Overview:

The Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) is the nonprofit, applied research division of the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech). Founded in 1934 as the Engineering Experiment Station, GTRI has grown to more than 2,900 employees, supporting eight laboratories in over 20 locations around the country and performing more than $940 million of problem-solving research annually for government and industry. GTRI's renowned researchers combine science, engineering, economics, policy, and technical expertise to solve complex problems for the U.S. federal government, state, and industry.   

Georgia Tech's Mission and Values

Georgia Tech's mission is to develop leaders who advance technology and improve the human condition. The Institute has nine key values that are foundational to everything we do: 

1. Students are our top priority.
2. We strive for excellence.
3. We thrive on diversity.
4. We celebrate collaboration.
5. We champion innovation.
6. We safeguard freedom of inquiry and expression.
7. We nurture the wellbeing of our community.
8. We act ethically.
9. We are responsible stewards.

Over the next decade, Georgia Tech will become an example of inclusive innovation, a leading technological research university of unmatched scale, relentlessly committed to serving the public good; breaking new ground in addressing the biggest local, national, and global challenges and opportunities of our time; making technology broadly accessible; and developing exceptional, principled leaders from all backgrounds ready to produce novel ideas and create solutions with real human impact.

Project/Unit Description

The Georgia Tech Research Institute’s (GTRI) Information and Communications Laboratory (ICL), Communications and Spectrum Systems Division (CSSD), seeks experienced professionals to lead complex tactical communications research portfolios in a fast-paced environment supporting national security and warfighter capability.

CSSD operates by the principle “Mission Focused; People Empowered,” driving operational excellence and technical leadership by aligning work to warfighter outcomes while investing in employee growth, tools, and expertise. The Division promotes a culture of innovation, integrity, and ownership, enabling teams to deliver meaningful solutions for those who serve.

CSSD has a strong legacy in cellular network technologies, with expertise spanning 4G LTE, 5G, and NextG systems. The Division is a leader in adapting commercial cellular technologies for tactical and contested environments and is recognized for its leadership in the Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA), supporting the Department of Defense’s shift toward modular, vendor-agnostic system designs.

The Division delivers advanced solutions across five mission areas: JADC2, Spectrum Warfare, AI/ML, NextG & ISAC, and UAS Operations. Its work is built on four core capabilities: SDR Design and Development, including rugged small-form-factor radios, waveform expertise, verification and validation, and integration; System Software Architecture, including SOSA, CMOSS, AMS-GRA, embedded systems, DevSecOps, CI/CD, and MBSE; Disaggregated Network Architecture, scaling from 10 to more than 1,000 nodes, including drone swarms; and Mission Planning and Geospatial Systems, including FalconView, situational awareness, and geospatial data fusion.

CSSD supports the Army, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and the Office of the Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering.

Job Purpose

The Embedded Software/Firmware Engineer is responsible for developing algorithms and code for real-time signal processing to include communication and data transfer between system level hardware and embedded hardware. The Embedded Software/Firmware Engineer develops designs based on embedded firmware systems, such as Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), Digital Signal Processors (DSPs), microcontrollers/computers, Application-Specific Integrated Circuits/systems (ASICs), and or Graphics Processor Units (GPUs). These designs also require development of documentation to support future reviews of design and enhancements. This position requires extensive knowledge of development environments for Xilinx and Altera (Intel) technologies, software development and configuration skills, and computer operating systems. The Embedded Software/Firmware Engineer applies engineering principles to firmware software creation and implementation of real-time hardware interface firmware and analysis, debugging, and testing of these systems.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead embedded software teams, maintain schedules and budgets, and participate in staffing decisions
• Evaluate and merge software written by supervised developers
• Guide embedded programs to improve common capabilities to accomplish shared goals for embedded software products
• Design new embedded software processes and/or make improvements to existing processes
• Contribute to proposals and white papers
• Provide level of effort estimates for large programs

Additional Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership for embedded software, firmware, real-time systems, software-defined radio, and advanced communications research programs
• Develop and maintain software tools, scripts, test infrastructure, and reusable capabilities supporting embedded product development, integration, verification, and transition
• Lead architecture studies, design reviews, technical demonstrations, risk assessments, and customer-facing technical interchange meetings
• Supervise, mentor, and provide technical direction to researchers, engineers, students, and other project personnel
• Prepare technical reports, white papers, proposals, program plans, level-of-effort estimates, schedules, and customer deliverables for sponsored research and IRAD programs
• Support the development of new research opportunities, technology roadmaps, common software capabilities, and follow-on program concepts

Required Minimum Qualifications

• At least 10 years of experience in embedded software, embedded computing, computer architecture, cyber-physical systems, FPGA and digital systems, hardware/software co-design, real-time systems, or related research and development
• Demonstrated experience designing, developing, integrating, testing, and verifying embedded software, firmware, hardware/software interfaces, or real-time computing systems using technologies such as C, C++, Python, Linux, VxWorks, VHDL, SystemVerilog, FPGAs, or comparable platforms
• At least 5 years of experience leading, coordinating, mentoring, supervising, or providing technical direction to engineers, researchers, students, or multidisciplinary technical teams
• Experience with requirements development, system architecture, simulation, test planning, laboratory debugging, system integration, formal verification, processor emulation, or hardware/software verification

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with tactical communications systems, software-defined radios, military communications waveforms, waveform integration, or secure and resilient communications
• Experience with 5G technologies, including 5G New Radio (5G NR), private 5G networks, radio access networks, network slicing, Open RAN, or related wireless communications systems
• Experience with 3GPP standards, specifications, protocols, architecture, or standards-based implementation and testing
• Experience with embedded communications software, digital signal processors, FPGAs, software-defined radio platforms, RF data interfaces, modem development, synchronization, channel coding, or signal processing
• Experience with open and modular communications architectures, including SOSA, CMOSS, MORA, VPX, or related platforms
• Experience leading or contributing to communications-focused proposals, white papers, demonstrations, interoperability testing, sponsor engagements, or technology-transition activities

Travel Requirements

10% - 25% travel

Education and Length of Experience

This position vacancy is an open-rank announcement. The final job offer will be dependent on candidate qualifications in alignment with Research Faculty Extension Professional ranks as outlined in section 3.2.1 of the Georgia Tech Faculty Handbook

• 14 years of related experience with a Bachelor’s degree in  electrical engineering, computer engineering, computer science, mathematics, physics, or a related field
• 12 years of related experience with a Masters’ degree in  electrical engineering, computer engineering, computer science, mathematics, physics, or a related field
• 9 years of related experience with a Ph.D. in  electrical engineering, computer engineering, computer science, mathematics, physics, or a related field

U.S. Citizenship Requirements

Due to our research contracts with the U.S. federal government, candidates for this position must be U.S. Citizens.

Clearance Type Required

Candidates must be able to obtain and maintain an active security clearance.

Benefits at GTRI

Comprehensive information on currently offered GTRI benefits, including Health & Welfare, Retirement Plans, Tuition Reimbursement, Time Off, and Professional Development, can be found through this link: https://benefits.hr.gatech.edu/.

Equal Employment Opportunity

The Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. The Institute is committed to maintaining a fair and respectful environment for all. To that end, and in accordance with federal and state law, Board of Regents policy, and Institute policy, Georgia Tech provides equal opportunity to all faculty, staff, students, and all other members of the Georgia Tech community, including applicants for admission and/or employment, contractors, volunteers, and participants in institutional programs, activities, or services. Georgia Tech complies with all applicable laws and regulations governing equal opportunity in the workplace and in educational activities.

Equal opportunity and decisions based on merit are fundamental values of the University System of Georgia (“USG”) and Georgia Tech. Georgia Tech prohibits discrimination, including discriminatory harassment, on the basis of an individual’s race, ethnicity, ancestry, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age, disability, genetics, or veteran status in its programs, activities, employment, and admissions. Further, Georgia Tech prohibits citizenship status, immigration status, and national origin discrimination in hiring, firing, and recruitment, except where such restrictions are required in order to comply with law, regulation, executive order, or Attorney General directive, or where they are required by Federal, State, or local government contract.

USG Core Values Statement

The University System of Georgia is comprised of our 26 institutions of higher education and learning as well as the System Office. Our USG Statement of Core Values are Integrity, Excellence, Accountability, and Respect. These values serve as the foundation for all that we do as an organization, and each USG community member is responsible for demonstrating and upholding these standards. More details on the USG Statement of Core Values and Code of Conduct are available in USG Board Policy 8.2.18.1.2 and can be found on-line at https://www.usg.edu/policymanual/section8/C224/#p8.2.18_personnel_conduct.

Additionally, USG supports Freedom of Expression as stated in Board Policy 6.5 Freedom of Expression and Academic Freedom found on-line at https://www.usg.edu/policymanual/section6/C2653.