Lead Electronic Warfare System Architect

Boeing; Kent (WA); On-site; USD 177,000 - 239,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

PTO

401k matching

Tuition assistance

Health insurance

Paid parental leave

Life and disability insurance

Job summary

The Boeing Company’s Phantom Works seeks a Lead Electronic Warfare System Architect to guide architecture and system-level design for advanced EW systems at Tukwila or Kent, WA. Expect strong proficiency in EW, radar, firmware and embedded software, and full integration across hardware, firmware, and software.

Role focuses on translating mission needs into cutting-edge architectures, authoring technical papers, and presenting results to customers, with roughly 10% travel and 100% onsite work.

Qualifications

• Bachelor degree in Engineering or related field; US citizenship required.
• 14+ years experience with bachelor’s, or 12+ with master, or 9+ with PhD.
• 10+ years RF/EW experience and radar knowledge including DSP/FPGA.

Responsibilities

• Define and own EW and radar system architecture from concept through delivery.
• Translate mission requirements into system-level requirements.
• Lead trade studies balancing EW/radar capabilities and vehicle constraints.
• Architect software-defined EW/radar solutions with HW/SW partitioning.
• Provide leadership for electronics design, RF front-end, and signal processing.
• Collaborate with SE, mechanical, thermal, power, and integration teams.
• Mentor teams in embedded development, HIL testing, and MBSE.
• Author white papers and briefs; present results to customers and stakeholders.
• Lead government R&D contracts for EW and radar systems; manage cost/schedule/tech.

Skills

EW techniques

Radar processing

RF front-end design

Firmware development

Embedded software

System-level architecture

HIL/ SIL labs

DSP/ FPGA

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering

Advanced degree preferred

Tools

VHDL/Verilog

DSP toolchains

RF test equipment

SIL/HIL tooling

Job description

Lead Electronic Warfare System Architect Company: The Boeing Company Boeing Phantom Works is seeking a Lead Electronic Warfare (EW) System Architect to lead the technical architecture and system-level design for advanced EW systems within multiple Phantom Works proprietary programs at our Tukwila or Kent WA locations. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in EW and radar system development spanning electronics design & test, firmware and embedded software development & test, EW and radar techniques, and low SWaP software-defined systems. This role requires translating mission needs into cutting edge architectures that meet vehicle performance constraints, guiding implementation choices, and ensuring successful integration and verification across hardware, firmware, software, and mission effectiveness. Additionally, the engineer will be responsible for authoring white papers, presenting technical data to customers, leading contracted research and development efforts, working closely with programs of record to integrate new technologies into operational platforms, and coordinating closely with customer to help shape the future of EW systems.

Here in Phantom Works, our job is to transform technologies (both existing and new) into new and innovative products for our customers. If you are a systems-focused engineer who can bridge RF hardware, radar and EW processing, firmware, and embedded software to deliver operational capability and drive technical outreach and integration with programs of record, we want to hear from you.

Position Responsibilities:

• Define and own the system architecture for EW and radar-enabled systems from concept through integration, test, and delivery.
• Translate mission and vehicle-level performance requirements into system-level requirements.
• Lead trade studies to balance EW and radar capability, detection/mitigation techniques, performance, and vehicle constraints (size, weight, power, cooling, EMI).
• Architect software-defined EW and radar solutions, specifying critical HW/SW partitioning, reconfigurability, and processing pipelines.
• Provide technical leadership for electronics design, RF front-end, radar receiver/transmitter considerations, digitizers, signal processing chains, and real-time firmware implementation.
• Work closely with systems engineering, mechanical, thermal, power, and vehicle integration teams to manage trade-offs and ensure integration readiness.
• Mentor and guide engineering teams in best practices for embedded development, hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing, model-based design, and radar/EW algorithm validation.
• Engage with suppliers and partners to specify interfaces, performance expectations, and verification criteria.
• Author technical white papers and program briefs to document novel approaches, trade studies, evaluation results, and recommended architectures.
• Present technical findings, architectures, and test results to internal stakeholders and external customers, tailoring communication to technical and non‑technical audiences.
• Lead government contracts for research and development of EW and Radar systems, inducing managing cost, schedule and technical performance.
• Coordinate with programs of record and integration leads to mature and integrate technologies into operational platforms, support technology insertion planning, and address sustainment considerations.

This position will require approximately 10% travel domestically.

This position is expected to be 100% onsite. The selected candidate will be required to work onsite at one of the listed location options.

This position requires the ability to obtain a US Top Secret Security Clearance for which the US Government requires US Citizenship. A final U.S. Top Secret Clearance Post-Start is required.

Basic Qualifications (Required Skills/Experience):

• Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering (with a focus in Electrical, Mechanical or Aeronautical), Computer Science, Data Science, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry or non-US equivalent qualifications directly related to the work statement.
• 14+ years of work-related experience with a bachelor’s degree or 12+ years of work-related experience with a masters or 9+ years of work-related experience with a PhD.
• 10+ years of professional experience in RF systems for SIGNIT, Electronic Warfare, Information Operations or Cyber.
• Hands‑on knowledge of Electronic Warfare techniques (e.g., detection, jamming, deception, electronic protection) and radar techniques (e.g., detection, tracking, SAR/GMTI basics, radar signal processing).
• Experience in electronic warfare principles, techniques, and technologies.

Preferred Requirements (Desired Skills/Experience):

• Advanced degree (MS or PhD) in EE, CE, Systems Engineering, or related field.
• Prior role as EW architect, radar systems architect, lead systems engineer, or equivalent technical lead on EW or radar programs.
• Deep RF/analog design experience, including front-end receiver/transmitter design, digitizers, ADC/DAC selection, and RF test techniques.
• Experience with the design, build and the maintenance of SIL (Software -in-the-loop) or HIL (Hardware-in-the-loop) labs.
• Expertise in real-time signal processing algorithms and implementation on DSPs, FPGAs, or heterogeneous processing platforms for both EW and radar applications.
• Proficiency in firmware development languages/tools (C/C++, VHDL/Verilog, RTL-to-bitstream flows) and SW integration practices.
• Familiarity with EMI/EMC, thermal management, and mechanical integration challenges for vehicle-mounted EW and radar systems.
• Experience designing and architecting low SWaP (size, weight, and power) software-defined EW/radar systems and balancing vehicle performance constraints.

Conflict of Interest: Successful candidates for this job must satisfy Company’s Conflict of Interest (COI) assessment process.

Typical Education/Experience: Education/experience typically acquired through advanced technical education from an accredited course of study in engineering, computer science, engineering data science, mathematics, physics or chemistry (e.g. Bachelor) and typically 14 or more years' related work experience or an equivalent combination of technical education and experience or non-US equivalent qualifications.

In the USA, ABET accreditation is the preferred, although not required, accreditation standard.

Relocation: This position offers relocation based on a candidates eligibility.

Drug Free Workplace: Boeing is a Drug Free Workplace where post offer applicants and employees are subject to testing for marijuana, cocaine, opioids, amphetamines, PCP, and alcohol when criteria is met as outlined in our policies.

Shift: This position is for 1st shift.

This is a union-represented position.

At Boeing, we strive to deliver a Total Rewards package that will attract, engage and retain the top talent.

Benefits:

• Boeing offers a comprehensive benefits package including generous Paid Time Off (PTO), flexible work environment, paid parental leave, 401k matching, extremely generous tuition assistance for earning advanced degrees, and paid medical leave programs.
• The Boeing Company also provides eligible employees with an opportunity to enroll in a variety of benefit programs, generally including health insurance, flexible spending accounts, health savings accounts, retirement savings plans, life and disability insurance programs, and a number of programs that provide for both paid and unpaid time away from work.
• Best in class 401(k) plan: we'll match your contributions dollar for dollar, up to 10% of eligible pay with Immediate 100% vesting.
• Student Loan Match: The Boeing 401(k) Student Loan Match allows eligible enrolled U.S. employees to have their qualified student loan debt payments counted, along with any match-eligible contributions they make, for purposes of determining the Company Match to employees' Boeing 401(k) accounts.

Summary pay range: Level 5 (Lead): $176,800 - $239,200

Language Requirements: Not Applicable Education: Bachelor's Degree or Equivalent

Export Control Requirement: This position must meet U.S. export control compliance requirements. To meet U.S. export control compliance requirements, a “U.S. Person” as defined by 22 C.F.R. §120.62 is required. “U.S. Person” includes U.S. Citizen, U.S. National, lawful permanent resident, refugee, or asylee.

Safety Sensitive: This is not a Safety Sensitive Position.

Security Clearance: This position requires the ability to obtain a U.S. Security Clearance for which the U.S. Government requires U.S. Citizenship. An interim and/or final U.S. Top Secret/SCI Clearance Post-Start is required.

Visa Sponsorship: Employer will not sponsor applicants for employment visa status.

Contingent Upon Award Program The position is contingent upon program award Shift: Shift 1 (United States of America)

Boeing is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, physical or mental disability, genetic factors, military/veteran status or other characteristics protected by law.

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