Job Description

Job Summary

General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA‑EMS) is looking for a Radar Systems Engineer – Phased Array & Beamforming Architecture to help shape the core architecture of our next‑generation radar apertures and digital beamforming systems.

In this role, you will lead the architecture, design, and system‑level analysis of phased array and digital beamforming (DBF) functions, working across antenna/array design, RF front‑end, digital receiver/exciter, and implementation‑level beamforming on modern processing hardware.

You will be a key member of the Radar Technologies department and report to the Senior Manager of Architecture and Systems Engineering. This role will work under the direction of the Radar Technical Lead and the Senior Manager of Architecture and Systems Engineering. It is responsible for architecture and design within the phased array, antenna, and digital beamforming domain and will collaborate with other subsystem leads (DSP/signal processing, Digital Receiver/Exciter, Resource Management, Tracking, Calibration, Antenna/RF) to define and realize the overall radar system design. You will work closely with the signal processing algorithm lead, and focus on phased array and DBF architecture, implementation, and integration with the RF/array and hardware.

General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA‑EMS) designs and manufactures first‑of‑a‑kind electromagnetic and electric power generation systems. GA‑EMS’ expanding portfolio of specialized products and integrated system solutions support critical fleet, space systems and satellites, missile defense, power and energy, and process and monitoring applications for defense, industrial, and commercial customers worldwide.

Highlights Working For GA-EMS:

• Eligible for the Individual Compensation Program (ICP) bonus.
• Outstanding retirement benefits: 401(k) with company match and a company pension.
• Excellent work environment: team-centric, all contributors valued and respected.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES: 

• Lead the architecture and system‑level design of phased array and digital beamforming for advanced radar systems, including array partitioning, beamforming topologies, and multibeam concepts.
• Collaborate with hardware engineering to ensure the phased array and DBF design is consistent with the array and RF front‑end architectures, including:
  • Element patterns, polarization behavior, and scan angle effects.
  • Mutual coupling, edge effects, and their impact on beam patterns, calibration, and Tx/Rx Module loading.
  • Tx/Rx Module power, thermal, and gain/phase stability considerations.
• Develop beam tapering strategies and beam weight designs to meet coverage, sidelobe, clutter, interference, and electronic protection performance requirements.
• Develop performance models and simulations of beamformed channels (primarily in MATLAB) to assess SNR, beam patterns, sidelobe levels, and sensitivity under realistic scenarios, including hardware non‑idealities.
• Work closely with the calibration team to:
  • Define calibration requirements and strategies that support desired beamforming performance.
  • Analyze the impact of gain/phase errors, array imperfections, mutual coupling, and calibration residuals on beam patterns and system performance.
  • Develop methods to compensate for or mitigate calibration and hardware non‑idealities in the beamforming algorithms and architecture.
• Collaborate with hardware, RF, and the Digital Receiver/Exciter (DREX) team to ensure the DBF design is consistent with:
  • DREX architectures, data paths, and interfaces.
  • Quantization, dynamic range, and timing requirements.
  • Data throughput and processing resource constraints for current and future systems.
• Define DBF data paths and implementation approaches on high‑performance processing architectures, in collaboration with hardware and software teams.
• Support integration and test planning for phased array and DBF functions, including lab, HWIL (hardware‑in‑the‑loop), and field test events.
• Define and decompose system and subsystem requirements related to phased array, DBF, and beam control, including interfaces to RF front‑end, DSP, tracking, and radar resource management.
• Analyze data from simulations, near‑field and far-field range measurements, and field tests to validate phased array and beamforming designs, troubleshoot issues, and develop design updates.
• Develop and maintain phased array and DBF‑related models and documentation to support design reviews and system‑level trades.
• Prepare and present technical material at internal and external technical reviews (SRR, PDR, CDR, TRR, etc.) and customer meetings.

We recognize and appreciate the value and contributions of individuals with diverse backgrounds and experiences and welcome all qualified individuals to apply.

Job Qualifications

• Typically requires a bachelors degree, masters degree or PhD in engineering or a related technical discipline from an accredited institution and progressive engineering experience as follows; fifteen or more years of experience with a bachelors degree, thirteen or more years of experience with a masters degree, or ten or more years with a PhD.  May substitute equivalent engineering experience in lieu of education.
• Demonstrated detailed and extensive technical expertise and application of systems engineering and radar engineering principles, with the ability to organize, plan, schedule, conduct, and coordinate workloads to meet established deadlines or milestones, including some experience in project or technical leadership.
• Demonstrated experience in radar systems with emphasis in one or more of the following areas:
  • Digital beamforming architectures for phased array or AESA radar systems.
  • Beamforming weight/taper design and sidelobe control.
  • Multibeam or adaptive beamforming concepts.
  • Performance modeling of beamformed channels.
  • Electronic protection techniques related to beamforming and spatial processing.
• Experience developing and analyzing radar system models and simulations using MATLAB. Experience with additional tools such as Python or C/C++ is a plus.
• Demonstrated experience working with calibration and hardware teams, including:
  • Understanding of array and RF hardware non‑idealities (gain/phase errors, mutual coupling, channel imbalance, etc.).
  • Experience with calibration techniques and their impact on beamforming performance.
• Experience with digital beamforming implementation on FPGA, GPU, or other high‑performance processing architectures (in collaboration with hardware, firmware, and software teams). Experience with FPGA or firmware development and prototyping is a plus.
• Familiarity with key radar subsystems and functions, such as:
  • RF front‑end and antenna/array architectures.
  • Waveform design and pulse compression.
  • Digital signal processing and detection.
  • Tracking and track‑while‑scan architectures.
  • Radar resource management and scheduling.
  • Calibration and performance verification.
• Ability to understand new concepts quickly and apply them accurately throughout a fast‑paced, R&D environment.
• Strong communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills to effectively interface with other departments, customers, government representatives, and/or professionals.
• Customer focused and able to work on a self‑initiated basis or in a team environment.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a DoD security clearance is required.

• Previous experience working with the Department of Defense.

Even Better If You Have

• Demonstrated experience as a beamforming architect or lead engineer on digital beamforming radar systems (airborne, ground based, naval, or space based).
• Experience with calibration techniques for large arrays and understanding of how calibration data is used within beamforming algorithms.
• Experience developing or using IQ based and/or detection-based system level simulations to validate DBF and search performance.
• Experience with development tools including Confluence, Jira, and Git.