Principal Network Systems Researcher

About the Team:

STR’s Intelligence Division researches and develops advanced analytics and machine learning-based solutions to solve challenging problems related to national security. Our team consists of passionate and motivated engineers with advanced degrees in engineering, computer science, mathematics, and data science, who are seeking opportunities to use their deep technical knowledge and creativity to tackle some of the hardest problems that our customers face. Our projects span data analysis, deep learning, and statistical techniques across networking, communications, social media, text, time series, geospatial, and imagery data. We operate under challenging constraints not typically found in the commercial world. The tools and technologies we develop have real world impact and US Government analysts use them to extract and enrich intelligence information around the globe.

The Role:

As a Principal Network Systems Researcher, you will utilize State of the Art (SOTA) deep learning methods, networking expertise, and systems engineering skills to work with disparate and unlabeled data sources and advanced real-time data communications and networking solutions. You will collaborate with a diverse team of people that includes software engineers, algorithm developers and academics. Your work will leverage cutting-edge learning techniques and demonstrably improve networked systems for real-life scenarios. We expect the tools and techniques you develop and deliver to meet high standards of quality, maintainability, and reuse, so sound software engineering principles and software testing methodologies is important.

What you will do:

• Work closely with and lead dedicated research and engineering teams to develop innovative solutions to complex networking problems
• Understand customer intent and efficiently decompose tasks for team execution
• Developing and delivery of novel software and hardware systems that span research, development, and deployable production systems
• Collaborate with a diverse team that includes academics and industry partners
• Collaborate with technologists and business leaders within the organization for business development and capture

Who you are:

• Ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance, for which U.S citizenship is needed by the U.S government
• BS, MS, of PhD in Machine Learning or Computer Science or related Engineering discipline
• 12+ years experience with a BS, 10+ years experience with an MS, or 5+ years experience with a PhD
• Experienced in using SOTA machine learning to solve real world problems across both resource-constrained edge and resource-rich network core environments
• Experienced with networking/communications theory per the OSI stack model
• Working knowledge of unsupervised and semi-supervised learning techniques
• Working knowledge of software design patterns and industry best practices, including version control (Git) and collaboration tools (JIRA, Confluence, or related)

Even Better:

• Active security clearance
• Experience writing software using a large multi-party code base
• Experience with developing software using LLM-enabled coding tools (e.g. Cursor, Codex)
• Experience with high-level software architecture design
• Experience developing software at the PHY, MAC, Network, or Application protocol layers
• Experience with 5G system development, testing, and evaluation
• Experience with protocol analysis
• Experience with and a history of success in business development with DoW / IC customers

Pay Information
Full-Time Salary Range: $230,000 - $280,000

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 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 View email address on aiapply.co 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.