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 Information and Communications Laboratory (ICL), Communications Systems and Spectrum Division (CSSD) Advanced Communication Systems Branch (ACSB) is looking for a senior Signal Processing Engineer who is interested in research and development of innovative solutions for wireless communications and spectrum sensing systems.

The Division's projects fuse advanced digital signal processing (DSP), communications technologies, adaptive algorithms, and AI/ML to develop solutions for systems that include adaptive communications, intelligent wideband spectrum sensing, electronic warfare (EW) systems, and next-generation cellular network technologies. The Division supports research and development efforts across many branches of the Federal Government. The Division focuses on early-stage research from applied research to laboratory and field demonstrations to deployed prototype systems.

The ideal candidate will be an experienced DSP researcher with a desire to work with other team members while researching, implementing, testing, and fielding adaptive communication and spectrum sensing systems. Research includes performing algorithm development and tradeoff analysis to provide robust and optimal Physical, Data, and Network Layers for communication in complex and dynamic environments of interest to research sponsors.

Job Purpose

Develops and/or applies mathematical, statistical, computational, or modeling techniques to generate algorithms for the processing of analog or digital signals, which may be performed in hardware, firmware, or software systems. Development includes implementation of time and frequency signal algorithms, communications and spectrum sensing algorithms, image processing algorithms and/or the application of sensing and perception algorithms in computer vision, lidar, or other sensor processing modalities. Utilizes complex engineering and mathematical principles to compose algorithm structures for problem solutions including the application of filtering and data fusion methods.  Applies algorithms to application specific hardware by writing code in assembly language or in a higher level software environment and integrates or interfaces with additional systems.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop methods and tools to perform research tasks to meet project objectives
• Implement and test algorithms implementation on various platforms
• Lead or contribute to the development of whitepapers and proposals to support a research area
• Support sponsors and potential sponsors engagement
• Primary author of sections technical reports/presentations of projects, journal articles, and conference presentations

Additional Responsibilities

• Lead research and development of components of OSI layer 1 for advanced communication system research with ability to support OSI layer 2 and 3 research
• Collaborate on research and design of signal processing algorithms for spectrum sensing
• Support and perform intelligent, adaptive algorithm research
• Develop algorithms using Fixed Point Math and Simulink for use in FPGAs
• Participate in the execution of projects, including attending technical meetings, completing assigned technical tasks, collaborating with colleagues, and presenting their research to the technical team and team leads
• Identify metrics useful for observation and characterization of a wireless communications system to optimize communication system performance
• Apply advanced technical principles, theories and concepts
• Contribute to development of new principles and concepts
• Work on unusually complex technical problems and provide solutions which are highly innovative and ingenious

Required Minimum Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience in wireless communications or spectrum sensing digital signal processing
• Understanding of algorithms related to OSI model level 1 through 3
• Understanding of machine learning/artificial intelligence algorithms
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to work individually and as part of a team
• Ability to work in a research environment where there are many unknowns and undiscovered paths

Preferred Qualifications

• Masters or Ph.D. degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Computer Science, Physics, Mathematics, or a related field of study
• 5 years experience or more in professional signal processing development
• 3 years of experience or more in OSI levels 1 through 3
• Background in communications and spectrum applications and related algorithms
• Experience in implementing algorithms in MATLAB Simulink
• Experience in implementing algorithms using Fixed Point Math
• Experience in implementing algorithms in FPGAs (Xilinx) using VHDL or Verilog
• Experience targeting FPGA platforms using Matlab Simulink HDL Coder
• Active Secret Clearance

Travel Required

<10% travel

Education and Length of Experience

Levels 3+4

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

• 5 years of related experience with a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Mathematics, Physics or related field.
• 3 years of related experience with a Masters’ degree in Electrical Engineering, Mathematics, Physics or related field.
• 0 years of related experience with a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, Mathematics, Physics or related field.

Levels 4+5

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

• 9 years of related experience with a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Mathematics, Physics or related field.
• 7 years of related experience with a Masters’ degree in Electrical Engineering, Mathematics, Physics or related field.
• 4 years of related experience with a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, Mathematics, Physics or related field.

Levels 5+6

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, Mathematics, Physics or related field.
• 12 years of related experience with a Masters’ degree in Electrical Engineering, Mathematics, Physics or related field.
• 9 years of related experience with a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, Mathematics, Physics or 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.