Lead RF Systems Engineer (Tactical Comms / SDR / DSP)

Overview of Opportunity

Two Six Technologies is seeking a Lead RF Systems Engineer to lead technical strategy and software development for DSP/SDR tactical communications systems. In this role, you will drive architecture design, advanced algorithm development, testing, and hardware-in-the-loop validation to support cutting-edge R&D programs in Herndon, Virginia.

As a lead / principal engineer, you will serve as a technical authority-shaping modern RF architectures, guiding lab infrastructure strategy, selecting core SDR platforms, and mentoring multi-disciplinary engineering teams.

The primary focus of this role is terrestrial communications systems, RF signal reverse engineering, tactical waveform synthesis, and electronic warfare (EW) resilient communications across HF, VHF, and UHF bands.

What you will do (Responsibilities)

• Architect, design, and implement advanced SDR and DSP solutions for terrestrial tactical radios (HF/VHF/UHF) in a Linux environment.
• Reverse engineer complex terrestrial COTS and proprietary RF devices to map transceiver logic, demodulate legacy/custom tactical waveforms, and extract framing parameters.
• Synthesize and generate custom tactical RF waveforms based on reverse-engineered signal parameters, including frequency-hopping, direct-sequence spread spectrum (DSSS), and low probability of intercept/detection (LPI/LPD) signals.
• Develop algorithms to detect, identify, feature-extract, and decode captured complex tactical communications signals operating in harsh multipath and co-channel interference environments.
• Implement end-to-end transmit/receive signal chains using foundational and complex modulation schemes (e.g., FSK, PSK, QAM).
• Direct laboratory build-outs, select advanced SDR hardware and test gear, and execute field or lab-based RF experimentation to validate synthesized tactical signals.
• Solve high-level technical challenges across tactical communications, signal intelligence (SIGINT), spectrum management, and electronic warfare (EW/EA/EP) domains.
• Serve as a subject matter expert (SME) in HF/VHF/UHF propagation, signal generation, and DSP, guiding cross-functional teams in a rapid-prototyping environment.

What you will need (Basic Qualifications)

• Active DoD Top Secret clearance with SCI eligibility required
• Degree in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mathematics, Physics, Computer Science, or equivalent practical, military, or intelligence community experience.
• Minimum 8 years of hands-on experience in Digital Signal Processing (DSP), Software Defined Radio (SDR), and RF communications development (including technical lead/architecture roles).
• Strong, hands-on software development experience using Python for data processing, signal analysis, or software pipelines.
• Deep knowledge of terrestrial RF communications systems, channel dynamics, and signal structures across the HF, VHF, and UHF bands.
• Extensive experience in RF reverse engineering, signal parameter estimation, protocol disassembly, and target waveform regeneration.
• Proven track record architecting software-driven DSP pipelines (C++, Python, GNU Radio, or REDHAWK) with an emphasis on real-time signal processing.

Nice to have (Preferred)

• Experience developing low-latency or high-performance systems using memory-safe modern languages such as Rust
• Familiarity with modern military and public safety tactical radio standards, waveforms, and networking protocols (e.g., MIL-STD-188-110, STANAG, SINCGARS, HAVE QUICK, P25, MANET/mesh networking).
• Strong understanding of terrestrial RF phenomena, including ground-wave/sky-wave HF propagation, urban multipath fading, troposcatter, and Doppler spread mitigation.
• Experience with Electronic Warfare (EW) countermeasures, anti-jam (AJ) techniques, LPI/LPD waveform design, and adaptive filtering/interference mitigation.
• Experience with reverse engineering tools like Ghidra, IDA Pro, or binary analysis frameworks for embedded tactical radio firmware.
• Deep expertise in FEC (Convolutional, Turbo, LDPC), Viterbi/Reed-Solomon decoding, interleaving, frame synchronization, and equalization algorithms.

Security Clearance

• #LI-ZS1
• #LI-ONSITE

Two Six Technologies is committed to providing competitive and comprehensive compensation packages that reflect the value we place on our employees and their contributions. We believe in rewarding skills, experience, and performance. Our offerings include but are not limited to, medical, dental, and vision insurance, life and disability insurance, retirement benefits, paid leave, tuition assistance and professional development.

Pay and benefits

The projected salary range listed for this position is annualized. This is a general guideline and not a guarantee of salary. Salary is one component of our total compensation package and the specific salary offered is determined by various factors, including, but not limited to education, experience, knowledge, skills, geographic location, as well as contract specific affordability and organizational requirements.

Salary Range $178,018—$267,027 USD

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