RADAR Engineer/Scientist

UICGS / Bowhead Family of Companies; Dahlgren (VA); On-site; USD 85,000 - 115,000; Full time

Job summary

UICGS / Bowhead Family of Companies is looking for a Combat Systems RADAR Engineer/Scientist to support systems at the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Dahlgren, Virginia. The successful candidate will develop test plans, conduct system tests, and work closely with engineering teams in a highly technical environment. To be considered, applicants must hold a relevant Bachelor's degree, have significant experience in system testing and validation, and possess a current Secret level security clearance.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in an engineering field or related discipline.
• Experience with radar system engineering and design.
• Hands-on experience with hardware and software integration.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement test plans for naval surface systems.
• Conduct integration and qualification tests.
• Participate in design reviews and technical meetings.

Skills

Hands-on experience in system testing

Navy Combat Systems engineering experience

Strong organizational skills

Intermediate to advanced Microsoft Office skills

Effective communication skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree in mechanical, electrical, computer or electronics engineering

Minimum 5 years of experience

Tools

MATLAB

Job description

Combat Systems RADAR Engineer/Scientist (SSETS-2026-25205)

Bowhead seeks a Combat Systems RADAR Engineer/Scientist to join our team supporting the Advanced Sensor Systems Division B40 within the Electromagnetic and Sensor Systems Department (B Department), at Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD).

The Combat Systems RADAR Engineer/Scientist will work directly with the client supporting Navy and Marine Corps systems that include Dual Band Radar (DBR), Ground Air Task Oriented Radar (G/ATOR), AN/SPY-1, AN/SPY-6, Enhanced Radar Data Display System (ERDDS), Enhanced Coherent Data Collection System (ECDCS), Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) and other Sensor Systems.

Job Duties

• Develop and implement detailed test plans, procedures, and schedules for naval surface systems (e.g., radar, combat systems, weapon systems) in support of the Amphibious fleet.
• Conduct system integration tests, qualification tests, and environmental tests to assess system performance, reliability, and compliance with customer specifications.
• Work with engineering teams to isolate root causes and recommend corrective actions or design improvements.
• Participate in design reviews, test readiness reviews, and other technical meetings.
• Provide recommendations for process improvements, test methodologies, and tools to enhance testing efficiency and system performance.
• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical, electrical, computer or electronics engineering. Other acceptable majors include mathematics, computer science or physics and 4 or more years of industry and/or DoD experience.
• Navy Combat Systems engineering experience.
• Hands‑on experience in system testing, validation, and verification, with emphasis on hardware and software integration.
• Experience in the development and execution of test plans, test procedures, and test reports for complex systems.
• Experience with automated testing tools and data analysis tools (e.g., MATLAB and other modeling programs) for performance validation.
• Strong organizational skills to handle multiple projects, timelines, and priorities.
• Intermediate to advanced level skills in Microsoft Office software suite – Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint.
• Ability to communicate effectively with all levels of employees and outside contacts.
• Strong interpersonal skills and good judgment with the ability to work alone or as part of a team.
• Position requires 100% of work conducted at customer site.

General Sensor Engineering Experience Since Award of Degree

• Minimum five (5) years if Candidate has a Bachelor’s degree.
• Minimum three (3) years if Candidate has a Master’s degree.

Specialized Experience

• Performing complex radar system engineering, design, analysis, or sensor software development.
• Experience in formulating opinions, decisions and ultimate performance of the engineering tasks associated with the radar/sensor program/project.
• Perform detailed and complex calculations and knowledge of practices/principles necessary to assess advanced radar systems concepts, assess specifications and perform system integration.
• Demonstrated experience in one or more of the following specific knowledge areas (as stated in the technical instruction):
• Radio frequency hardware design and/or fabrication.
• Demonstrated knowledge of antenna engineering.
• Demonstrated knowledge of signal processing and Electronic Protection (a.k.a. Counter-Counter).

Measures

• Demonstrated experience and ability to perform detailed and complex calculations and knowledge of practices/principles necessary to assess advanced radar systems concepts, assess specifications and perform system integration.

Physical Demands

• Must be able to lift up to 40 pounds.
• Must be able to stand and walk for prolonged amounts of time.
• Must be able to twist, bend and squat periodically.

Security Clearance Requirements

Must currently hold a security clearance at the Secret level. US Citizenship is a requirement for Secret clearance at this location.