Radar Modernization Hardware Integration Engineer
About The Position
SciTec, a subsidiary of Firefly Aerospace, is seeking a Hardware Integration Engineer to support the Ground-Based Radar Digitization (GBRD) modernization program. This role focuses on integrating modern radar front-end hardware, including digitizers, transceivers, timing/synchronization components, and associated control interfaces, into a unified digital backend architecture. The engineer will collaborate with radar hardware teams, RF specialists, systems engineers, and software-processing teams to ensure seamless integration of modern, commercial-based front-end hardware with mission-critical backend processing. The position involves retiring legacy analog components, validating new digitized hardware flows, resolving integration issues, and ensuring end-to-end system reliability for critical defense missions such as missile warning, tracking, defense, and space domain awareness.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s or Master’s in Electrical Engineering, Systems Engineering, Physics, or related field.
- 8+ years of experience integrating hardware for radar, RF systems, high-bandwidth sensor systems, or real-time mission systems.
- Experience with digitizers, transceivers, RF electronics, timing/synchronization hardware, or data-acquisition equipment.
- Understanding of signal-integrity concepts, analog-to-digital conversion, and high-bandwidth data flows.
- Familiarity with lab integration environments (SIL/DSIL) and hardware-in-the-loop testing.
- Ability to read and produce interface control documents, wiring diagrams, and system-integration artifacts.
- Experience collaborating across hardware, software, RF, and systems-engineering teams.
- Strong communication skills and ability to convey integration status clearly.
- U.S. Citizenship with ability to obtain and maintain a DoD security clearance.
Nice To Haves
- Experience with radar systems.
- Experience integrating radar front-end components with digitized backend architectures.
- Familiarity with FORGE, MOSA, or government-owned mission-processing frameworks.
- Experience with RF test equipment (spectrum analyzers, VNAs, signal generators), digitizer calibration, or high-speed data capture systems.
- Experience supporting integration events, mission-scenario validation, or gated prototyping programs.
- Active DoD security clearance.
Responsibilities
- Integrate modern radar front-end subsystems (digitizers, transceivers, control electronics, DREX-style components) with digitized radar back-end signal-processing chains.
- Ensure element-level digitization produces validated, high-fidelity I/Q data streams suitable for backend processing.
- Collaborate with RF engineers to verify operating characteristics and compatibility with each radar’s unique antenna systems.
- Develop and maintain interface specifications between front-end hardware and the modernized digital backend.
- Ensure alignment with MOSA principles and common GBRD architectural standards.
- Work closely with systems engineers to ensure hardware-to-software interactions meet timing, throughput, and synchronization constraints.
- Support integration in lab environments (SIL/DSIL), performing functional tests, data-validation checks, and end-to-end link testing.
- Diagnose and resolve issues related to hardware configuration, signal integrity, timing alignment, data-path reliability, and high-bandwidth throughput.
- Work with backend RSP/RMP teams to ensure hardware-driven measurements and transmission instructions flow correctly.
- Contribute to requirements decomposition for hardware integration, defining performance, interface, and environmental needs.
- Maintain configuration control of hardware integration artifacts, diagrams, ICDs, test plans, and verification results.
- Support technical reviews (SRR, PDR, CDR, TRR) with clear hardware-integration inputs.
- Coordinate with RF engineers, systems engineers, software-processing teams, mission-processing teams, and cybersecurity personnel to ensure cohesive system behavior.
- Ensure front-end hardware integration supports mission-focused outcomes in alignment with the GBRD common digital baseline.
- Other duties as assigned.
Benefits
- 4% Safe Harbor 401(k) match
- 100% company paid HSA Medical insurance, with a choice of 2 buy-up options
- 80% company paid Dental insurance
- 100% company paid Vision insurance
- 100% company paid Life insurance
- 100% company paid Long-term Disability insurance
- Short-term Disability insurance
- Annual Profit-Sharing Plan
- Discretionary Performance Bonus
- Paid Parental Leave
- Generous Paid Time Off, including Holiday, Vacation, and Sick Pay
- Flexible Work Hours
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
