Assured PNT and Sensor Fusion Research Associate

About the Role

Applied Research Laboratories (ARL) at The University of Texas at Austin is seeking a Research Associate to provide expertise in secure, robust, and precise Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT), and scientific rigor across a portfolio of technologies. The position focuses on navigation-level problems in contested and degraded environments, including detecting, characterizing, and geolocating sources of radio-frequency interference and spoofing, fusing GNSS with complementary sensors, and extracting PNT from non-traditional signals, including LEO satellite constellations.

Key Responsibilities

• Perform high-level independent GNSS signals and software research relevant to ARL:UT's Space and Geophysics Laboratory (SGL) interests.
• Present and publish research, both internally and externally, including project reviews, technical interface meetings, scientific journals, and conferences.
• Contribute to first-principles problem formulations, algorithm development, systems designs, software implementations, and collection methods for PNT applications in contested and degraded environments, drawing on expertise in GNSS, estimation and detection theory, and multi-sensor fusion.
• Develop and evaluate techniques to detect, characterize, and mitigate GNSS spoofing and jamming.
• Develop methods to geolocate interference sources from terrestrial, airborne, and space-based platforms.
• Develop state estimators that tightly couple GNSS carrier-phase measurements with inertial, visual, radar, or other sensor data, including integer ambiguity resolution and integrity monitoring.
• Characterize and exploit signals of opportunity, including broadband LEO downlinks and other non-navigation signals, for ranging, timing, and positioning.
• Derive estimation performance bounds to guide system design.
• Plan and execute field data collection campaigns using software-defined radio, GNSS, and multi-sensor platforms.
• Analyze results and develop recommendations for improvement.
• Implement software algorithms in a collaborative environment, defining interfaces between program components and documenting implementations thoroughly.
• Define, implement, and execute test cases for program functions.
• Further develop knowledge of PNT, estimation theory, sensor fusion, and software development principles.
• Provide guidance and assistance to other full-time and student employees.
• Provide technical leadership and identify new directions for research.
• Other related functions as assigned and occasional travel.

Requirements & Tech Stack

• PhD in aerospace engineering, electrical engineering, physics, computer science, mathematics, or a related field.
• Experience developing software for scientific applications.
• Experience developing GNSS, radionavigation, or PNT estimation algorithms.
• Demonstrated record of authoring peer-reviewed scientific publications.
• Demonstrated record of presenting scientific content to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Willingness to work with new technologies.
• Highly organized and capable of planning and coordinating multiple tasks and managing time.
• Attention to detail, effective problem-solving skills, and excellent judgment.
• Ability to work independently with sensitive and confidential information, maintain a professional demeanor, and work as a team member without daily supervision.
• Ability to effectively communicate with various groups of clients.
• Able to work under pressure and accept supervision.
• Regular and punctual attendance.
• US Citizen.
• Subject to government security investigation and eligibility for access to classified information.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with GNSS spoofing and jamming detection, signal authentication, or interference characterization.
• Experience with RF emitter geolocation techniques (e.g., TDOA/FDOA, Doppler-based methods) from single or multiple platforms.
• Experience with carrier-phase differential GNSS (CDGNSS/RTK), integer ambiguity resolution, and navigation integrity.
• Experience with tightly coupled GNSS/inertial navigation, visual SLAM or bundle adjustment, or radar-based odometry and localization.
• Experience with LEO-based PNT, including characterizing non-cooperative signals, OFDM-based ranging, and time-of-arrival/Doppler estimation.
• Experience developing software-defined GNSS receivers, including real-time implementations and RF front-end integration.
• Experience with adversarial estimation or game-theoretic decision-making (e.g., counter-UAS applications).
• Experience collecting and curating large raw-RF or multi-sensor datasets.
• Experience with any of the following: multi-rate signal processing, remote sensing, radar, wireless communications, RF signal processing, ionosphere, reference frames, orbital mechanics, and digital design.
• Experience estimating orbits of spacecraft and satellites.
• Experience in writing proposals for and leading externally funded research projects.
• Experience with high-performance computing.
• Proficiency with programming languages such as Python, C/C++, FORTRAN, or similar.
• Experience developing on Linux and Windows platforms, including bash, Git and GitHub/GitLab, and cloud services (e.g., AWS).
• Proficiency with LaTeX.
• Eligibility for immediate access to classified information.
• Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0.

Working Conditions

• Standard office conditions.
• Repetitive use of a keyboard at a workstation.
• Use of manual dexterity.
• Some weekend, evening, and holiday work.
• Possible interstate/intrastate travel.

Required Materials

• Resume/CV
• 3 work references with contact information (at least one from a supervisor).
• Letter of interest.
• Unofficial college transcripts.