Principal R&D Engineer

Motorola Solutions; Illinois; Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 250,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Incentive Bonus Plans

Medical, Dental, Vision benefits

401(k) with Company Match

Paid Holidays

Generous PTO

Employee Stock Purchase Plan

Parental & Family Leave

Job summary

Silvus Technologies, a Motorola Solutions subsidiary, seeks a Principal Research & Development Engineer to lead and execute cutting-edge wireless projects. You will report to the Vice President of Research & Development on the R&D team, overseeing planning, design, implementation, prototyping, and verification from concept to deployment.

This position is eligible for 100% remote work depending on location.

Qualifications

• MS or PhD in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering or related field.
• Minimum 10 years of wireless systems design and development experience.
• Minimum 5 years of demonstrated technical project leadership.
• Experience across complete technology development cycle from design to field testing.
• U.S. Citizen required due to government contracts.
• Background check and drug test clearance.

Responsibilities

• Technical management of R&D projects and programs, including system design, requirements, scheduling, and hands-on design, simulation and verification.
• Oversee simulation, software, FPGA and testing efforts, and prepare customer-facing technical material.
• Report to management for strategic planning and assessment.
• Lead R&D business development and capture efforts, including whitepapers and proposals.
• Communicate with government and industry via phone, email and in-person meetings.
• Collaborate with the senior R&D team on larger projects and portfolio planning.
• Supervise engineers, assist in drafting job descriptions, and interview candidates.
• Occasional travel to support customer interactions or demonstrations, including Los Angeles HQ or other locations.

Skills

C/C++

MATLAB

Python

Wireless communications

MIMO

OFDM

Beam-nulling

Cognitive radio

Signal processing

LAN/WAN concepts

Education

MS or Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering or related field

Job description

Company Overview

At Motorola Solutions, we believe that everything starts with our people. We’re a global close-knit community, united by the relentless pursuit to help keep people safer everywhere. We build and connect technologies to help protect people, property and places. Our solutions foster the collaboration that’s critical for safer communities, safer schools, safer hospitals, safer businesses, and ultimately, safer nations. Connect with a career that matters, and help us build a safer future.

Department Overview

Silvus Technologies, a leading provider of advanced MANET and MIMO communications systems, is reshaping mesh network technology for mission‑critical applications – on the ground, in the air and at sea. Its battle‑proven StreamCaster family of MANET radios and proprietary MN‑MIMO waveform provides the vital communications link for defense, law enforcement and public safety agencies around the world, and in the toughest operational environments. With deep roots in DARPA research, Silvus Technologies develops world‑class advanced communications technologies that are reshaping the tactical communications landscape. From pure line‑of‑sight to extreme non‑line‑of‑sight, Silvus radios form a self‑healing, self‑forming mesh network, enabling secure and reliable connectivity, including video and high‑bandwidth data. Silvus Technologies is a wholly owned subsidiary of Motorola Solutions, Inc.

Job Description

We’re seeking a Principal Research & Development (R&D) Engineer who will report to the Vice President of Research & Development on the R&D team. The successful individual in this role will oversee and participate in the planning, design, implementation, prototyping, and verification of wireless technology projects. This position is eligible for 100% remote work depending on location.

Opportunities

Lead cutting‑edge R&D projects for state‑of‑the‑art wireless communication systems. At Silvus, you’ll take ideas from concept to deployment, ensuring our mission‑critical solutions meet the highest standards of quality and reliability.

Role and Responsibilities

• Technical management of R&D projects and programs, including overall system design, requirement specification, scheduling, and hands‑on design, simulation and verification work.
• Oversee simulation, software, FPGA and testing efforts, and prepare customer‑facing technical material when required.
• Report to management as needed for strategic planning and assessment.
• Lead R&D business development and capture efforts, including whitepaper and proposal preparation, technology positioning and pitching future enhancements.
• Communicate with government and industry via telephone, email and in‑person meetings.
• Collaborate within the senior R&D team on larger projects, setting a comprehensive technology portfolio and pipeline.
• Supervise a team of engineers, assist in drafting job descriptions, and screen and interview candidates.
• Occasional travel to support customer interactions, test and demonstration events, or team meetings at Los Angeles, CA headquarters or other locations.
• Perform other related duties as representative of the role.

Required Qualifications

• M.S. or Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering or a related communication and/or engineering technology field (e.g., wireless communications, signal processing, networking, RF design).
• Minimum 10 years of experience in the design and development of wireless systems.
• Minimum 5 years of demonstrated technical project leadership (e.g., principal investigator, technical program management).
• Participation in the complete technology development cycle from design to field testing.
• Must be a U.S. Citizen due to clients under U.S. government contracts.
• All employment contingent upon successful clearance of a background check and drug test.

Preferred Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Simulation and prototyping software: C/C++, MATLAB, Python, etc.
• Radio frequency propagation, channel modeling, digital communication.
• Wireless ad‑hoc mesh networking, medium access and routing algorithms.
• Signal processing algorithms, MIMO, OFDM, beam‑nulling, etc.
• Cognitive radio in congested and contested spectrum, interference mitigation.
• Radio frequency sensing, signal detection and classification.
• Technical writing, proposal preparation and technical presentation.

Working Conditions and Physical Requirements

• Office environment.
• Occasional exposure to heat, cold and allergens while performing tests or demonstrations in the field.
• Lift equipment up to 20 lbs. for the set‑up of demonstrations and testing.
• Perform bending and reaching movements to place items on lower and higher shelves.
• Kneel or squat to access lower shelves.
• Walk or move in the labs.

Compensation

Salary Range: $180,000 – $250,000 per year (not guaranteed; based on market research, education, experience and qualifications).

Travel

10–25% travel.

Benefits

• Incentive Bonus Plans
• Medical, Dental, Vision benefits
• 401(k) with Company Match
• 10 Paid Holidays
• Generous Paid Time Off Packages
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan
• Paid Parental & Family Leave
• ...and more.

EEO Statement

Motorola Solutions is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status or any other legally protected characteristic.