar, communications payloads, or software-defined radios.
• Strong understanding of digital signal processing fundamentals, including sampling theory, filtering, Fourier transforms, spectral analysis, multirate processing, and statistical signal processing.
• Demonstrated experience designing and implementing: Digital downconverters, Channelizers, Polyphase filter banks, Decimation and resampling systems, Matched filters and pulse-compression algorithms, Detection and thresholding algorithms, Signal classification or modulation-recognition algorithms, Frequency, phase, and timing estimation algorithms.
• Experience developing real-time DSP systems for CPUs, GPUs, FPGAs, DSPs, or heterogeneous embedded processing platforms.
• Experience designing high-throughput processing systems with demanding bandwidth, latency, memory, power, and computational requirements.
• Experience with fixed-point and floating-point modeling, quantization analysis, dynamic range, bit growth, overflow, and bit-true verification.
• Proficiency with C++, Python, MATLAB, or similar programming languages.
• Experience developing production-quality software, including version control, automated testing, code reviews, and configuration management.
• Experience validating algorithms using simulated, recorded, laboratory, field-collected, or hardware-in-the-loop I/Q data.
• Experience in one or more of the following areas: Phased-array signal processing, Digital or adaptive beamforming, Direction finding or geolocation, SIGINT, Electronic warfare, Radar signal processing, RF sensing, Software-defined radio, Digital communications.
• Experience taking algorithms from analysis and simulation through implementation, integration, test, and delivery.
• Ability to define technical architectures, lead complex engineering efforts, mentor engineers, and communicate effectively across disciplines.
• Experience with requirements development, technical documentation, design reviews, verification planning, and system integration.
• Active TS//SCI clearance or eligibility to obtain one.
• Work Location—Successful candidates will be located near Denver or Colorado Springs. While we observe a hybrid work environment, some work must be done on site.

Nice To Haves

• Experience developing DSP systems for spacecraft, airborne platforms, radar systems, RF payloads, or other resource-constrained environments.
• Experience with FPGA development using VHDL, Verilog, SystemVerilog, or FPGA-based DSP tools.
• Experience with GPU acceleration, CUDA, or heterogeneous computing architectures.
• Experience with software-defined radios and RF data acquisition systems.
• Experience with signal geolocation techniques, including time difference of arrival, frequency difference of arrival, interferometry, or angle-of-arrival processing.
• Experience with radar processing, including pulse-Doppler processing, range-Doppler maps, target detection, tracking, and waveform analysis.
• Experience with phased-array calibration, beamforming, adaptive nulling, or multi-channel RF processing.
• Experience working with signals in the presence of noise, interference, multipath, jamming, or low signal-to-noise ratios.
• Familiarity with RF payload architectures, antenna arrays, RF front ends, calibration systems, downlink architectures, and spacecraft interfaces.
• Understanding of space payload constraints, including limited power, compute, memory, thermal capacity, radiation tolerance, and downlink bandwidth.
• Experience with payload integration, hardware-in-the-loop testing, environmental testing, or on-orbit commissioning.
• Experience with GNU Radio, Simulink, Xilinx/Vitis tools, or similar development environments.
• Experience working in a fast-paced startup or similarly dynamic environment.

Responsibilities

• Define DSP architectures and technical roadmaps for RF payloads, including requirements, interfaces, implementation approaches, and verification strategies.
• Develop and implement real-time DSP algorithms for high-rate complex I/Q data.
• Design processing chains that include digital downconversion, channelization, polyphase filter banks, decimation, resampling, filtering, and spectral analysis.
• Develop algorithms for signal detection, characterization, classification, modulation recognition, and signal parameter estimation.
• Develop and evaluate algorithms for phased-array processing, digital beamforming, adaptive beamforming, direction finding, angle-of-arrival estimation, and adaptive nulling.
• Support SIGINT, electronic warfare, RF sensing, and signal exploitation architectures.
• Support radar signal processing, including pulse compression, range-Doppler processing, detection, tracking, and waveform analysis, as applicable.
• Develop algorithms for frequency, phase, and timing synchronization, calibration, interference mitigation, and low-SNR signal processing.
• Analyze real-world recorded and streaming I/Q data to evaluate system performance and troubleshoot signal-processing issues.
• Develop high-fidelity simulations and test environments using MATLAB, Python, C++, or similar tools.
• Translate floating-point algorithms into efficient fixed-point, embedded software, FPGA, GPU, DSP, or other hardware implementations.
• Perform fixed-point, bit-true, quantization, bit-growth, overflow, dynamic range, and numerical accuracy analysis.
• Optimize processing systems for throughput, latency, memory bandwidth, power, clock rate, and available computational resources.
• Work with FPGA and software engineers to define hardware/software interfaces, data formats, timing requirements, memory architectures, and processing pipelines.
• Develop production-quality software and firmware, including automated testing, code reviews, version control, and configuration management.
• Develop and execute algorithm verification and validation plans using simulated, laboratory, field-collected, and hardware-in-the-loop data.
• Support RF payload bring-up, hardware integration, system testing, environmental testing, and on-orbit commissioning.
• Lead root-cause analysis and corrective action for DSP, payload, and system-level performance issues.
• Define and manage requirements, interfaces, technical documentation, design reviews, and verification closure.
• Serve as the technical authority for payload signal processing in architecture reviews, design reviews, customer engagements, and program milestones.
• Lead cross-functional technical execution across DSP, FPGA, RF, antenna, software, hardware, and systems engineering teams.
• Mentor engineers and establish reusable DSP architectures, development tools, test infrastructure, and engineering processes.
• Support customer engagements, proposal development, technical presentations, and new business capture.

Benefits

• 100% company-paid medical, dental, and vision coverage for you and your dependents, with HSA/HRA options
• Flexible Time Off (FTO) for exempt employees, accrued PTO of up to 25 days for non-exempt employees, plus 12 paid holidays; Parental Leave; Sick Leave
• Daily catered lunch and unlimited snacks for in-office employees
• 401(k) retirement plan
• fitness reimbursement
• Dog Fridays
• Equity participation

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Principal