Principal Scientist, Radar and Remote Sensing (SAR)

Location: Onsite in El Segundo, California, United States. Applicants must be a U.S. Person under ITAR/EAR requirements and eligible to obtain required export authorizations.

Salary: $230,000–$305,000 USD per year base salary, excluding benefits and bonuses.

Company

hirify.global develops defense, national security, and space technologies for mission-critical applications from ground to space.

What you will do

• Serve as the principal technical authority for SAR, radar signal processing, and remote sensing phenomenology across advanced airborne and space-based sensor platforms.
• Evaluate sensor capabilities, collection geometries, waveforms, data quality, calibration, image formation, and exploitation potential.
• Set technical vision and research priorities, lead trade studies, and guide integration of physics-based modeling, classical signal processing, and machine learning.
• Provide technical direction and mentorship to multidisciplinary scientists, engineers, analysts, and algorithm developers.
• Advise government, defense, intelligence, commercial, and research customers, translating mission needs into achievable technical concepts.
• Lead technical contributions to proposals, white papers, publications, patents, business development, and strategic program decisions.

Requirements

• Advanced degree in electrical engineering, physics, applied mathematics, radar science, signal processing, remote sensing, or a related field, or equivalent demonstrated expertise.
• Typically 25+ years of progressively responsible experience in radar, SAR, signal processing, remote sensing, or related mission applications.
• Recognized expertise in SAR technology, signal processing, exploitation, or phenomenology, with deep knowledge of sensor architecture, platform motion, waveform design, collection geometry, image formation, calibration, and observable signatures.
• Experience with airborne, space-based, or other advanced radar systems; development or technical direction of advanced signal-processing and exploitation algorithms.
• Experience advising senior stakeholders and contributing to proposals, white papers, and business-development activities.
• Must be a U.S. Person and eligible to obtain and maintain required security clearances and export authorizations.

Nice to have

• Doctorate in a relevant technical discipline and 30+ years of experience across multiple SAR sensor types, platforms, frequency bands, and operating modes.
• Expertise in autofocus, motion compensation, interferometry, polarimetry, target detection and recognition, geolocation, or multimodal fusion.
• Experience connecting physics-based signal processing with machine learning, computer vision, or automated exploitation.
• Publications, patents, recognized field contributions, or experience as a chief scientist, technical fellow, or technical director.

Culture & Benefits

• Mission-focused work spanning defense, national security, and space technology.
• Unlimited flexible time off.
• Company bonus program.
• Medical, dental, and vision coverage with significant employer premium contributions.
• 401(k) plan with up to 4% company match.
• Wellness programs, voluntary benefits, and discounted gym memberships.