Development Lab - CO-OP Student

NRAO Central Development Lab, 1180 Boxwood Estate Rd, CHARLOTTESVILLE, Virginia, United States of America

Posted Friday, September 19, 2025 at 4:00 AM

Position Description:

Position Summary

The Central Development Laboratory (CDL) at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) is the largest engineering team in the US dedicated to the development of radio astronomy technology. The CDL is a hub for technological and scientific collaboration, and has the mission to develop state-of-the-art technology for use in radio telescopes used by the international scientific community

The CDL seeks electrical engineering and computer science/engineering Co-op students (undergraduate and graduate) to work in our design teams to develop instrumentation technology for the next generation of radio telescope. Our technology is used on the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) telescope in Chile, the Jansky Very Large Array in New Mexico, and in observatories around the world to study exoplanet formation, black holes, stellar and galaxy formation and evolution, and to search for chemical precursors for life in the universe.

The maximum length of a single co-op appointment is six months.

The Central Development Laboratory is located near the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, VA in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

What You Will be Doing

The selected co-op student will, depending on skills and interest, work with experts on our digital design team, our millimeter/sub-millimeter radio receivers team, our ALMA front end support team, or our antennas and electromagnetics team.

Individual assignments will depend on knowledge, experience, and interest, and could include:

• Digital circuit design, implementation and testing.
• FPGA programming (Verilog) and testing.
• RF circuit design, implementation and testing.
• Antenna/RF design and analysis, and testing.
• Signal processing algorithm development,
• Software development and testing
• Test and evaluation of millimeter-wave receivers, antennas, and passive electromagnetic structures.

Assignment will take place in an indoor lab setting with some outdoor work possible testing equipment. Must be able to work at a computer with detailed and complex textual and numerical information. Must be able to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing.

Who You Are:

• You are enrolled in a four-year accredited university and are majoring in electrical engineering or computer science and can participate in an on-site co-op program.
• You have at least status as a second-, third-, or fourth-year student at your university

Total Rewards:

Compensation

AUI strives to attract and retain dedicated, highly qualified, competent, and motivated employees by offering competitive compensation and recognition for performance.

Factors which may affect starting pay within this range may include; education, experience, skills, competencies, other qualifications of the successful candidate, as well as internal equity and labor market conditions.

Application Instructions:

Select the “Apply” button. Please be prepared to upload your current CV/Resume and a cover letter describing interest and suitability for the position

Equal Opportunity Employer Statement:

AUI is an equal opportunity employer. To view our complete statement, please visit (Use the "Apply for this Job" box below). . If you require reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process, you may submit your request by sending an email to resumes . PM20

NRAO Central Development Lab, 1180 Boxwood Estate Rd, CHARLOTTESVILLE, Virginia, United States of America