UAV/Sensor Development, Prototyping, and Testing-Technical Staff

MIT Lincoln Laboratory; Lexington (MA); On-site; USD 145,000 - 220,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health plans

Pension

401K

Paid leave

Tuition reimbursement

Mentorship

Job summary

MIT Lincoln Laboratory seeks engineers to develop new low-cost sensors across modalities (RF, EO/IR, acoustics) and EA/EP systems, plus uncrewed vehicles. You will lead teams to rapidly prototype, integrate, and test complete systems for DoD use, with customer demos and staff mentorship.

The role involves cross-disciplinary collaboration, security-clearance readiness, and engagement with service members to deliver impactful solutions.

Qualifications

• The PhD or MS with related experience is required or strongly preferred.
• Experience in sensor development and integration including radar or EO/IR.
• Hands-on capability with prototype design, field-testing, and demonstrations.
• Strong skills in presenting technical material to varied audiences.
• Ability to work productively in a team and mentor others.
• Secret clearance ability is required

Responsibilities

• Lead teams to rapidly develop, integrate, prototype, and test complete systems.
• Deliver customer presentations and demonstrations to stakeholders.
• Project management and staff mentorship within the group.
• Collaborate across disciplines for sensor and UAS programs.

Skills

Sensor development

Radar systems

EO/IR imaging

Acoustics

Prototyping

Field testing

Presentations

Teamwork

Education

PhD in engineering or related

MS with related experience

Job description

Date: Oct 7, 2026

Location: Lexington, MA, US

Company: MIT Lincoln Laboratory

The Advanced Capabilities and Systems Group is an agile, innovative, multi-disciplinary team developing novel system and technology concepts that address the nation's critical security challenges. The Group leverages focused analysis to understand solutions to defense and intelligence problems and then develops the solutions in a fast cycle of experimentation, prototyping, and testing. The Group supports the Army, Air Force, Navy, Special Operations Forces, the Intelligence Community, and other government agencies in a wide variety of prototyping efforts. The Group consists of talented technical staff with expertise in electromagnetics, signal processing, radio frequency systems, antenna design, acoustics, EO/IR imaging, statistics, optimization, machine learning, UAS development, autonomous control, flight testing, software engineering, and embedded systems.

Position Description

The Advanced Capabilities & Systems Group is seeking highly motivated engineers to join our team to develop new low-cost sensors across different modalities (RF, EO/IR, acoustic, etc.), electronic attack/protections (EA/EP) systems, and uncrewed airborne/surface/underwater vehicles (UAV/USV/UUV). Successful candidates will work in and lead teams to rapidly develop, integrate, prototype, and test complete systems to be transitioned for use by U.S service members. Additional responsibilities include customer presentations and demonstrations, team/project management, and staff mentorship.

The Advanced Capabilities & Systems Group works on innovative and fast-paced sensor development and uncrewed autonomous system programs (such as the Perdix micro UAS) from concept through operational prototype. Technical staff have the opportunity to work closely with service members to develop impactful solutions to some of the government's most challenging problems.

Minimum Qualifications

• PhD degree in engineering, computer science, mathematics, or related degree; MS candidates with additional related experience will be considered
• Experience with sensor development and integration including radar, passive RF receivers, EO/IR cameras, or acoustics
• Hands on experience designing, prototyping, and field-testing air, ground, surface, or underwater vehicles.
• Candidates should have strong skills in the development and presentation of technical materials to varied audiences.
• Candidates should demonstrate strong teamwork skills with the ability to work productively and collaboratively with other team members
• Ability to obtain and maintain a Secret clearance required

Recent Graduate Hiring Range: $145,200 - $170,000

Experienced Hiring Range: $145,200 - $220,000

Disclaimer: MIT Lincoln Laboratory provides a typical hiring range as a good faith estimate of what we reasonably expect to offer for this position at the time of posting. The final salary offered to a selected candidate will depend on various factors, including-but not limited to-the scope and responsibilities of the role, the candidate's experience, skills and education/training, internal equity considerations and applicable legal requirements. This range reflects base salary only and does not include additional forms of compensation or benefits.

Benefits

At MIT Lincoln Laboratory, our exceptional career opportunities include many outstanding benefits to help you stay healthy, feel supported, and enjoy a fulfilling work-life balance. Benefits offered to employees include:

• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision plans
• MIT-funded pension
• Matching 401K
• Paid leave (including vacation, sick, parental, military, etc.)
• Tuition reimbursement and continuing education programs
• Mentorship programs
• A range of work-life balance options
• ... and much more!

Please visit our Benefits page for more information. As an employee of MIT, you can also take advantage ofother voluntary benefits, discounts and perks.

Selected candidate will be subject to a pre-employment background investigation and must be able to obtain and maintain a Secret level DoD security clearance.

MIT Lincoln Laboratory is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, veteran status, disability status, or genetic information; U.S. citizenship is required.

Requisition ID: 43425

Nearest Major Market: Boston

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