Communications and Networks Software Development Engineer-Assistant Staff
Date: Feb 9, 2026
Location: Lexington, MA, US
Company: MIT Lincoln Laboratory
How do we ensure critical data gets where it’s needed—when it’s needed—across Department of War (DoW) space, air, and surface platforms operating over vast distances? Our team works at the forefront of this challenge, developing advanced technologies, algorithms, and architectures that enable resilient, interoperable communications for the joint force. As part of the Communications Networks and Analysis group, you’ll develop and apply expertise in emerging line-of-sight and beyond-line-of-sight communications systems and software defined networking technologies to design and build robust connectivity solutions for users operating in congested and contested environments. Your work will directly improve the resilience and capacity of real-world communications systems and help integrate them seamlessly across platforms and domains. We take ideas from concept to reality through hands-on technical analysis, modeling, simulation, emulation, prototype development, and flight testing—giving you the opportunity to see your designs built, evaluated, and deployed to make a tangible impact.
Position Description:
The Communications and Networks Software Development Engineer plays a key role in shaping next-generation communications and networking capabilities for the DoW. In this role, you will develop, implement, and test novel communications and networking algorithms and protocols across all layers of the network stack.
You’ll work as part of highly collaborative, multidisciplinary teams that bring together expertise in systems analysis, communications theory, networking, information assurance, systems engineering, RF, and digital hardware and software. This position offers hands-on opportunities to take ideas from concept through implementation and evaluation, and to collaborate with government sponsors, academic partners, and industry leaders. Your contributions will directly influence the design, development, and fielding of future DoW communications capabilities.
Responsibilities
- Assess emerging commercial and DoW communications and network solutions, both software and hardware
- Software development and implementation of novel communications and networking algorithms and protocols
- Collaborate with a multidisciplinary team to design, prototype and test algorithms and protocols within a system of systems context
- Develop and design laboratory experiments that include ground, airborne, and space systems with hardware-in-the-loop
- Collect, analyze and interpret complex data sets from field and laboratory experiments
- Prepare technical documentation, including refereed publications, reports, and as well as technical presentations for multiple internal and external audiences
- Share new ideas and intuitions with your colleagues, collaborators and others in our technical communities through mentorship, education, and outreach opportunities.
Minimum Qualifications
- B.S. in Electrical Engineering or Computer Science (or related field) with a strong background in software development and mathematics.
- Proficiency with MATLAB, Python, C or C++, VHDL and/or embedded systems programming
- Proficiency with Linux or commercial real-time operating systems
- Highly effective written and verbal communication skills.
- Demonstrated ability to work effectively in multi-disciplinary teams.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience and/or coursework in systems analysis, optimization, wireless communications theory, data networks, digital signal processing, estimation and detection, optimization, linear algebra
- Software Defined Networking hardware and software
- Cloud network technologies and protocols
- Media access control protocols
- Optimization and machine learning
- Fixed point algorithm design and implementation targeting embedded processors such as FPGA, GPU, DSP
- Software Defined Radio
- Demonstrated ability to plan and manage tasks and projects.
Recent Graduate Hiring Range: $100,200-$120,000
Experienced Hiring Range: $100,200-$150,000
Disclaimer: MIT Lincoln Laboratory provides a typical hiring range as a good faith estimate of what we reasonably expect to offer for this position at the time of posting. The final salary offered to a selected candidate will depend on various factors, including—but not limited to—the scope and responsibilities of the role, the candidate’s experience, skills and education/training, internal equity considerations and applicable legal requirements. This range reflects base salary only and does not include additional forms of compensation or benefits.
At MIT Lincoln Laboratory, our exceptional career opportunities include many outstanding benefits to help you stay healthy, feel supported, and enjoy a fulfilling work-life balance. Benefits offered to employees include:
- Comprehensive health, dental, and vision plans
- MIT-funded pension
- Matching 401K
- Paid leave (including vacation, sick, parental, military, etc.)
- Tuition reimbursement and continuing education programs
- Mentorship programs
- A range of work-life balance options
- ... and much more!
Please visit our Benefits page for more information. As an employee of MIT, you can also take advantage of other voluntary benefits, discounts and perks.
Selected candidate will be subject to a pre-employment background investigation and must be able to obtain and maintain a Secret level DoD security clearance.
MIT Lincoln Laboratory is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, veteran status, disability status, or genetic information; U.S. citizenship is required.
Requisition ID: 42648
Nearest Major Market: Boston
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