Research Faculty Open Rank, Spectrum Dominance Division
About The Position
The Virginia Tech National Security Institute (VTNSI) is seeking a Research Associate or Research Scientist for its Spectrum Dominance Division (SDD) in Blacksburg, Virginia. The SDD focuses on radio frequency (RF) research, bridging fundamental research to applied prototypes for government and commercial sponsors. The division has expertise in electrical engineering, computer engineering, computer science, and applied mathematics, with a portfolio covering the entire RF transmit/receive chain. They specialize in TRL 3-6 R&D, real-time RF system development using FPGA, GPU, and SDR platforms, and have successfully transitioned capabilities in areas like real-time RF machine learning and automotive cybersecurity. The division is equipped with state-of-the-art testing and lab spaces, including RF anechoic chambers and high-end measurement equipment up to 110 GHz, complemented by significant secure computing infrastructure.
Requirements
- Must be a US citizen.
- Ability and willingness to obtain and maintain a security clearance.
- An earned Bachelor’s with professional experience or Master’s degree in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or related engineering discipline.
- Demonstrated background in software/hardware development for radio frequency applications, with Python and C++ being the division’s primary development languages.
Nice To Haves
- Knowledge or experience with real-time radio frequency hardware/software systems, such as software-defined radios (SDRs), GNU Radio, 5G/6G/O-RAN testbeds (OAI, srsRAN, and OCUDU), FPGAs, and/or embedded systems.
- Knowledge or experience with assembling RF systems and measuring performance with commercial test equipment (e.g. vector network analyzers, RF signal generators, spectrum analyzers, logic analyzers, and/or real-time oscilloscopes).
- Experience or basic knowledge of antenna systems such as directivity, gain, impedance, VSWR, S-parameters, polarization, frequency response, and/or beam patterns.
- Knowledge or experience working on team-based software development projects using appropriate version control software tools such as Git.
Responsibilities
- Support radio frequency software/hardware development (based on background and/or interests) on 2-3 simultaneous team-based research efforts.
- Support project internal communications and milestones through oral/written status updates and/or code review.
- Support project final deliverables through code documentation, user guides, final reports, and/or academic publications.
- Have flexibility and adaptability to work on different radio frequency application areas such as signals intelligence, waveform design, RADAR, electromagnetics, cellular, etc. (depending on current division project portfolio).
- Have a willingness to engage with sponsors through occasional oral briefings and demonstrations, virtually and occasional travel to sponsor sites.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Entry Level
Education Level
Associate degree
