Senior Datalinks Engineer

Thompson Gray Inc. is seeking a Senior Datalinks Engineer to support the PM UAS Technical Management Division (TMD) as the division-level technical expert for UAS datalinks. This onsite role in Huntsville, AL combines enterprise strategy with direct technical support across Product Offices, plus opportunities to contribute to chief engineer and special projects.

What you’ll get

• Competitive pay based on qualifications
• Excellent benefits: Health, Dental, Vision, Life, Short-Term and Long-Term Disability insurance
• 401(k) plan with employer match
• TG Swag onboarding items and seasonal shipments to your home
• Dependent Scholarship Program supporting employees’ children
• Tuition Assistance for further education
• Professional Development opportunities
• Generous time off: 18 days of paid time off, 10 Federal Holidays, and flexible scheduling
• Annual charity donation to your choice
• Team-building events including lunches, after-hours gatherings, seasonal family-friendly events, and an annual holiday party

Key responsibilities

• Develop and coordinate a comprehensive UAS datalink strategy aligned to PM UAS objectives, missions, architectures, and future capabilities
• Act as the principal datalink technical advisor to the Chief Engineer, TMD leadership, Product Offices, and other PM UAS stakeholders
• Provide technical oversight across development, integration, qualification, production, fielding, modernization, sustainment, and issue resolution
• Evaluate systems and components involving RF equipment, antennas, modems, radomes, communications protocols, interfaces, software, and waveforms
• Assess threat environments and potential impacts to UAS RF and communications systems
• Evaluate datalink resiliency, interoperability, spectrum, encryption, COMSEC, TRANSEC, EMI/EMV, and EW considerations
• Support technical assessments of current and emerging capabilities, technologies, standards, and architectures
• Maintain awareness of relevant government, military service, laboratory, industry, and coalition datalink initiatives
• Lead and participate in technical working groups, interface control working groups, engineering reviews, and acquisition forums
• Coordinate with government laboratories, development organizations, contractors, Product Offices, and external stakeholders
• Recommend technical direction, architectures, standards, policies, and investments to improve mission effectiveness and survivability
• Represent PM UAS in external forums and communicate technical and programmatic considerations
• Plan and coordinate upgrades, modernization changes, obsolescence solutions, and responses to field problems
• Develop, author, and review Performance Work Statements, Statements of Work, technical requirements, evaluation criteria, and related acquisition documentation
• Evaluate competing technical approaches and recommend solutions based on performance, integration risk, schedule, cost, sustainment, and mission needs
• Communicate effectively with government personnel, contractors, engineers, logisticians, program managers, acquisition professionals, business personnel, and senior leadership
• Work through conflicting technical opinions and organizational priorities to create executable technical paths forward
• Perform additional technical and systems engineering activities as assigned by leadership

Special focus areas

• ~40% Enterprise Datalink Strategy, Frequency Management, and External Coordination (including support across the PM UAS enterprise)
• Lead or support the JSIL Interface Control Working Group (ICWG) for datalinks
• Develop, maintain, and communicate an overarching PM UAS datalink strategy and technical roadmap
• Coordinate with government laboratories, other government agencies, military organizations, development organizations, and stakeholders
• Maintain awareness of investments and activities from Army, Joint, partner-service, coalition, and government initiatives that may affect UAS datalink capabilities
• ~50% Product Office Technical Support across Small UAS (SUAS), Tactical UAS (TUAS), UAS Launched Effects and related portfolios, Long Endurance and applicable portfolios, and Emerging UAS and applicable future portfolios
• ~10% Chief Engineer and Special Project Support, including rapid investigation of emerging technical issues and technically defensible recommendations

Required qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, computer science, physics, mathematics, or another relevant technical discipline
• Demonstrated experience supporting complex technical systems, engineering programs, or acquisition programs
• Strong understanding of RF, communications, datalink, or related mission-system technologies
• Ability to independently investigate complex technical issues and develop sound recommendations
• Ability to develop and present technical reports, briefings, assessments, and recommendations to management and senior leadership
• Strong verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills
• Ability to communicate with deeply technical personnel and non-technical/programmatic stakeholders
• Proficiency with Microsoft PowerPoint, Excel, Word, and Outlook
• Ability to work primarily on-site with limited telework eligibility
• Ability to travel up to 25%
• U.S. citizenship
• Ability to obtain and maintain a DoD Secret security clearance

Tools and technical focus

• AES-256, Type 1 encryption concepts, COMSEC, TRANSEC
• EMI/EMV, RF modeling and analysis
• Waveforms, frequency management
• Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Outlook