Systems Engineer – Position, Navigation & Timing

Description

The team works on position, navigation and timing (PNT) capabilities, from early concepts through prototypes, demos and transition into real systems.

The role sits in small, agile teams within a large aerospace and defense company, working alongside engineers and researchers from the company, universities, labs and small businesses.

The work blends embedded software, satellite communications, signal processing and systems engineering, and offers room to contribute to architectures, prototypes, roadmaps, proposals and technical publications.

Posted 2026-10-06. The application window is expected to close about 40 days after posting, though it may be shortened or extended.

Responsibilities

• Help design and build PNT algorithms and software as part of system and prototype work.
• Build and run modeling and simulation studies in MATLAB or Simulink to test concepts and assess performance.
• Take part in lab, hardware-in-the-loop and field tests, covering setup, data collection and result analysis.
• Record architectures, design choices and test results in clear documentation the team can review and build on.
• Support project leads by spotting problems, tracking technical progress and passing findings to the team.

Requirements

• A bachelor's degree in a STEM field.
• U.S. citizenship and the ability to obtain a DoW security clearance.
• Some exposure to PNT systems or navigation, such as estimation methods, sensor fusion, inertial integration or GNSS.
• Working knowledge of GNSS basics and of navigation approaches that work in resilient or GPS-degraded conditions.
• Experience using MATLAB or Simulink for analysis or prototyping.
• Experience developing navigation, signal processing, communications or estimation algorithms.
• Hands-on experience implementing algorithms in MATLAB, Simulink, Python, C or C++.
• Some exposure to phased arrays, beamforming, calibration or tracking and estimation techniques.
• Experience supporting applied research, prototype development or experimental data analysis.
• Familiarity with aerospace or defense development practices.
• Some candidates may be asked to attend select interview steps in person at an office location, whatever the role type.
• Requires theoretical knowledge typically gained through a university degree, with limited knowledge of the company's organization.
• Typically a university degree or equivalent experience, with less than 2 years of relevant experience.
• For engineering and other technical roles, typically a STEM degree and at least 2 years of relevant experience, unless local law prohibits it.

Conditions

Onsite role at the Cedar Rapids, Iowa site (400 Collins Rd NE, Building 108), working primarily onsite.

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

U.S. citizenship is required, since only U.S. citizens are eligible for a security clearance.

The ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. government security clearance is required.

DoD Secret clearance. An active, existing clearance is required after day 1.

The salary range is 57,200 USD to 108,800 USD, a good-faith estimate covering all experience levels. Offers depend on the role, function and responsibilities, experience, location, education and training, and key skills.

Commuting to and from the site is the employee's own responsibility.

Equal opportunity: the company hires without regard to protected characteristics.

Benefits

• Eligible hires may receive medical, dental, vision, life and disability insurance, a 401(k) match, flexible spending accounts, flexible work schedules, an employee assistance program, the Employee Scholar Program, parental leave, paid time off and holidays. Specific benefits depend on the business unit and any collective-bargaining agreement.
• Eligible hires may join annual short-term and/or long-term incentive programs, depending on level and any collective-bargaining agreement. Payouts are not guaranteed and depend on individual, business unit and company performance.