Radar Systems Engineer III

New ideas are all around us, but only a few will change the world. That’s our focus  ask the biggest questions, then search the universe for answers—literally. We build upon ideas that have guided generations, then share our discoveries to inspire generations to come. Your mission—your opportunity—is to seek out the answers that bring us one step closer. If you’re driven to discover, create, and inspire something that lasts a lifetime and beyond, you’re ready for JPL.

Located in Pasadena, California, JPL has a campus-like environment situated on 177 acres in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains and offers a work environment unlike any other: we inspire passion, foster innovation, build collaboration, and reward excellence.

The JPL Communications and Instruments Division perform scientific investigations, advanced technology research, engineering developments and system implementations encompassing space telecommunications, tracking and active remote sensing using electromagnetic waves.

The RF Remote Sensing Systems & Technology Section Advances science, technology, and instruments for RF microwave and submillimeter scientific investigations. This section is responsible for concept development, design, implementation, algorithm development, data processing and operations of spaceborne and suborbital RF instruments. We provide radar and radiometer expertise for broader NASA goals and sensors, such as landing radars.

The RF Remote Sensing Section is seeking Radar Systems Engineer III to support the development, modeling, verification, and testing of advanced radar systems, with a particular focus on landing radar and radar altimeter applications for planetary exploration. The successful candidate will help address an immediate need for landing radar systems engineering expertise while building a long‑term technical capability within the Section.

Beyond the immediate project assignments, this position provides an opportunity to rebuild and grow landing radar expertise within the RF Remote Sensing Section. The successful candidate will be expected to develop into a key technical resource for landing radars and altimeters, providing continuity across current and future planetary landing missions and strengthening the Section’s ability to independently lead radar system engineering, modeling, verification, and test activities.

• Develop, maintain, modify, and take technical ownership of existing landing radar modeling and simulation tools to support current and future planetary landing missions.
• Apply radar systems engineering principles to analyze system performance, develop requirements, perform technical trades, and assess radar and altimeter performance.
• Support NASA Human Landing System (HLS) activities, including landing radar modeling and performance analysis beginning in FY27.
• Support the Skyfall landing radar qualification effort spanning FY27–FY28, including system‑level analysis, modeling, verification, and test planning.
• Lead or contribute to verification and validation (V&V) of landing radar altimeters, including development of test approaches, analysis of test data, and participation in field testing.
• Work across hardware, software, signal processing, and systems engineering disciplines to identify and resolve technical issues.
• Develop and maintain technical documentation, models, analysis tools, requirements, and verification approaches.
• Collaborate with NASA, JPL, industry, and project teams to define technical approaches and deliver radar systems engineering products.
• Contribute to the development of new radar architectures and technologies for planetary landing and other remote‑sensing applications.
• Build…