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Salary: USD 190,000 - 275,000 / annual
True Anomaly is seeking a Principal Digital Signal Processing Engineer to lead the architecture, development, implementation, and integration of advanced DSP capabilities for space-based RF payloads. The company builds autonomous spacecraft, advanced payloads, mission software, and space-based interceptors for U.S. defense and allied space superiority.
In this role, you will develop real-time processing systems for high-rate complex I/Q data collected from RF sensors, phased arrays, SIGINT payloads, radar systems, and software-defined radios. You will own DSP efforts across the full development lifecycle—from algorithm development and modeling through implementation on embedded processors, FPGAs, GPUs, and other flight computing platforms.
Key responsibilities include:
- Define DSP architectures and technical roadmaps for RF payloads, including requirements, interfaces, implementation approaches, and verification strategies
- Develop and implement real-time DSP algorithms for high-rate complex I/Q data
- Design processing chains including digital downconversion, channelization, polyphase filter banks, decimation, resampling, filtering, and spectral analysis
- Develop algorithms for signal detection, characterization, classification, modulation recognition, and signal parameter estimation
- Develop and evaluate algorithms for phased-array processing, digital beamforming, adaptive beamforming, direction finding, angle-of-arrival estimation, and adaptive nulling
- Support SIGINT, electronic warfare, RF sensing, and signal exploitation architectures
- Support radar signal processing including pulse compression, range-Doppler processing, detection, tracking, and waveform analysis
- Develop algorithms for frequency, phase, and timing synchronization, calibration, interference mitigation, and low-SNR signal processing
- Analyze real-world recorded and streaming I/Q data to evaluate system performance and troubleshoot issues
- Develop high-fidelity simulations and test environments using MATLAB, Python, C++, or similar tools
- Translate floating-point algorithms into efficient fixed-point, embedded software, FPGA, GPU, DSP, or other hardware implementations
- Perform fixed-point, bit-true, quantization, bit-growth, overflow, dynamic range, and numerical accuracy analysis
- Optimize processing systems for throughput, latency, memory bandwidth, power, clock rate, and available computational resources
- Work with FPGA and software engineers to define hardware/software interfaces, data formats, timing requirements, memory architectures, and processing pipelines
- Develop production-quality software and firmware, including automated testing, code reviews, version control, and configuration management
- Develop and execute algorithm verification and validation plans using simulated, laboratory, field-collected, and hardware-in-the-loop data
- Support RF payload bring-up, hardware integration, system testing, environmental testing, and on-orbit commissioning
- Lead root-cause analysis and corrective action for DSP, payload, and system-level performance issues
- Define and manage requirements, interfaces, technical documentation, design reviews, and verification closure
- Serve as the technical authority for payload signal processing in architecture reviews, design reviews, customer engagements, and program milestones
- Lead cross-functional technical execution across DSP, FPGA, RF, antenna, software, hardware, and systems engineering teams
- Mentor engineers and establish reusable DSP architectures, development tools, test infrastructure, and engineering processes
- Support customer engagements, proposal development, technical presentations, and new business capture
The ideal candidate is a technical leader who can take algorithms from initial analysis through real-time implementation, hardware-in-the-loop testing, payload integration, and delivery. You will work closely with RF, antenna, FPGA, software, hardware, systems, and payload engineers to define architectures that meet demanding requirements for bandwidth, latency, memory, power, and computational resources.
QUALIFICATIONS:
- Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Physics, Mathematics, or a related technical field. Master's degree or Ph.D. preferred.
- 10+ years of experience in digital signal processing, RF systems, radar, communications, SIGINT, electronic warfare, or a related technical field
- Extensive hands-on experience processing high-rate complex I/Q data from RF systems, sensors, radar, communications payloads, or software-defined radios
- Strong understanding of digital signal processing fundamentals, including sampling theory, filtering, Fourier transforms, spectral analysis, multirate processing, and related concepts
- Experience in one or more of the following areas is highly desirable: phased-array signal processing, digital beamforming, SIGINT, electronic warfare, radar, RF sensing, software-defined radio, communications, or geolocation
- Active TS//SCI clearance or eligibility to obtain one
- Experience working in a fast-paced startup or similarly dynamic environment
- Must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State (ITAR compliance)
