Postdoctoral Scholar, Electrical Engineering for UAV Sensors

Job Description

Job Description

Special Information

• This position is an on-site position which requires the incumbent to complete their work primarily at an NAU site, campus, or facility with or without accommodation. Opportunities for remote work are rare.
• This position is subject to the availability of funding. 
• Due to this project’s funding source, this position is open only to U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents (green card holders).
• The position may require handling Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) in accordance with sponsor and university data-security requirements. Work on this project may involve technical data, hardware, or software subject to U.S. export control regulations, including the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) and the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR); the incumbent must be able to comply with applicable export control requirements and with any project-specific technology control plan.

About the Department/College

The Radiant Center for Remote Sensing, in partnership with the Planetary Instrumentation eXperimentation and Exploration Laboratory (PIXEL) at Northern Arizona University, seeks a Postdoctoral Scholar to support the design, implementation, and field validation of embedded electronics for real-time sensor fusion aboard uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs). The position centers on custom hardware development, including schematic capture and multilayer PCB layout; VHDL/FPGA development for real-time data acquisition, timing, and on-board processing; and embedded software for sensor interfacing, synchronization, and system control.

This is one of several concurrent postdoctoral scholar recruitments at Radiant Center, and the successful candidate will collaborate closely with fellow postdoctoral researchers and faculty working simultaneously on related projects.

About the Position

The postdoctoral scholar will work alongside a full-time electrical engineer to integrate these systems onto UAV platforms, contribute to flight testing across the varied terrain around Flagstaff, and work collaboratively with interdisciplinary teams in engineering and the remote sensing sciences to translate results into technical reports, peer-reviewed publications, and deployable instrumentation. The postdoctoral scholar will also help mentor graduate and undergraduate student researchers supporting the project. This is an in-person, laboratory- and field-based position based in Flagstaff, AZ.

This position is primarily an office and laboratory-based design role. Most of the work is performed at a desk and on the bench: schematic capture and PCB layout, FPGA and firmware development, simulation, and hardware bring-up and debugging. Laboratory work involves electronics assembly and test equipment, oscilloscopes and logic analyzers, soldering and rework stations, 3D printers, and drone hardware, with routine exposure to small hand tools, soldering fumes, and low-voltage electrical hazards. Fieldwork is a smaller component, consisting of periodic UAV flight testing at sites in and around Flagstaff, occasionally in rugged terrain and variable weather, with infrequent overnight or multi-day travel for more distant field campaigns and for conference travel. The position may require occasional overtime, particularly around test campaigns and sponsor reporting deadlines.

Responsibilities Include

60% - Electronics Design & Real-Time Sensor Fusion Development

• Support schematic capture and multilayer PCB layout for custom UAV sensor-fusion electronics, including power, high-speed digital, and mixed-signal design.
• Develop VHDL/FPGA firmware for real-time data acquisition, timing, synchronization, and on-board sensor fusion processing.
• Develop embedded software (C/C++, Python) for sensor interfacing, data logging, and system control on microcontroller and edge-compute platforms.
• Conduct simulation, bench validation, and hardware-in-the-loop testing of custom electronics and firmware.

20% - UAV Integration, Field Testing & Validation

• Assist with integration of custom electronics and sensor payloads onto UAV platforms, flight- controller/autopilot stacks (e.g., Pixhawk, ArduPilot/PX4), and edge-compute hardware.
• Support planning and execution of field data collection campaigns and flight tests across varied terrain to support development and validation.
• Perform board bring-up, calibration, debugging, and troubleshooting of hardware, firmware, and sensors in the lab and in the field.
• Characterize system performance against reference measurements and document results.

15% - Analysis, Dissemination & Reporting

• Process and analyze multi-sensor datasets to evaluate hardware, firmware, and fusion algorithm performance.
• Prepare technical reports and milestone updates for project sponsors • Author and co-author peer-reviewed manuscripts and conference presentations.
• Maintain reproducible workflows, documentation, and version-controlled code and design files.

5% - Other

• Mentor graduate/undergraduate students and support lab activities.
• Participate in stakeholder workshops and outreach activities.

Minimum Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering/Science, or a closely related field, completed prior to the start date.

*A combination of related education, experience, and training may be used as an equivalent to the above Minimum Qualifications.

Preferred Qualifications

• Demonstrated research or professional experience in electronics design, FPGA/VHDL development, and/or embedded systems.
• Proficiency in C/C++ and/or Python.
• Hands-on experience with schematic capture and multilayer PCB layout (e.g., KiCad), including design for manufacturability and bring-up of custom boards.
• VHDL (or similar, e.g., Lattice Radiant, AMD Vivado) development for FPGAs and SoCs, including real-time data acquisition, high-speed interfaces, and timing closure.
• Embedded software development for FPGAs/microcontrollers and edge-compute platforms (e.g., NVIDIA Jetson), including real-time operating systems and device drivers.
• Hands-on experience with drone hardware and software, including integrating sensors and compute onto UAV flight- controller/autopilot stacks (e.g., Pixhawk, Cube, ArduPilot/PX4).
• Field research and testing experience with UAV systems.
• Multi-sensor fusion experience spanning IMU, GNSS, LiDAR, or imaging sensors, including time synchronization across sensors.
• Record of peer-reviewed publications in electronics, embedded systems, robotics, or instrumentation.
• FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate, or willingness to obtain one shortly after hire.

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities

Knowledge

• Knowledge of embedded systems architecture, digital design, and real-time data acquisition.
• Knowledge of analog and mixed-signal circuit design, power electronics, and signal integrity practices.
• Demonstrated experience in hardware bring-up, debugging, and use of laboratory instrumentation (oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, benchtop supplies).
• Experience with sensor fusion and state estimation methods (e.g., Kalman filtering).
• Programming experience (e.g., C/C++, Python, VHDL/Verilog, ROS/ROS2).
• Experience with version control and collaborative hardware and firmware development workflows.
• Experience designing and executing independent research projects.

Skills

• Strong debugging skills across the hardware and software boundary.
• Proficiency with PCB layout tools (e.g., KiCad, Altium) and FPGA toolchains (e.g., Vivado, Lattice Radiant).
• Problem-solving skills in dynamic and field-based environments.
• Strong project management and organizational skills.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills, specifically scientific communication.

Abilities

• Ability to design, build, and validate electronic hardware and interpret test results.
• Ability to collaborate across disciplines and with external stakeholders.
• Ability to work collaboratively in an interdisciplinary team.

Compensation

Salary range begins at $70,000. Annual salary commensurate with candidate's qualifications and related experience.

Pre-Employment Check

Northern Arizona University requires satisfactory results for the following: a criminal background investigation, an employment history verification and a degree verification (in some cases) prior to employment. You may also be required to complete a fingerprint background check. Also, as an employer in the state of Arizona, NAU is required to participate in the federal E-Verify program that assists employers with verifying new employees' right to work in the United States.

This position has been identified as a safety/security sensitive position. Therefore, per AZ Revised Statute, Northern Arizona University requires satisfactory results for the following: a criminal background investigation, employment history investigation, degree verification (in some cases) and fingerprinting. If you are applying for a job that requires a CDL, you will be required to register with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse and adhere to the clearinghouse requirements.

Notice of Availability of the Annual Fire and Security Report

Each year Northern Arizona University releases an Annual Security Report. The report is a result of a federal law known as the Clery Act. The report includes Clery reportable crime statistics for the three most recent completed calendar years and discloses procedures, practices and programs NAU uses to keep students and employees safe including how to report crimes or other emergencies occurring on campus. In addition, the Fire Safety Report is combined with the Annual Security Report for the NAU Flagstaff Mountain Campus as this campus has on-campus student housing. This report discloses fire safety policies and procedures related to on-campus student housing and statistics for fires that occurred in those facilities. If you would like a free paper copy of the report, please contact the NAUPD Records Department at View phone number on ziprecruiter.com or by visiting the department at 525 E. Pine Knoll Drive in Flagstaff.

Immigration Support/Sponsorship

Northern Arizona University will not provide any U.S. immigration support or sponsorship for this position.

Submit your Application

To apply for this position, please click on the "Apply" button on this page. You must submit your application by midnight of the application deadline.

If you are an individual with a disability and need reasonable accommodation to participate in the hiring process, please contact the Disability Resources Office at View phone number on ziprecruiter.com, View email address on ziprecruiter.com, or PO Box 5633, Flagstaff AZ 86011.