Engineer Principal - RF Payload Calibration

RF Payload Calibration Engineer

The Engineering, Science and Analysis (ESA) Strategic Capabilities Unit comprises the technical talent and organizational leadership that enables the successful delivery of high-impact discriminating technologies for our customers' missions. Our collaborative, cross-functional teams are committed to innovation, integrity, continual learning and strong execution.

What You'll Do:

• Create and implement RF payload calibration approaches including integrated calibration sources, roll-ups of lower-level test data, bias correction, and in-situ calibration techniques and support payload architecture development.
• Evaluate RF payload performance requirements and generate calibration approaches to enable the related design, build, test, verification, and validation activities.
• Develop and utilize expertise in RF sensing missions, payload design, component hardware technologies, calibration techniques, and uncertainty analysis.
• Support activities surrounding pursuit and execution of pathfinder, payload technology, and mission-level opportunities within the RF sensing mission area.
• Create and manage physics-based calibration models, error budgets, and bias corrections
• Responsible for communicating with Architecture & Design, Modeling & Analysis, CONOPS, System Traceability, Integration & Test, and Mission Operations teams as necessary to ensure the calibration approach closes.
• Collaborate with other engineering disciplines (systems, mechanical, electrical, software, test, etc.) in the planning and execution of calibration tasks.
• Contribute to the decomposition and allocation of RF payload requirements to lower-level specifications. Refine requirements as necessary.
• Be a payload calibration lead and interface and support its chief engineer and chief systems engineer.
• Work alongside AI&T engineers to support the test configurations, verification approaches, and analysis plans necessary for payload verification.
• Prepare and deliver presentations to peers, management, and/or customers, as required.
• Support program gates such as the System Requirements Review (SRR), Preliminary Design Review (PDR), Critical Design Review (CDR), Test Readiness Review (TRR), and payload sell-off.
• Maintain a regular and predictable work schedule.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships within the department, the Strategic Business Units, Strategic Capabilities Units and the Company. Interact appropriately with others in order to maintain a positive and productive work environment.
• Perform other duties as necessary.

On-Site Work Environment:
This position requires regular in-person engagement by working on-site five days each normally scheduled week in the primary work location. Travel and local commute between company campuses and other possible non-company locations may be required.

Working Conditions:

• Work is performed in an office, laboratory, production floor, or cleanroom, outdoors or remote research environment.
• May occasionally work in production work centers where use of protective equipment and gear is required.
• May access other facilities in various weather conditions.

Required Education, Experience, & Skills

• BS degree or higher in Engineering or a related technical field is required plus 6 or more years related experience.
• Each higher-level degree, i.e., Master's Degree or Ph.D., may substitute for two years of experience. Related technical experience may be considered in lieu of education. Degree must be from a university, college, or school which is accredited by an agency recognized by the US Secretary of Education, US Department of Education.
• A current, active Top Secret security clearance is required with the ability to obtain and maintain a TS/SCI Polygraph.
• Excellent communication skills are essential, including the ability to understand the team's needs, ask insightful questions, and provide clear communication of proposed solutions.
• Flexibility and capacity to work on multiple dynamic problems simultaneously.

Preferred Education, Experience, & Skills

• Familiarity in remote sensing missions, payload design, component hardware technologies, calibration sources, calibration techniques, and…