Radar Signal Processing Engineer II

Job Details

Michigan Technological University is an R1 technological research university founded in 1885 in Houghton. Our rural campus is situated just miles from Lake Superior in Michigan's scenic Upper Peninsula and is home to nearly 7,500 students from more than 60 countries around the world. Consistently ranked among the best universities in the country for return on investment, Michigan’s flagship technological university offers more than 185 undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Research focus areas include defense, health, energy, automotive, environment, and aerospace.

The area’s waters, forests, and snowfall support year-round recreation, including skiing, snowboarding, hiking, biking, and paddling. The University is an integral part of the region, supported by a friendly and welcoming community that takes pride in being a true college town. We embrace our size, climate, sense of adventure, and originality.

Summary

*This position has the possibility of being located in Ann Arbor, Michigan or Dayton, Ohio.*

At Michigan Tech Research Institute (MTRI), we develop advanced technologies that help our nation better understand, sense, and operate within complex natural and human-made environments. Our work spans multidisciplinary research and applied development, advancing ideas from foundational concepts to mission relevant prototypes. We are seeking a Radar Signal Processing Engineer II to support research and development in radar sensing technologies, including radar signal processing, synthetic aperture radar (SAR), and electronic warfare applications. This role focuses on implementing and evaluating radar sensing algorithms, supporting modeling and simulation activities, and assisting in experimental evaluation of prototype sensing systems. The successful candidate will work under the guidance of senior engineers and scientists while developing technical expertise in radar sensing technologies and research methods.

Responsibilities and Essential Duties

1. Develop and evaluate radar signal processing algorithms for detection, estimation, and imaging applications.
2. Develop and evaluate radar signal processing chains for sensing applications.
3. Support development and testing of SAR processing techniques including image formation and motion compensation.
4. Conduct modeling and simulation of radar systems and signal processing chains using tools such as MATLAB or Python.
5. Analyze radar datasets and support development of feature extraction techniques.
6. Assist with laboratory experiments and prototype radar sensing systems.
7. Document technical work through internal reports and presentations.
8. Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams including RF engineers, systems engineers, and data scientists.
9. Contribute to technical reports and support proposal development activities.
10. Commit to learning about continuous improvement strategies and applying them to everyday work. Actively engage in University continuous improvement initiatives.
11. Apply safety-related knowledge, skills, and practices to everyday work.

Required Education, Certifications, Licensures

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in Electrical Engineering, Physics, Applied Mathematics, or a related technical field.

Required Experience

1. Minimum of 2 years relevant experience with Bachelor’s degree, OR a Master’s degree in a relevant field.
2. Experience with scientific programming languages such as MATLAB, Python, or C++.

Desirable Education and/or Experience

1. Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Physics, Applied Mathematics, or a related technical field.
2. Coursework or research experience in radar signal processing or remote sensing.
3. Familiarity with SAR processing techniques.
4. Experience analyzing radar or RF datasets.
5. Experience with modeling and simulation environments.
6. Familiarity with software defined radios or radar prototype systems.
7. Active government security clearance at Secret-level or higher.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and/or Abilities

1. Ability to obtain a U.S. Department of Defense security clearance, which requires United States citizenship. Obtaining a national security clearance while holding a dual citizenship will not be possible when the foreign country poses a risk to the national security of the United States.
2. Fundamental knowledge of radar signal processing concepts including detection, estimation, tracking, and imaging.
3. Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
4. Ability to work collaboratively in a multidisciplinary research environment.
5. Strong written and verbal communication skills.

Desirable Knowledge, Skills, and/or Abilities

• Demonstrated success in, or potential future contributions to, working with persons with a wide variety of backgrounds and viewpoints.
• Rudimentary knowledge of ML/AI techniques

Work Environment and/or Physical Demands

WORK ENVIRONMENT: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The noise level in the work environment is usually low to moderate.

Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) % (1=100%): 1

FLSA Status: Exempt

Appointment Term: 12 months

Pay Rate/Salary: Salary is commensurate with experience and qualifications.

Title of Position Supervisor: Research Engineer III

Posting Type: Internal and External

Dependent on Funding: Yes. This position is contingent upon the continued availability of external funding.