RF Signal SME Director

Job ID 2610304Location Aurora, CO, USDate Posted 2026-03-23Category Engineering and SciencesSubcategory Mod/Sim AnalystSchedule Full-TimeShift Day JobTravel Yes - 10% of the timeMinimum Clearance Required TS.SCIClearance Level Must Be Able to Obtain TS/SCI with PolyPotential for Remote Work ORA_ON_SITEDescriptionSAIC is seeking an RF Signal Engineer Subject Matter Expert (SME) to join the Space and Intelligence Business Group. You would work on a joint Intelligence Community (IC) and Department of Defense (DoD) crown jewel program providing highly specialized space/counter-space engineering, scientific, and analytical services from Aurora, Colorado. We support the Nation’s leading edge IC and DoD space programs and offer compelling, deep-technical work that has direct influence and impact on program development and operations. Our team has SMEs across a variety of disciplines, including physics, math, RF, optics, space acquisition and operations, and intelligence collection and analysis.This Signal Engineering SME will work in a collaborative team-focused environment of U.S. Government civilians and contractors solving applied technical problems and developing usable solutions for multiple space-related capabilities and threats. The ideal candidate will haveDomain expert-level knowledge and experience with space systems RF engineering, operations, space threats and protectionDeep experience in space tracking radar phenomenology, RF payload operations, or signal extraction and processingExtensive experience with IC and/or DoD satellite systems in Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) or Special Access Program (SAP) environmentsDuties and responsibilities includeConducting specialized technical studies related to radar systems, targets, and data products to provide assessments and actionable solutions for program managers or satellite owner/operatorsLeading and participating in complex physics-based modeling, simulation and analysis, and conducting technical tradesAbility to conceptualize, synthesize, analyze, and assess the performance of specialized RF communications signals between satellites and ground stations using state-of-the-art signal processing analytic techniquesMaintenance and use of specialized hardware and software designed for the detection of low power signals in high noise environments running under a LINUX operating systemModeling and assessment of RF transmission and reception parameters such as antenna patterns, signal-to-noise ratios, noise uncertainty, signal strength, bit error rates, among others, to perform link budget analyses and probability of detect calculationsParticipating in the collection and analysis of test and experimental signals in laboratory and real-world environments, serving as lead when requestedAssess the risk of detecting specific low power signals in high noise environments from threat and non-threat systemsAchieving detailed understanding of multiple satellite systems, designs, operations and classifications to make design or Concepts of Operations (CONOPs) recommendationsDeveloping and maintaining in-depth knowledge of U.S. Space Domain Awareness (SDA) capabilities, as well as Foreign SDA capabilities and counter-space threats with an emphasis on RF systemsParticipating and representing the customer in various Government and contractor meetings and attending contractor programmatic and technical reviews (e.g. PMR, PDR, CDR, etc.) to provide technical recommendations and risk assessmentsFrequently interacting with program managers, SETAs, FFRDCs and external stakeholdersQualificationsQualificationsPhD in Engineering with 20 years of direct experience with space radars, RF signal processing and/or satellite communication systemsActive TS/SCI Clearance with Special Access eligibility and consent to a Polygraph. US Citizenship is requiredProven experience in analytic problem-solving relating to the exploitation of radar data of space-objects, including familiarity with radar data products, signal processing techniques, and scattering phenomenologyStrong written and verbal communication skills with experience conveying technical concepts, results, and summaries to internal customers, external customers, and stakeholders of diverse technical backgroundsDemonstrated record of effective individual and group work behaviors, with abilities to proactively initiate and operate in dynamic and incompletely defined environmentsFluent in specialized software tools or programming languages relevant for space system analyses, such as MATLAB, Python, C++, Fortran, and MS ExcelStrongly Desired Skills Doctorate Degree in RF Engineering, Signal Processing, Physics, Electrical Engineering, or MathematicsExperience in satellite development factory or space system program office (SPO), particularity with Geosynchronous Equatorial Orbit (GEO) systemsProven experience in satellite communications systems or analytic problem-solving relating to the performance of RF communication systems, especially satellite systems, and including topics such as signal processing methods and algorithms, signal modulation and encoding schemes, direct sequence spread spectrum signal analysis, radiometry and extraction or enhancement of low power signals from a noise backgroundDemonstrated experience with low power communication systems and associated algorithms and methodsFamiliarity or experience with RF hardware systems including antenna systems, RF receivers, and high-speed digital recordersFamiliarity with satellite communication systems and threatsExperience using Systems Tool Kit (STK), Linux, or COAST/FISTTarget salary range $280,001 - $320,000. The estimate displayed represents the typical salary range for this position based on experience and other factors.