Entry Level Radar Exploitation Engineer

Worker Type

Regular

Job Description

SummaryThe Engineering Intern will work within a specific area of Engineering that fits one's area of study and experience. AeroVironment is an engineering innovator and that means we seek individuals with a broad background of technical skills and the desire to tackle real-world challenges. To qualify for an Engineering Internship, one must be a Junior or higher in one of our preferred majors; possess a desire to build things; have a strong engineering aptitude and thrive working in a team environment.

One will have real responsibilities that impact actual products and help pave the way on our development path. Whether one is part of a team designing a new unmanned aircraft to be used for planetary surveillance, or working to test and verify design modifications to flight hardware/software systems, or helping to resolve flight behavior issues on a miniature unmanned aerial vehicle, your AeroVironment internship will challenge you, stimulate you and provide you with real-world experience at one of America's most innovative and creative tech companies.

Position Responsibilities
Use your hands-on knowledge and skills to participate in multiple phases of our Engineering/Manufacturing Design & Development process
Will support engineering and design activities in your discipline using tools such as Windtunnels, 3-D Printers, Solidworks, Altium, Ansys, Visual Studio, and Matlab
Other duties as assigned

Basic Qualifications (Required Skills & Experience)
Currently enrolled Junior, Senior or Grad Student pursuing a degree in Aero/Mechanical/Electrical or Computer Science/Engineering
Completed coursework relevant to major
UAV or Robotics experience
Hand-on experience with relevant tools
Experience with software tools in your area of expertise

Other Qualifications & Desired Competencies
Flight test or R/C experience a plus
General engineering fundamentals, mathematics, physics, material properties
Familiarity with structured development techniques
Thrives on innovation and challenge
Able to excel in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment, where small teams share a broad variety of duties
Has effective problem-solving, analytical, interpersonal and communication skills.
Focuses on teamwork, collaboration and puts the success of the team above one's own interests

Physical Demands
Ability to work in an office and manufacturing environment (Constant)
Required to sit and stand for long periods; talk, hear, and use hands and fingers to operate a computer and telephone keyboard (Constant)

Entry-Level Radar Exploitation Engineer

Location: Dayton, Ohio (On-site at or near Wright-Patterson AFB)
Organization: AV Specialized Exploitation & Targeting (SET) Department
Job Type: Full-time / Exempt
Clearance: Ability to obtain and maintain TS/SCI required; active TS/SCI desired

Overview

AV's Specialized Exploitation & Targeting (SET) Department is seeking an entry-level Radar Exploitation Engineer to support NASIC at Wright-Patterson AFB. You will help characterize foreign missile systems using line-of-sight radar-collected data and support the production of technical intelligence products for warfighters, senior decision-makers, and the Intelligence Community.

Key Responsibilities

• Help characterize foreign missile systems (ballistic, cruise, hypersonic, air-to-air, surface-to-air, surface-to-surface) using line-of-sight radar data.
• Assist in extracting and interpreting radar-derived observables (e.g., RCS, kinematics, staging events, propulsion phases, guidance behavior).
• Support analysis of time-series radar data to identify flight phases and unique signature features.
• Apply basic signal processing and tracking techniques, under guidance, to derive kinematic/dynamic parameters from radar returns.
• Draft clear written products (technical notes, reports, briefings) that meet IC standards.
• Present findings to teammates and support briefings to NASIC and other stakeholders as experience grows.
• Contribute to the development and refinement of methods and tools for radar-based missile exploitation.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Physics, Applied Mathematics, Aerospace Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a closely related technical field.
• 0-2 years of experience (internships, projects, or coursework) in radar analysis, missile systems analysis, RF signal processing, MASINT, EW, or related technical disciplines.
• Foundational understanding of radar fundamentals (radar equation, SNR, detection/tracking, antennas, beam patterns, line-of-sight propagation, basic waveforms).
• Familiarity with missile kinematics and flight phases (boost, midcourse, terminal).
• Experience with MATLAB and/or Python (NumPy/SciPy/Matplotlib) for data analysis, modeling, or signal processing.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills; ability to communicate technical results clearly to technical and non-technical audiences.
• U.S. Citizenship required.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a TS/SCI clearance.

Desired Qualifications

• Relevant internships, research, or coursework focused on radar, missile systems, or technical intelligence.
• Exposure to modeling & simulation tools (e.g., STK, radar tracking simulations).
• Familiarity with multi-sensor data (radar, optical/IR) and basic fusion concepts.

Competencies & Work Environment

• Strong technical curiosity and willingness to learn complex radar and missile phenomenology.
• Ability to work effectively in a multi-disciplinary, classified environment.
• Work is performed on-site in secure facilities in or around Wright-Patterson AFB; occasional travel (