Full-Time

Principal Algorithm & Signal Processing Engineer

STR

STR

501-1,000 employees

Defense, intelligence, homeland security R&D contractor

Compensation Overview

$206k - $284k/yr

No H1B Sponsorship

Arlington, VA, USA

In Person

On-site role in Arlington, Virginia; no remote work option stated.

US Citizenship, US Top Secret Clearance Required

Bachelor's, Master's, PhD

Category
Electrical Engineering (1)
Required Skills
Python
Data Structures & Algorithms
MATLAB
C/C++
Data Analysis

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Requirements
  • Ability to obtain a security clearance, requiring U.S. citizenship
  • BS, MS, or PhD in Electrical Engineering, Applied Mathematics, Physics, or related technical discipline
  • Typically 8-12+ years of relevant experience depending on education and demonstrated expertise
  • Demonstrated leadership in radar, electronic warfare, RF sensing, or related defense technologies
  • Experience on electronic warfare or radar programs, including development of system models and advanced signal- and data-processing algorithms from mathematical/analytical derivation through testing and verification of system performance
  • Proficiency in MATLAB, Python, and C/C++ (one or more)
  • Experience briefing technical work to customers, senior executives, and multidisciplinary audiences
Responsibilities
  • Lead multidisciplinary technical teams
  • Architect advanced RF sensing and electronic warfare algorithms from concept to operational prototype
  • Engage directly with customers to understand their unique requirements and national security needs, and shape solutions to meet objectives
  • Mentor junior researchers and provide technical direction across programs
  • Transition new technologies from research into operational prototypes
  • Design and apply cutting-edge signal processing to solve complex RF sensing and counter-sensing challenges
  • Support business development initiatives and lead proposal efforts that help shape the future technical direction of programs and the organization
Desired Qualifications
  • Active Secret or Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) Clearance
  • Ability to apply novel, innovative and interdisciplinary approaches to challenging engineering problems

STR provides R&D, software development, and integration services for national security agencies, including DARPA and the Department of Defense, under large multi-year IDIQ contracts. Its main platforms are Analytics & Command and Control (C2) for AI-driven data insights, Cybersecurity with digital models and twins of embedded systems, and Sensors using software-defined RF/acoustic hardware for next-generation radar, electronics warfare, and sonar across space, air, land, maritime, and undersea domains. The company differentiates itself as an employee-owned contractor with deep expertise in signal processing, estimation, control, and defense-domain integration, having secured over $1.3 billion in federal funding. Its goal is to deliver practical, deployable technologies that enhance national security, joint all-domain operations, and situational awareness, while also exploring applicable commercial uses such as automated medical imaging.

Company Size

501-1,000

Company Stage

N/A

Total Funding

$281.3M

Headquarters

Woburn, Massachusetts

Founded

2010

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Simplify Jobs

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • Aug. 4, 2026 Space Force awarded STR SB-AMTI work for orbital tracking.
  • DARPA’s March 2026 grant extended STR’s research funding and validation.
  • SB-AMTI targets 2028 capability, creating multi-year follow-on work for STR.

What critics are saying

  • Space Force’s Aug. 4, 2026 SB-AMTI award leaves STR’s dollar share undisclosed.
  • STR depends on DARPA and Space Force; program reprioritization cuts revenue quickly.
  • Rocket Lab and SpaceX can vertically integrate sensing, squeezing STR out by 2028.

What makes STR unique

  • STR’s JAWS pedigree shows deep DARPA battle-management software expertise since 2020.
  • STR combines sensor signal processing, cyber modeling, and command-and-control for contested missions.
  • STR’s employee-owned structure attracts mission-driven engineers versus traditional defense bureaucracies.

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Benefits

Flexible Work Hours

Company News

Time
Aug 4th, 2026
Space Force awards $615M to Rocket Lab and STR for tracking tech.

Space Force awards $615M to Rocket Lab and STR for tracking tech. The U.S. Space Force awarded contracts totaling $615 million to Rocket Lab, Systems & Technology Research, and an unidentified firm to develop satellite tracking technologies for the Space-Based Airborne Moving Target Indicator program. The initiative aims to provide persistent space-based surveillance over contested areas globally. Space Force awards $615 million for orbital tracking technologies. The U.S. Space Force distributed a $615 million package among three defense contractors to develop advanced technologies for a satellite network intended to track aircraft and missile threats from orbit. While the military branch withheld the exact financial breakdown for operational-security reasons, Rocket Lab claimed the largest disclosed portion with a $397 million agreement. Under that agreement, Rocket Lab will build, launch, and operate multiple next-generation Flatellite spacecraft. These flat satellite designs are optimized for large constellations and equipped with space-based sensors alongside low-latency, high-bandwidth communication links. The firm-fixed-price contracts form part of the Space-Based Airborne Moving Target Indicator program, known as SB-AMTI, which seeks to give the military persistent tracking over regions where surveillance aircraft face operational risks. Discover more Company Earnings Business news analysis Expanding the vendor base and alternative sensing approaches. The latest awards follow a massive $4.16 billion agreement awarded to SpaceX to build the initial AMTI constellation designed to detect and maintain custody of fighter aircraft, bombers, cruise missiles, and potential hypersonic weapons. Whereas the SpaceX pact establishes the operational baseline, the newer agreements focus on alternative sensing technologies and expanding supplier diversity. "The core focus of this second task order is diversifying our capabilities and ensuring we don't rely on a single technical solution. With these new partnerships, we are exploring unique innovations and technologies and fundamentally different ways to accomplish the airborne moving target indication mission." Col. Ryan Frazier, acting Space Force portfolio acquisition executive for Space-Based Sensing and Targeting Systems & Technology Research, a Virginia-based defense technology firm commonly known as STR, joined the effort alongside Rocket Lab and an unnamed third contractor. The agency noted that the broader architectural design will combine space-based sensors, communications links, and ground processing to produce updated tracks detailing a target's location, speed, and direction. Operational goals and launch logistics. Rocket Lab announced it will launch its Flatellites on the company's upcoming Neutron rocket and operate them from secure facilities. The company brings an end-to-end vertical integration model to the initiative, handling everything from satellite design and manufacturing to launch and on-orbit operations. The defense initiative responds directly to the vulnerabilities of traditional aerial platforms. Large surveillance aircraft provide wide-area radar coverage, but their proximity to conflict zones is increasingly constrained by long-range missiles and sophisticated air defenses. Moving these sensing missions into space creates a resilient layer of protection, projecting an initial capability on orbit by 2028. Discover more Business & Industrial Managing technical hurdles and future milestones. Despite the rapid contract awards, military officials emphasize that the 2028 architecture marks only a first step toward global space-based targeting. Program leaders point to significant technical hurdles involving data processing limits and orchestration challenges. Furthermore, managing a vast fleet of sensors requires sophisticated ground processing algorithms and orchestration software. More on this July 29, 2026 In "Business" Rocket Lab to Launch Japanese Tech Satellite, Continuing Record-Breaking YearTable of ContentsRocket Lab to Launch Japanese Tech Satellite, Continuing Record-Breaking YearExpanding Partnership with JAXARAISE-4: A Platform for InnovationA Year of Unprecedented Success Rocket Lab is poised to launch a cutting-edge technology demonstration satellite for Japan tonight, December 6th, marking a... December 6, 2025 The U.S. Space Force is once again shifting a national security payload to SpaceX, this time reassigning the GPS III SV10 satellite to a Falcon 9 rocket launch slated for late April. The move comes after continued delays and an ongoing investigation into an anomaly experienced during the inaugural launch... March 22, 2026 Former software engineer turned tech reporter. Explores AI, cybersecurity, gadgets and start-up culture.

Military & Aerospace Electronics
Sep 8th, 2025
STR moves forward on DARPA AIR job to develop artificial intelligence (AI) for swarming uncrewed aircraft

STR moves forward on DARPA AIR job to develop artificial intelligence (AI) for swarming uncrewed aircraft.