Radio Frequency Field Scientist

Position:
Radio Frequency Field Scientist Location

Melbourne, FL

Job :182

# of Openings:1

Radio Frequency (RF) Field Scientist (4 positions available)

Director, Directed Energy

The preferred work location for this position is Melbourne, FL. Hybrid or fully remote work may be considered at managements discretion based on operational requirements and other factors, including the location from which the employee will work. Candidates whose primary work location is outside the Melbourne area must be willing and able to travel to U.S. Government facilities, Sponsor locations, and other NSRI offices for project-related activities or as-needed.

The National Strategic Research Institute (NSRI) at the University of Nebraska is seeking applications for a RF Field Scientist to support overseas technical deployments in support of Department of War (DoW) and United States Government (USG) sponsors. The RF Field Scientist will deploy as one member of a two-person field team consisting of a Field Team Lead and RF Field Scientist responsible for the deployment, installation, operation, sustainment, troubleshooting, maintenance, and recovery of specialized sensing systems at designated overseas locations.

This position requires continuous rotational overseas deployments consisting of 60 days deployed in-country followed by 30 days at home station. Deployment locations will vary based on sponsor requirements and may include allied military installations, U.S. Embassies, and other government-designated locations throughout the Indo-Pacific, Europe, Africa, and other areas of strategic interest.

The RF Field Scientist serves as the primary technical expert for deployed sensing systems and provides operational support to ensure mission success. Working alongside the Field Team Lead, the RF Field Scientist will independently execute technical field operations while supporting mission planning, equipment integration, diagnostics, repairs, preventive maintenance, data collection, and system performance verification in austere and operationally relevant environments.

The RF Field Scientist is responsible for the technical quality and execution of assigned field activities, while the Field Team Lead retains overall responsibility for mission coordination and in-country operational execution.

The ideal candidate possesses a strong engineering background with experience in electrical and/or mechanical systems, sensor integration, radio frequency (RF) systems, non-ionizing radiation technologies, or related technical disciplines. The candidate must be capable of working independently while functioning effectively within a small two-person deployment team under demanding overseas conditions.

This position is part of a government-funded project, and employment is contingent upon continued customer funding and performance.

In alignment with our commitment to staff development and internal mobility, current NSRI employees will be given priority consideration for this vacancy, provided they meet the minimum qualifications. Internal candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

• Deploy as one member of a two-person overseas field team alongside the Field Team Lead.
• Serve as the primary technical authority for the installation, configuration, operation, maintenance, troubleshooting, and recovery of government-provided sensing systems.
• Perform field integration, calibration, testing, diagnostics, preventive maintenance, and repair of deployed equipment.
• Verify system performance and conduct operational acceptance testing following deployment and throughout mission execution.
• Support collection, documentation, and transfer of technical and operational data in accordance with government requirements.
• Maintain equipment accountability, configuration management, maintenance logs, and technical documentation.
• Assist in developing technical procedures, equipment checklists, maintenance schedules, and deployment documentation.
• Identify technical issues, recommend corrective actions, and implement field repairs whenever practical.
• Work independently with minimal supervision while maintaining close coordination with the Field Team Lead.
• Provide technical recommendations to the Field Team Lead regarding system readiness, performance, technical risk, repair, or replacement requirements.
• Elevate technical issues that cannot be resolved in the field or that may materially affect mission execution, system performance, safety or Sponsor requirements.
• Support mission planning, equipment preparation, pre-deployment inspections, and post-deployment maintenance activities.
• Ensure compliance with all safety, operational, and host nation requirements.
• Ensure deployed personnel comply with security procedures and Sponsor/site security requirements established by the appropriate Government and NSRI security authorities, and immediately elevate suspected security incidents, unauthorized disclosures, suspicious…