Lead Network Systems Researcher with Security Clearance

About the Team STR's Intelligence Division researches, develops, and transitions advanced analytics and machine-learning solutions for challenging national-security problems. Our team includes engineers and researchers with advanced backgrounds in engineering, computer science, mathematics, and data science who apply deep technical expertise and creativity to mission-critical challenges. Our work spans data analysis, deep learning, and statistical methods across networking, communications, social media, text, time series, geospatial, and imagery data.

We develop capabilities under constraints not typically encountered in commercial environments. U.S. Government analysts use our tools and technologies to extract, enrich, and act on intelligence information worldwide. The Role As a Lead Network Systems Researcher, you will lead the technical execution of advanced networking, communications, and ML-enabled systems. You will apply state-of-the-art machine-learning methods, networking expertise, and systems-engineering skills to challenges involving disparate and unlabeled data sources, real-time data communications, and networked systems.

You will work with software engineers, systems engineers, algorithm developers, researchers, and academic collaborators to develop, integrate, test, and transition mission-relevant capabilities. You will guide project technical direction, translate customer needs into executable plans, and ensure delivered systems meet high standards for quality, performance, maintainability, testability, reuse, and security.

What You Will Do

• Lead project execution: Lead technical execution of networking, communications, and ML-enabled systems projects from requirements definition through development, integration, test, demonstration, and transition
• Translate mission needs into plans: Convert customer needs and mission objectives into system requirements, technical architectures, development and test plans, milestones, performance metrics, and acceptance criteria
• Lead the technical team: Lead and mentor multidisciplinary teams of software engineers, systems engineers, researchers, and algorithm developers
• Manage technical work: Decompose technical problems into actionable tasks; assign work, manage dependencies and risks, and track execution against program objectives
• Own project architecture: Design and oversee implementation of architectures spanning network protocols, data pipelines, ML models, edge and network-core compute, and external interfaces
• Drive integration and quality: 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 advanced methods: 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 Who You Are:
• Education and experience: PhD with 2+ years, MS with 6+ years, or BS with 8+ years of relevant experience in computer science, machine learning, computer/electrical engineering, or a related technical discipline
• Clearance eligibility: Ability to obtain and maintain a Top Secret security clearance for which U.S Citizenship is needed by the U.S government
• Technical delivery leadership: Experience leading technical development efforts or major workstreams involving software, systems, networking, communications, machine learning, or related domains
• Systems engineering: Experience translating customer or mission needs into technical requirements, system designs, development and test plans, and integrated software and/or hardware systems
• ML expertise: Experience applying state-of-the-art ML methods, including unsupervised and semi-supervised learning techniques, to real-world problems across resource-constrained edge and resource-rich network-core environments
• Networking expertise: Strong understanding of networking and communications theory across the OSI model
• Engineering and communication practices: Working knowledge of software design patterns and engineering best practices, including integration, testing, version control, and collaboration tools such as Git, JIRA, and Confluence; strong written and verbal communication skills Even Better:
• Clearance: Active Top Secret security clearance
• Collaborative software development: Experience developing software in large, multi-party code bases using collaborative engineering practices and modern developer tools, including LLM-enabled coding tools such as Cursor or Codex.
• Protocol-layer development: Experience developing, integrating, testing, or evaluating software at the PHY, MAC, Network, or Application layers
• Communications domain expertise: Experience with 5G system development, testing, evaluation, network management, network security, and/or protocol analysis
• Customer and capture support: Experience supporting technical proposals, customer demonstrations, or capture activities with DoW or IC customers Pay Information

Full-Time Salary Range: $180,000 - $230,000. The salary range listed is based on external market data. Offers are based on factors, such as but not limited to, the candidate's experience, education, training, key skills/critical skills, security clearances, and prevailing market and business conditions. STR is a growing technology company with locations near Boston, MA, Arlington, VA, near Dayton, OH, Melbourne, FL, Carlsbad, CA, Atlanta, GA, and Denver, CO. We specialize in advanced research and development for defense, intelligence, and national security in: cyber; next generation sensors, radar, sonar, communications, and electronic warfare; and artificial intelligence algorithms and analytics to make sense of the complexity that is exploding around us. STR is committed to creating a collaborative learning environment that supports deep technical understanding and recognizes the contributions and achievements of all team members. Our work is challenging, and we go home at night knowing that we pushed the envelope of technology and made the world safer. STR is not just any company. Our people, culture, and attitude along with their unique set of skills, experiences, and perspectives put us on a trajectory to change the world. We can't do it alone, though - we need fellow trailblazers. If you are one, join our team and help to keep our society safe! Visit us at www.str.us for more info. STR is an equal opportunity employer. We are fully dedicated to hiring the most qualified candidate regardless of race, color, religion, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation and pregnancy), marital status, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, genetic information or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any portion of the employment process, email us at and provide your contact info. Pursuant to applicable federal law and regulations, positions at STR require employees to obtain national security clearances and satisfy the requirements for compliance with export control and other applicable laws. Create a Job Alert Interested in building your career at STR? Get future opportunities sent straight to your email. Create alert