Principal Research Scientist: Signal Processing

Date Posted:

2026-06-17



Country:

United States of America



Location:

US-VA-ARLINGTON-111 ~ 1300 17Th St N ~ BBN ARLINGTON



Position Role Type:

Onsite



U.S. Citizen, U.S. Person, or Immigration Status Requirements:

Active and transferable U.S. government issued security clearance is required prior to start date.​ U.S. citizenship is required, as only U.S. citizens are eligible for a security clearance​



Security Clearance Type:

DoD Clearance: Top Secret



Security Clearance Status:

Active and existing security clearance required on day 1

RTX BBN solves challenging problems of high importance to our customers in the Department of Defense, the Intelligence Community and Industry by rapidly prototyping systems for sensing complex physical phenomena, correlating them to events of interest, and producing high-value, actionable information from the sensed data. The team specializes in delivering networked sensor system solutions by combining a strong understanding of the underlying physics, high-fidelity modeling, simulation of complex signatures and propagation phenomenology, deep expertise in signal processing, EM and RF phenomenology, and computer science, proven capabilities in system development, and mature tools to enable rapid design cycles from theory to demonstration. We are currently searching for a highly qualified Signal Processing Research Scientist to join our team in Arlington, VA.

What You Will Do:

Statistical signal processing:

• Estimation techniques including Bayesian and non-Bayesian estimators, performance measures such as bias and mean-square error and bounds on estimator performance such as the Cramer-Rao lower bound.
• Detection techniques including the Neyman-Pearson detection, probabilities of detection and false alarm, receiver operating curves, etc.

Cyclostationary signal processing:

• CAF, SCF, SOF estimation.
• Computation of Cyclic Cumulants.
• Cyclic Feature Detection.

Adaptive signal processing:

• Temporal and space-time adaptive processing.
• Interference covariance estimation techniques including both structured and reduced-rank techniques.
• Wiener filtering and on-line adaptive techniques such as LMS and RLS.
• Kalman filtering, particle filtering, and multi-hypothesis tracking.
• Machine learning and optimization for optimal control.

RF propagation and signature modeling:

• Link budgets, terrestrial and free-space propagation models, multipath, non-stationary propagation environments (Doppler spread), clock stability and phase noise, and target kinematics.
• Antenna pattern estimation.
• Estimation of bistatic RCS.

Sensing:

• Sparse array processing, beamforming, direction finding, filtering and tracking.
• Range-Doppler radar and synthetic aperture radar (SAR).
• Signal classification and recognition.

Physical-layer communications:

• Modulation techniques and tradeoffs, channel estimation and tracking, MIMO communications, equalization, forward error correction and decoding.
• LPX waveform design.
• Multi-user detection.

Qualifications You Must Have:

• M.S. in Electrical Engineering, Mathematics, or Physics plus 5+ years of relevant experience, or Ph.D. plus 3+ years experience.
• Experience with signal processing, including estimation, detection, etc.
• Experience with RF modeling and sensing.
• Active Top Secret government security clearance
   

Qualifications We Prefer:

• Position may require some overnight travel.
• Experience applying advanced methods, theories, and R&D techniques to solve difficult problems.
• Skillset to tackle research challenges proactively with minimal supervision and periodic check-ins with team leads.
• Experience leading small teams of technical contributors.
• Experience documenting plans and scientific findings with opportunities to present to government customers.

Learn More & Apply Now!
Work Location: Onsite - Alrington, VA
Please consider the following role type definition as you apply for this role:

Onsite: Employees who are working in Onsite roles will work primarily onsite. This includes all production and maintenance employees, as they are essential to the development of our products

As part of our commitment to maintaining a secure hiring process, candidates may be asked to attend select steps of the interview process in-person at one of our office locations, regardless of whether the role is designated as on-site, hybrid or remote.

The salary range for this role is 118,300 USD - 224,900 USD. The salary range provided is a good faith estimate representative of all experience levels. RTX considers several factors when extending an offer, including but not limited to, the role, function and associated responsibilities, a candidate’s work experience, location, education/training, and key skills.

Hired applicants may be eligible for benefits, including but not limited to, medical, dental, vision, life insurance, short-term disability, long-term disability, 401(k) match, flexible spending accounts, flexible work schedules, employee assistance program, Employee Scholar Program, parental leave, paid time off, and holidays. Specific benefits are dependent upon the specific business unit as well as whether or not the position is covered by a collective-bargaining agreement.

Hired applicants may be eligible for annual short-term and/or long-term incentive compensation programs depending on the level of the position and whether or not it is covered by a collective-bargaining agreement. Payments under these annual programs are not guaranteed and are dependent upon a variety of factors including, but not limited to, individual performance, business unit performance, and/or the company’s performance.

This role is a U.S.-based role. If the successful candidate resides in a U.S. territory, the appropriate pay structure and benefits will apply.

RTX anticipates the application window closing approximately 40 days from the date the notice was posted. However, factors such as candidate flow and business necessity may require RTX to shorten or extend the application window.

RTX is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability or veteran status, or any other applicable state or federal protected class. RTX provides affirmative action in employment for qualified Individuals with a Disability and Protected Veterans in compliance with Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act.

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