Researcher – Advanced RF Spectrum Monitoring for UAV Platforms

Instituto de Telecomunicações; Pêga; On-site; EUR 36,000 - 44,000; Full time

Job summary

Instituto de Telecomunicações (IT) seeks a highly motivated Postdoctoral Researcher for the AeroSpectrum project, focusing on real-time RF spectrum monitoring and electromagnetic sensing integrated into Unmanned Aerial Systems. The role blends RF engineering, SDR, and advanced signal processing in a multidisciplinary setting.

You will contribute to experimental development, system design, and validation across a wide frequency range, collaborating with partners to advance airborne monitoring

Qualifications

• PhD in Electrical Engineering, Telecommunications Engineering, Electronics, or Signal Processing.
• Strong scientific background in RF systems, wireless communications, or spectrum analysis.
• Experience with RF spectrum monitoring, SDR, signal detection/classification, or emitter localization.
• Experience with Python, MATLAB, C/C++, GNU Radio or equivalent development environments.

Responsibilities

• Conduct research on RF spectrum monitoring and electromagnetic sensing for UAV platforms.
• Develop and validate SDR-based monitoring and spectrum sensing systems.
• Collaborate with academic and industry partners across multi-disciplinary teams.
• Disseminate findings through scientific publications and conference presentations.

Skills

Strong scientific background

English communication

Collaborative team player

Education

PhD in Electrical Engineering, Telecommunications Engineering, Electronics, or Signal Processing

Tools

Python

MATLAB

C/C++

GNU Radio

Job description

Summary

This announcement was approved by the selection panel on 02-11-2026 and was published on 09-10-2026

Work Objectives

Instituto de Telecomunicações (IT) is seeking a highly motivated Postdoctoral Researcher to join the AeroSpectrum project, focused on the development of advanced radio-frequency spectrum monitoring and electromagnetic sensing technologies integrated into Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS). The AeroSpectrum project aims to develop innovative airborne platforms capable of real-time monitoring, characterization, and analysis of the electromagnetic spectrum, supporting interference detection, signal identification, and emitter localization in complex wireless environments. The successful candidate will contribute to scientific research and experimental development in RF systems, software-defined radio (SDR), advanced signal processing, and spectrum sensing technologies, supporting the design and validation of high-performance monitoring systems operating across a wide frequency range. The position provides an opportunity to work in a multidisciplinary research environment combining RF engineering, telecommunications, aerospace systems, and advanced digital signal processing.

Place of Work

The workplace shall be at Instituto de Telecomunicações, Polo de Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro.

Duration

A term contract, with a termination date undetermined, overseen by Portuguese Labour Code. The approximate duration of the contract will be 31 months, depending on the completion of the tasks identified above, and this period is not necessarily linked to the duration of the specific project.

Monthly Salary

Basic monthly salary: the basic monthly salary corresponds to level PR1 of Assistant Researcher (€ 3.576,56). Instituto de Telecomunicações informs that it offers a wide range of social benefits to its employees, aiming to promote well-being, quality of life, and support in professional performance. More information will be provided during the onboarding process or can be obtained from the Human Resources department.

Admission Requirements

• Mandatory qualifications - PhD in Electrical Engineering, Telecommunications Engineering, Electronics, Signal Processing, or a closely related scientific discipline.
• Strong scientific background in radio-frequency systems, wireless communications, or electromagnetic spectrum analysis.
• Research experience in at least one of the following areas: RF spectrum monitoring, software-defined radio, signal detection and classification, RF measurement systems, or emitter localization.
• Ability to conduct independent scientific research and contribute to experimental validation.
• Good written and spoken English communication skills.
• Preferred qualifications - Experience with wideband RF receivers, antennas, RF front-ends, and SDR platforms.
• Knowledge of spectrum sensing, interference detection, and RF emitter identification techniques.
• Experience with high-performance digital signal processing, including real-time or FPGA-based processing.
• Experience with Python, MATLAB, C/C++, GNU Radio, or equivalent development environments.
• Knowledge of direction-of-arrival estimation, time-difference-of-arrival, or other radio localization techniques.
• Familiarity with RF instrumentation, spectrum analyzers, vector signal analyzers, and wireless system characterization.
• Experience integrating electronic systems into UAVs or other size-, weight-, and power-constrained platforms.
• Scientific publications in relevant peer-reviewed journals and international conferences.
• Experience in collaborative research projects involving academic and industrial partners.

Required Documents

• Motivation letter.
• Curriculum Vitae.
• Degree certificates.
• Other required supporting documents.