Radio Frequency Engineer jobs in Virginia

Department: Col of Engineering and Computing

Classification: Research Staff 12-month

Job Category: Research Staff

Job Type: Full-Time

Work Schedule: Full-time (1.0 FTE, 40 hrs/wk)

Telework Friendly: Yes

Location: Fairfax

Salary: Salary commensurate with education and experience

Restricted: Yes

Criminal Background Check: Yes

Security Clearance Check: Yes

About the Center:

The Rapid Prototyping Research Center (RPRC) focuses on providing its Department of Defense (DoD) sponsors a unique perspective on rapid prototyping that aligns with Section 804 in the FY17 National Defense Authorization Act. Specifically, rather than developing a new system to satisfy intractable problems on the battlefield, the RPRC integrates new technology into existing infrastructure. This unique approach reduces acquisition costs since the sustainment tail is in place. It also reduces the time to field intractable solutions to the battlefield from 10-14 years to 1-3 years. It assures that the prototype involved is integrated with the latest technology, not dated technology, due to lengthy acquisition delivery timelines.

About the Position:

The Radio Frequency Electrical Engineer will participate in all stages of program development. This will include IoT devices to complex system of system products. They will be responsible for supporting the definition, design, development, integration, documentation, and test of new technology and products. They will also support the Program Manager to maintain the program schedule, provide input to proposals, program budget, program planning, reports and briefings, engineering status reports, and other program documentation.

Responsibilities:

• Support the definition, design, development, integration, documentation, and test of new technology and products:
  • Technical research, modeling, and proof of concept demonstrations;
  • Requirements documents and performance specifications;
  • Component specification, selection, and qualification;
  • System architecture, analysis, integration, and test;
• Participate in solution reviews, testing, and debugging to ensure that the solutions meet quality standards;
• Ensure that the team delivers high-quality network solutions that meet the needs of our clients, and provide regular status updates to stakeholders;
• Participate in design reviews and work with QA to optimize testing;
• Support the Program Manager to maintain the program schedule and provide input to proposals, program budget, program planning, reports and briefings, engineering status reports, and other program documentation;
• Continuously evaluate and improve RPRC's processes and tools and provide leadership in adopting new network technologies and methodologies;
• Provide technical guidance and mentoring to program teams; and
• Provide leadership and mentorship to engineers and help to build a culture of excellence and continuous improvement.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in related field, or equivalent combination of education and experience;
• Design and development experience (typically 5 years);
• Professional experience in the following technologies:
  • SigInt and circuitry - mGNSS, LEO/MEO satellites, commercial radio and TV, wireless data
    (BLE, WiFi,UWB, ANT, Zigbee, ISM, etc.);
  • Antennas - 100kHz through 18GHz, directional and omnidirectional, Beamforming and
    Beam steering;
  • Software Defined Radios (SDRs) and FPGA code development and test;
  • Signal Processing - compression, FFT, correlators, FIR/IIR filters, Kalman filters, statistical
    analysis;
  • Basic programming skills to support hardware development and control;
  • RF circuitry and analysis techniques - LNA, mixers, filters, splitters, switches, etc.;
  • Compliance with commercial and military regulatory standards;
  • Laboratory test equipment - spectrum and network analyzers, oscilloscopes, power supplies, DMM, etc.;
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with ability to work effectively in a team environment;
• Demonstrated problem-solving skills, with ability to identify and mitigate technical risks; and
• Must be a US citizen with the ability to obtain a Top Secret clearance.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in research, rapid prototyping, product development, and fielding in a fast-paced, small engineering team environment;
• Experience in the following technologies:
  • PNT, Alt-PNT, and Assisted PNT technology and solutions;
  • PC systems and architectures, Linux, RTOS, Python, C/C ;
  • Wearable/IoT - battery technology, power conditioning and distribution, microcontrollers and microprocessor, Flash, sensors, I/O, RF circuitry, and antennas;
  • Display and UI - LCD, OLED/AMOLED, Memory in Pixel, NVIS, etc.;
  • Comm interfaces - UART, RSxxx, SPI, I2C, Ethernet, USB, PCIe, SATA, SAS, MIPI, LVDS, DisplayPort, HDMI, SWIO, JTAG, etc.; and
  • CAD tools such as OrCAD (preferred), Allegro, Altium, PADS, etc.

Instructions to Applicants:

For full consideration, applicants must apply for the Radio Frequency Electrical Engineer at ; complete and submit the online application; and provide a cover letter, resume, a list of three professional references with contact information, and a statement of what diversity and inclusion mean to you.

Posting Open Date: December 5, 2023

For Full Consideration, Apply by: December 19, 2023

Open Until Filled?: Yes

A Force for Innovation in the Heart of Northern Virginia's Technology Corridor:

The College of Engineering and Computing at George Mason University is comprised of the Volgenau School of Engineering and the School of Computing. The College is a fast-growing force for innovation in research and education. Ranked nationally in the top 100 in both undergraduate and graduate education, the College boasts more than 10,800 students in 37 undergraduate, master's, and doctoral degree programs, including several first-in-the-nation offerings. Of the 305 full-time faculty who comprise the College, 97 are tenured, 66 are tenure-track, 90 are instructional faculty, and 52 are research faculty. As part of a nationally ranked research university, its research teams expended $65 million in sponsored research awards in the past year and has projects with over $120 million in current and anticipated awards. The College stands out for its leading research in areas such as artificial intelligence, data analytics engineering, cybersecurity engineering, biomedical imaging and devices, community-based healthcare, autonomous systems, 5G/Next G communications, systems architectures, computational biomedicine, advanced materials and manufacturing, sustainable infrastructure, and more. The College encourages multidisciplinary research and provides ample opportunity for faculty to work with other disciplines.

George Mason University is the largest and most diverse public research university in Virginia, with an enrollment of over 40,000 students studying in over 200 degree programs. Mason is an innovative, entrepreneurial institution with national distinction in a range of academic fields. It was classified as an R1 research institution in 2016 by the Carnegie Classifications of Institutes of Higher Education. Mason has campuses in Fairfax, Arlington, and Prince William. Its proximity to Washington, D.C. provides unmatched geographical access to a number of federal agencies and national laboratories. Northern Virginia is also home to one of the largest concentrations of high-tech firms in the nation, providing excellent opportunities for interaction with industry. The region is consistently rated as being among the best places to live in the country, and has an outstanding local public school system.

In conjunction with Amazon's decision to establish a second headquarters in Northern Virginia, the Commonwealth of Virginia announced a multi-year plan to invest in the growth of degree programs in computing. George Mason University has committed to accelerate its plans to grow its capacity in computing and high-tech fields. Among the exciting initiatives being undertaken by the university are the launch of the Institute for Digital InnovAtion, a university think tank and incubator to serve the digital economy, and the expansion of its Arlington Campus with a planned 400,000 square foot building that will house the new Institute for Digital InnovAtion. These initiatives reflect hundreds of millions of dollars in new investment by Mason that will rapidly elevate the university's already leading national position in computing and related areas.