EW Hardware Engineer
4 days ago
El Segundo
Job DescriptionCX2 is a next-generation defense technology company founded to deliver spectrum dominance for the United States and our allies. CX2’s AI-enabled hardware and software platforms detect, disrupt and defend the electromagnetic spectrum across land, air, sea and space domains. CX2 is seeking a highly skilled Electronic Warfare Hardware Engineer to join our growing team. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in designing, testing and building Electronic Support (ES), Electronic Attack (EA) and/or Anti-jam features for communications, signal detection, RADAR and associated Electronic Warfare systems. This role requires an onsite presence in our El Segundo, CA HQ; a remote work environment is not considered for this opportunity. Key Responsibilities • Design, validate & deliver EW payloads end-to-end: RF front-ends and wideband receivers for Electronic Support Measures/Electronics, • Intelligence/Communications Intelligence systems; architect high-dynamic-range chains (LNA → filters → mixers → clocks/LOs → ADC/DAC)., • Model, optimize, and characterize ultra-wideband apertures for analog and/or digital DF/beamforming; perform calibration at component and system level, • Jamming & Assoc. Techniques: Develop Electronics Attack/Electronic Countermeasures modes (smart jamming, deceptive techniques), frequency agility, notch/adaptive filters, and cognitive EW that learns in-the-loop., • Signal processing: Design characterize and deliver channelizers, wideband detection/classification, LPI/LPD intercept, and MIMO/digital-array algorithms in MATLAB/Python/C++ and accelerate on FPGA/RFSoC/GPU., • Test & verification: Operate anechoic chamber / antenna range campaigns — far-field, over-the-air tests, VNA/S-parameters, pattern measurements, calibration, & EMI/EMC., • Own requirements, ICDs, and verification from concept to flight; root-cause tricky RF issues (isolation/coupling, LO leakage, clocking/jitter, thermal) quickly., • BS/MS in EE, CE, or related field (PhD a plus), and at least 5 years’ experience with EW subsystems and payloads., • Receiver design across analog/RF/mixed-signal domains: filters (lumped/microstrip/cavity), mixers, PLLs/LOs, gain/linearity/noise trades; schematic/PCB design with Altium (or similar)., • Hands-on antenna/RF system design and validation with HFSS and VNA/anechoic chamber workflows; ability to turn simulations into flight-worthy, Tier 1 deliverable hardware., • Channelizers & wideband architectures: filter banks, analog/digital downconversion, sample-rate planning, clocking/synchronization across nodes., • RF filter design & analysis (lumped/distributed) and practical EMC/EMI mitigation., • RF test & antenna range execution: spectrum analyzers, sig gens, VNAs, phased-array controllers, and over-the-air characterization., • To Conform to US Government Regulations, applicant must be a (i) U.S. Citizen or National or (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder). Learn more about the ITAR here.Bonus Points, • EA/ECM technique design (deception, Digital RF Memory, coherent/non-coherent techniques)., • Comms system design (LPI/LPD, Waveform-of-Interest exploitation), • RF machine learning for emitter ID, modulation/classification, anomaly detection, PDW creation, • Flight test & telemetry experience; mission data analysis., • Autonomy-adjacent systems (UAS swarming, collaborative EW)., • Tools Experience: ADS/AWR/SystemVue, MATLAB/Simulink, Python (NumPy/SciPy), GNU Radio/SDR (USRP/RFSoC), VITA-49; HDL/firmware experience also helpful (Vivado/Quartus/Libero)., • Clearance: Active Secret or ability to obtain and maintain; TS/SCI eligibility preferred. ITAR/EAR-controlled work., • Field work: supporting periodic travel for flight tests and customer demonstrations/support, • Mindset: Builder-tester who loves first-principles RF, rapid lab iteration, and getting hardware flying fast.What We Offer, • Competitive salary, stock options and benefits, including health, vision and dental., • 401K enrollment at 90 days., • Generous PTO + most Federal Holidays observed., • Collaborative and inclusive work environment., • Access to the latest tools and technologies., • High levels of responsibility and autonomy., • Professional growth and development opportunities.