Staff RF Signal Processing Engineer

CHAOS Industries
Washington, DC
On-site

Who this role is best for

Strong fit for candidates with advanced signal processing expertise who develop and refine DSP algorithms for RF systems, and who can collaborate across engineering and business teams in a defense-focused environment.

Best fit for

  • Candidates with advanced signal processing expertise and a background in RF systems development
    — “developing and redefining the passive radar system into a distributed spectrum sensing system”
  • Individuals who have experience implementing DSP algorithms for real-world RF applications
    — “develop, implement, and refine advanced DSP algorithms to detect, identify, and track RF signals”
  • Candidates with a proven ability to integrate signal processing software with hardware platforms
    — “integrate and test signal processing software with underlying RF/SDR hardware”

Things to consider

  • On-site work in Hawthorne, CA or Washington, D.C., with 3-5 days per week required
    — “Must be able to work on-site 3-5 days per week in Hawthorne CA or Washington D.C.”
  • Periodic travel is expected, up to 30% of the time
    — “This role will require periodic travel, up to 30%”
  • U.S. citizenship is mandatory for eligibility and security clearance purposes
    — “U.S. citizen Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance”

How to stand out

  • Emphasize projects involving RF signal detection and classification in your resume and interview
    — “detect, classify, and geolocate all RF emissions in the environment”
  • Highlight experience with software defined radios and DSP toolkits in your application materials
    — “Experience with software defined radios (SDR) and associated signal processing toolkits”
  • Showcase your ability to model and implement signal processing algorithms using Python, C++, or MATLAB
    — “Proficiency in programming languages like Python, C++, or MATLAB for algorithm development”
  • Demonstrate knowledge of cyclostationary signal processing and waveform identification
    — “Expertise in cyclostationary signal processing Demonstrated experience identifying commercial and non-commercial communication waveforms”
  • Include experience with agile development tools like JIRA and Confluence in your profile
    — “Experience with agile development tools like JIRA and Confluence”
Pace · SteadyCollaboration · MediumAutonomy · MediumDecision Impact · Team

Derived from job-description analysis by Serendipath's career intelligence engine.

What success looks like

  • advanced DSP algorithms
  • RF signal processing software integration
  • field demonstration success
Typical background
electrical engineeringcomputer sciencesignal processing

Skills & requirements

Required

Digital Signal ProcessingSoftware Defined RadiosAlgorithm DevelopmentSignal Processing

Preferred

Cyclostationary Signal ProcessingMachine Learning For Signal Classification

Stack & domain

PythonC++MatlabSoftware Defined RadiosSignal ProcessingCommunicationElectromagnetic WarfareRadar SystemsSpectrum Sensing

About the role

Original posting from CHAOS Industries via Greenhouse

CHAOS Industries is redefining modern defense with a multi-product portfolio that gives the ultimate advantage—domain dominance. The company's products are powered by Coherent Distributed Networks (CDN™), empowering warfighters, commercial air operators, and border protection teams to act faster, adapt rapidly, and stay ahead of evolving threats. 

CHAOS Industries was founded in 2022 and has raised a total of $1 billion in funding from leading investors, including 8VC, Accel, and Valor Equity Partners. The company is headquartered in Los Angeles, with offices in Washington, D.C., San Francisco, San Diego, Seattle, and London. For more information, please visit www.chaosinc.com.

Role Overview:

We are seeking a proactive and detail-oriented Senior RF Signal Processing Software Engineer to contribute to the successful development of our electromagnetic warfare product line. This role is critical to transforming our radar systems into sensing systems that detect, classify, and geolocate all RF emissions in the environment using advanced digital signal processing (DSP) algorithms. The Senior Engineer will contribute to the Spectrum Sensing Team in the development of algorithms, modeling, software integration, and the execution of field demonstrations of the technology. They will collaborate closely with Business Development (BD), Production, and other Engineering teams.

Responsibilities: 

As a key contributor to the Spectrum Sensing Team, the Senior Engineer will play an integral role in developing and redefining the passive radar system into a distributed spectrum sensing system, with a focus on software and algorithm development. The day-to-day will be diverse, engaging, and intellectually stimulating, with a direct impact on pushing the boundaries of sensing technology and application. Key responsibilities include:

Develop, implement, and refine advanced DSP algorithms to detect, identify, and track RF signals

Integrate and test signal processing software with underlying RF/SDR hardware and host processing platforms

Minimum Requirements:

B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering, Physics, Computer Science, or a related field

5+ years of relevant development experience

Experience working with RF sensing systems (active or passive) and advanced signal processing techniques

Experience working with recorded I/Q data and generating synthetic I/Q data

Strong theoretical understanding and practical application of signal processing techniques (e.g., FFT analyses, matched filtering, cyclostationary analysis)

Proficiency in programming languages like Python, C++, or MATLAB for algorithm development and integration into current code base

Experience with software defined radios (SDR) and associated signal processing toolkits

Strong verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to clearly document technical details and present findings

Must be able to work on-site 3-5 days per week in Hawthorne CA or Washington D.C.

This role will require periodic travel, up to 30%

U.S. citizen

Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance

Preferred Requirements:  

M.S. degree in Electrical Engineering, Physics, Computer Science, or a related field

Current U.S. security clearance

Expertise in cyclostationary signal processing

Demonstrated experience identifying commercial and non-commercial communication waveforms

Expertise with electromagnetic spectrum sensing and classification techniques (e.g., machine learning for signal classification)

Experience implementing signal processing algorithms for tactical applications

Experience implementing signal processing algorithms on RFSOC hardware

Experience with agile development tools like JIRA and Confluence

Experience in DoD, military, or other Government environment performing in a related subject area (e.g. engineering, computer science, etc.) in a fast-paced, dynamic environment 

Why CHAOS?

Health Benefits: Medical, dental, and vision benefits 100% paid for by the company

Additional benefits: 401k (+ 50% company match up to 6% of pay), FSA, HSA, life insurance, and more

Our Perks: Free daily lunch, fully-stocked kitchen, unlimited PTO, casual dress code

Compensation Components: Competitive base salaries, generous pre-IPO stock option grants, relocation assistance, and (coming soon!) annual bonuses

Team Growth: 350 employees and counting across 5 global offices

Salary Range: $180,000 - $230,000

The stated compensation range reflects only the targeted base compensation range and excludes additional earnings such as bonus, equity, and benefits. If your compensation requirements fall outside of the range, we still encourage you to apply. The salary range for this role is an estimate based on a range of compensation factors, inclusive of base salary only. Actual salary offer may vary based on (but not limited to) work experience, education and/or training, critical skills, and/or business considerations. 

Recruiting Agencies: CHAOS Industries does not accept unsolicited resumes or outreach. Unsolicited submissions will not be reviewed or compensated.

#LI-onsite

Source: CHAOS Industries careers (Greenhouse)

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