Radio Frequency Field Scientist

Position Title

Radio Frequency (RF) Field Scientist

Supervisor

Director, Directed Energy

Location: The preferred work location for this position is Melbourne, FL. Hybrid or fully remote work may be considered at managements discretion based on operational requirements and other factors, including the location from which the employee will work. Candidates whose primary work location is outside the Melbourne area must be willing and able to travel to U.S. Government facilities, Sponsor locations, and other NSRI offices for project-related activities or as-needed.

Position Summary

The National Strategic Research Institute (NSRI) at the University of Nebraska is seeking applications for a RF Field Scientist to support overseas technical deployments in support of Department of War (DoW) and United States Government (USG) sponsors. The RF Field Scientist will deploy as one member of a two-person field team consisting of a Field Team Lead and RF Field Scientist responsible for the deployment, installation, operation, sustainment, troubleshooting, maintenance, and recovery of specialized sensing systems at designated overseas locations.

This position requires continuous rotational overseas deployments consisting of 60 days deployed in-country followed by 30 days at home station. Deployment locations will vary based on sponsor requirements and may include allied military installations, U.S. Embassies, and other government-designated locations throughout the Indo-Pacific, Europe, Africa, and other areas of strategic interest.

The RF Field Scientist serves as the primary technical expert for deployed sensing systems and provides operational support to ensure mission success. Working alongside the Field Team Lead, the RF Field Scientist will independently execute technical field operations while supporting mission planning, equipment integration, diagnostics, repairs, preventive maintenance, data collection, and system performance verification in austere and operationally relevant environments.

The RF Field Scientist is responsible for the technical quality and execution of assigned field activities, while the Field Team Lead retains overall responsibility for mission coordination and in-country operational execution.

The ideal candidate possesses a strong engineering background with experience in electrical and/or mechanical systems, sensor integration, radio frequency (RF) systems, non-ionizing radiation technologies, or related technical disciplines. The candidate must be capable of working independently while functioning effectively within a small two-person deployment team under demanding overseas conditions.

This position is part of a government-funded project, and employment is contingent upon continued customer funding and performance.

Priority Consideration: In alignment with our commitment to staff development and internal mobility, current NSRI employees will be given priority consideration for this vacancy, provided they meet the minimum qualifications. Internal candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Deploy as one member of a two-person overseas field team alongside the Field Team Lead.
• Serve as the primary technical authority for the installation, configuration, operation, maintenance, troubleshooting, and recovery of government-provided sensing systems.
• Perform field integration, calibration, testing, diagnostics, preventive maintenance, and repair of deployed equipment.
• Verify system performance and conduct operational acceptance testing following deployment and throughout mission execution.
• Support collection, documentation, and transfer of technical and operational data in accordance with government requirements.
• Maintain equipment accountability, configuration management, maintenance logs, and technical documentation.
• Emphasized databases, Application Program Interface, data migration, version control, technical documentation, prototype demonstrations, and government stakeholder coordination.
• Assist in developing technical procedures, equipment checklists, maintenance schedules, and deployment documentation.
• Identify technical issues, recommend corrective actions, and implement field repairs whenever practical.
• Work independently with minimal supervision while maintaining close coordination with the Field Team Lead.
• Provide technical recommendations to the Field Team Lead regarding system readiness, performance, technical risk, repair, or replacement requirements.
• Elevate technical issues that cannot be resolved in the field or that may materially affect mission execution, system performance, safety or Sponsor requirements.
• Support mission planning, equipment preparation, pre-deployment inspections, and post-deployment maintenance activities.
• Ensure compliance with all safety, operational, and host nation requirements.
• Ensure deployed personnel comply with security procedures and Sponsor/site security requirements established by the appropriate Government and NSRI security authorities, and immediately elevate suspected security incidents, unauthorized disclosures, suspicious contacts, insider threat indicators, or other security concerns through established reporting channels.
• Represent NSRI professionally while interacting with U.S. Government personnel, military organizations, and partner agencies.
• Perform additional technical duties as assigned in support of NSRI field operations.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Engineering Technology, Physics, Economics, Mathematics and Information Systems or a closely related technical discipline from an accredited college or university. Equivalent military technical experience may be considered.
• Relevant data engineering, technical research, software development, or integration experience.
• Experience supporting or familiarity with Radio Frequency/Electrical Engineering projects.
• Demonstrated experience installing, operating, maintaining, troubleshooting, and repairing complex electronic or mechanical systems.
• Experience working with sensor systems, radio frequency (RF) equipment, electronic instrumentation, test equipment, or other advanced technical systems.
• Experience with non-ionizing radiation technologies, RF sensing systems, electromagnetic systems, or closely related technologies is highly desirable.
• Strong mechanical aptitude with the ability to diagnose and resolve technical issues in field environments.
• Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, wiring diagrams, technical manuals, and system documentation.
• Excellent organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision while functioning effectively as part of a small two-person deployment team.
• Ability to travel internationally for extended periods and successfully complete repeated rotational deployments of 60 days overseas followed by 30 days home.
• Overseas Travel and Mission Support Experience
• Valid U.S. Passport or ability to obtain one.
• U.S. citizenship is required for this position because the duties require eligibility for a U.S. Government personnel security clearance. Candidate must be able to obtain and maintain the required U.S. Government security clearance and Sponsor accesses.

An equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered in lieu of degree

Desired Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electrical Engineering or Mechanical Engineering, technical, computing, information systems, engineering, scientific, economics.
• 3 or more years experience in one relevant area such as data engineering, database development, software or application development, technical research, data analysis, supporting Radio Frequency/Electrical Engineering projects.
• Previous overseas deployment or deployed operational experience.
• Experience supporting fielded sensor systems, RF collection systems, ISR platforms, or advanced sensing technologies.
• Experience operating in remote, austere, or expeditionary environments.
• Familiarity with electromagnetic compatibility (EMC), electromagnetic interference (EMI), RF propagation, or non-ionizing radiation measurements.
• Experience with data acquisition systems, instrumentation, spectrum analyzers, oscilloscopes, or similar diagnostic equipment.
• Prior U.S. military service, particularly in technical career fields such as communications, electronic warfare, radar, aviation maintenance, engineering, or intelligence systems.
• Active U.S. Government security clearance.
• Ability to rapidly learn and support emerging sensing technologies.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work effectively in a small, highly collaborative deployment team.

Benefits

• Competitive salary, commensurate with education and experience, plus a Rotational Assignment Premium in recognition of the position's required continuous 60-day overseas / 30-day home-station rotation.
• Health
• Dental
• Vision
• Employer-paid Life Insurance
• Voluntary Life Insurance (Employee, Spouse, and Child(ren))
• Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D)
• Long-Term Disability (LTD)
• 403(b) Retirement Plan with Employer Matching
• Paid Time Off
• Paid Holidays
• Professional Development and Training Opportunities