Principle R&D Engineer - Wireless Systems - Los Angeles, California

MissionHires; Los Angeles (CA); Hybrid; USD 130,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

MissionHires is seeking a Principal R&D Engineer for a rapidly growing tech company in Los Angeles. This hybrid role involves leading R&D projects, managing system design, and engaging with government and industry clients.

The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in wireless technologies and will be responsible for overseeing project development and delivering technical materials. A strong background in wireless systems and proven technical leadership are essential.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience designing and developing wireless systems.
• 5+ years of technical project leadership experience.
• Must be a U.S. Person or U.S. Citizen.
• Strong technical writing and presentation skills.

Responsibilities

• Own overall system architecture and requirements for projects.
• Plan and track development tasks across various domains.
• Oversee modeling, software development, and verification efforts.
• Serve as a customer-facing technical lead.
• Lead R&D capture, including proposal development.

Skills

Deep wireless systems expertise

Technical leadership

Hands-on prototyping experience

C/C++

MATLAB

Python

RF propagation knowledge

Technical writing

Education

M.S. or Ph.D. in wireless communications or related field

Tools

Simulation tools

Prototyping tools

Job description

MissionHires is partnering with a rapidly growing high‑tech company in West Los Angeles to hire a Principal R&D Engineer. In this hybrid role, you’ll lead end‑to‑end capture, planning, system design, prototyping, and verification of advanced wireless technologies. You will manage multi‑disciplinary R&D projects, drive proposals and whitepapers, collaborate with senior leadership on the tech roadmap, and engage directly with government and industry customers. This role requires deep wireless systems expertise, hands‑on prototyping experience, and proven technical leadership.

Responsibilities

• Own overall system architecture and requirements for wireless technology projects
• Plan, schedule, and track development tasks across simulation, software, FPGA, RF, and testing
• Oversee paper design, modeling, software development, FPGA implementation, and verification efforts
• Prepare and deliver technical materials; serve as a customer‑facing technical lead
• Report project status and technical risk to management for strategic planning and assessment
• Lead and contribute to R&D capture, including whitepaper and proposal development
• Assess current technologies and pitch future enhancements and strategies
• Communicate with government and industry stakeholders via phone, email, and in‑person meetings
• Collaborate with senior R&D leaders to execute larger team‑wide projects
• Contribute to setting the team‑wide technology portfolio and pipeline
• Supervise junior and senior engineers as needed to deliver program objectives
• Perform related duties aligned with the above responsibilities as required

Requirements

• M.S. or Ph.D. in wireless communications, signal processing, statistics, optimization, networking, RF design, or related field
• 10+ years designing and developing wireless systems
• 5+ years of technical project leadership (e.g., Principal Investigator)
• Proven experience across the full technology development lifecycle, from design to field testing
• Proficiency with simulation and prototyping tools: C/C++, MATLAB, Python (familiarity required; expertise desirable)
• Strong knowledge of RF propagation, channel modeling, and digital communication
• Experience with wireless ad‑hoc mesh networking, medium access, and routing algorithms
• Background in signal processing algorithms, including MIMO, OFDM, and beam‑nulling
• Experience with cognitive radio in congested/contested spectrum and interference mitigation
• Experience in RF sensing, signal detection, and classification
• Strong technical writing, proposal development, and technical presentation skills
• Must be a U.S. Person or U.S. Citizen due to work with U.S. government clients
• Employment contingent upon successful background check
• Location: Los Angeles (Hybrid)