Senior Network & ML Systems Researcher - Clearance Eligible

STR; Arlington (VA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

STR’s Intelligence Division is seeking a Lead Network Systems Researcher to guide the technical execution of advanced networking, communications, and ML-enabled systems. You will work with software, systems, researchers, and collaborators to design, test, and transition mission-relevant capabilities.

You will translate customer needs into architectures and plans, lead a multidisciplinary team, and ensure delivery meets high standards for quality, performance, security, and maintainability across

Qualifications

• PhD with 2+ years, MS with 6+ years, or BS with 8+ years of relevant experience in CS, ML, or engineering.
• Active TS clearance eligibility with ability to obtain clearance.
• Experience leading technical development and major workstreams across software, systems, networking, ML.
• Experience translating customer needs into technical requirements and designs.
• ML methods for networking, real-time data, edge and core environments.
• Strong OSI networking theory knowledge.
• Experience with software design patterns, version control, and collaboration tools (Git, Jira, Confluence).

Responsibilities

• Lead technical execution of networking, communications, and ML-enabled systems projects from requirements through transition.
• Translate mission needs into system requirements, architectures, plans, milestones, performance metrics, and acceptance criteria.
• Lead and mentor multidisciplinary teams of software engineers, systems engineers, researchers, and algorithm developers.
• Decompose technical problems into actionable tasks; assign work, manage dependencies and risks, and track execution against program objectives.
• Design and oversee implementation of architectures spanning network protocols, data pipelines, ML models, edge and network-core compute, and external interfaces.
• Lead design reviews, code reviews, integration activities, technical demonstrations, and customer engagements; ensure delivered systems meet quality, performance, maintainability, testability, security, and reuse standards.
• Apply state-of-the-art ML and statistical methods to networking, communications, and real-time data challenges in collaboration with customers, mission partners, academic collaborators, and industry partners

Skills

Leadership

ML expertise

Networking expertise

Systems engineering

Engineering practices

Clearance eligibility

Collaboration software development

Education

PhD in a relevant field

MS in a relevant field

BS in a relevant field

Tools

Git

JIRA

Confluence

Cursor

Codex

Job description

STR’s Intelligence Division is seeking a Lead Network Systems Researcher to guide the technical execution of advanced networking, communications, and ML-enabled systems. You will work with software, systems, researchers, and collaborators to design, test, and transition mission-relevant capabilities.

You will translate customer needs into architectures and plans, lead a multidisciplinary team, and ensure delivery meets high standards for quality, performance, security, and maintainability across