Space SIGINT Hardware Design Engineer

Jacobs Engineering Group - Severn, MD

Full-time - Senior

Severn, MD

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services

About the position

The Rapid Solutions Innovative Aerospace Division (IAD) is at the forefront of delivering RF antenna and processing solutions tailored for air and space applications. Our commitment lies in providing high-performance RF payloads through modern design and manufacturing techniques, ensuring that our mission solutions are both capable and affordable. As we stand on the brink of entering new markets, we are in search of innovative thinkers who are eager to contribute to the growth and disruption of the DoD and Intelligence Community (IC) market. In this role as a Mission Architect, you will lead technical teams through various phases including mission analysis, payload architecture concept development, and payload design, all the way to prototype and testing. Your primary responsibility will be to deliver affordable yet capable SIGINT overhead systems. You will assist or oversee mission analysis, concept development, and payload design specifically for signals intelligence. This includes developing and cascading system requirements down to RF payloads and Electronically Scanned Array (ESA) antenna mechanical and electrical designs. You will provide both technical and programmatic expertise for command and control, collection, processing, and exploitation of signals from air and space platforms. Additionally, you will support proposals and play a crucial role in delivering SIGINT solutions that meet critical customer needs. This leadership position offers a unique opportunity to shape the expanding portfolio of air and space programs, making a significant impact on national security by contributing to the development of next-generation tactical ISR systems. Your responsibilities will include analyzing mission needs and customer requirements for SIGINT systems, deriving payload and signal processor designs based on these requirements, and assessing current and future antenna designs and associated electronics for their suitability in SIGINT applications. You will also derive signal processing and mission data transport requirements for ISR systems and develop architectures to meet these needs. As a hardware Subject Matter Expert (SME), you will drive the designs of SIGINT systems and interface directly with customers on SIGINT-related issues.

Responsibilities

• Lead technical teams through mission analysis, payload architecture concept development, and payload design to prototype and test.
• Deliver affordable yet capable SIGINT overhead systems.
• Assist or oversee mission analysis, concept development, and payload design for signals intelligence.
• Develop and flow down system requirements to RF payload and ESA antenna designs.
• Provide technical and programmatic expertise for command and control, collection, processing, and exploitation of signals from air and space platforms.
• Support proposals and contribute to SIGINT solutions for critical customer needs.
• Analyze mission needs and customer requirements for SIGINT systems and derive payload and signal processor designs.
• Assess current and future antenna designs and associated electronics for SIGINT applications.
• Derive signal processing and mission data transport requirements for ISR systems and develop architectures to satisfy them.
• Act as a hardware SME to drive designs of SIGINT systems and interface with customers on SIGINT-related issues.

Requirements

• A minimum of a bachelor's degree in an appropriately technical field (such as electrical engineering, math, or physics).
• 15+ years of experience in SIGINT or related field (such as communications engineering or radar).
• Past or Active Clearance with DoD or the IC.
• Experience as a designer of signal collection payloads including antennas, RF electronics, digital electronics, and data processing.
• Ability to think critically and ask the right questions.
• Multi-tasking, attention to detail, and critical decision-making skills.
• Ability to work in an agile environment that allows for rapid prototyping and meeting aggressive timelines.
• Experience working directly with customers, including presentations and proposals.
• Possess strong analytical and organizational skills.
• Hands-on experience designing and building overhead (space) SIGINT collection systems (payloads).