SDR)

Peraton•College Park, MD

13d•Onsite

About The Position

Peraton Labs is seeking a poly cleared Principal RF Research Scientist to lead and execute cutting-edge R&D in Radio Frequency Machine Learning (RFML), Digital Signal Processing (DSP), and/or Software Defined Radio (SDR). You will serve as a technical leader for our research team, driving development from concept through prototype, while collaborating closely with our MD based government customer. This role will also include shaping new work through whitepapers, proposals, and customer-facing technical leadership. This position requires full-time on-site work at a customer site near College Park, MD.

Requirements

Minimum of 12+ years of experience with a Bachelor’s degree, 10+ years of experience with a Master’s degree, or 8+ years of experience with a Ph.D. in Computer Science or related discipline. In lieu of a Bachelors, an additional 4 years of experience is required for a total of 16 years.
Demonstrated depth in one or more of the following: RFML, DSP, and/or SDR/wireless prototyping
Strong RF fundamentals: sampling, modulation, channel effects, noise/interference, link budgets, synchronization, detection/estimation
Hands-on development experience in Python and/or C/C++ within a SCIF environment
Experience developing and validating prototypes using SDR hardware and/or RF test setups
Proven ability to communicate complex technical work clearly to both technical and non-technical stakeholders
Ability to work independently, lead small technical teams, and collaborate across disciplines
Experience supporting or leading DoD/IC customer engagement and contributing to proposal/capture activities
US Citizenship is a requirement for this position
This position requires an active/current TS/SCI w/ Polygraph

Nice To Haves

Strong applied experience with ML frameworks such as PyTorch and/or TensorFlow/Keras
Experience with robustness/adversarial considerations in RFML
Experience with real-time or embedded implementation constraints
Familiarity with GNU Radio, UHD, and SDR driver/tooling, to include third-party SDR platforms beyond USRP
Experience with distributed signal processing (multi-sensor, coherent/distributed collections, time sync, networked RF systems)
Familiarity with Linux, Git, containers (Docker/Kubernetes), CI/CD, and reproducible research pipelines
History of publications/patents, conference presentations, or documented technical leadership
Experience in DoD/IC mission environments and/or rapid prototyping for field or operational demonstrations

Responsibilities

Leading or co-leading the technical design, development, and prototyping of RF sensing/communications solutions including detection/classification, waveform characterization, interference mitigation, spectrum situational awareness, link analysis, or related mission applications
Developing and evaluating DSP algorithms for real-world RF environments
Applying machine learning/deep learning approaches to RF problems
Implementing research prototypes in Python, C, C++, Java, or other languages, with emphasis on reproducibility, performance, and operational relevance
Integration and testing of algorithms on SDR platforms (USRP-class devices) using GNU Radio and/or custom frameworks
Research and prototype against relevant wireless standards and stacks (LTE/5G concepts, open-source implementations, or other waveforms/protocols aligned to program needs)
Production of high-quality technical artifacts and contributing to publications and/or patents where appropriate
Serve as a technical interface with the government customer by leading technical exchanges, communicating results clearly, and translating mission needs into R&D plans
Contributing to business development by supporting capture, authoring technical volumes/whitepapers, developing ROMs, and identifying follow-on opportunities
Mentoring of junior staff and defining technical direction