Back to jobs

Radio Frequency Machine Learning (RFML) Product Workflow Intern, Secret Clearance Eligible

Reston, VA

Position Overview

Blue Sky Innovators is seeking an undergraduate student or recent graduate to join our RF Machine Learning team as an RFML Product Workflow Engineer Intern. This role offers a unique opportunity to architect and implement the complete data pipeline from raw RF signal ingestion through machine learning-based identification and fingerprinting. You'll work at the intersection of signal processing, machine learning, and software engineering to build production-grade systems that advance the state-of-the-art in RF domain analysis.

Responsibilities

Pipeline Architecture & Implementation

  • Design and implement end-to-end data workflows from raw IQ data ingestion through RFML model inference
  • Build robust data processing pipelines that handle various RF signal formats (SIGMF, raw IQ files, etc.)
  • Architect scalable fingerprinting systems that extract and store unique RF signal characteristics
  • Develop fingerprint matching and retrieval systems to identify previously observed signals
  • Implement monitoring and logging throughout the pipeline to ensure data quality and system reliability

ML Integration & Optimization

  • Integrate transformer-based and other neural network models into production workflows
  • Optimize data preprocessing and feature extraction for ML model inputs
  • Implement efficient batching and inference strategies for real-time or near-real-time processing
  • Collaborate with ML researchers to transition models from development to production

Data Management & Storage

  • Design database schemas for storing signal fingerprints and associated metadata
  • Implement efficient similarity search and matching algorithms for fingerprint comparison
  • Build APIs and interfaces for querying the fingerprint database
  • Manage data versioning and provenance throughout the workflow

Software Engineering Best Practices

  • Write clean, maintainable, and well-documented Python code
  • Develop comprehensive unit and integration tests for pipeline components
  • Use configuration management tools (e.g., Hydra) for flexible system parameterization
  • Implement CI/CD practices for continuous deployment and testing
  • Create visualization and reporting tools for pipeline performance metrics

Required Qualifications

  • Currently pursuing or recently completed a BS/BA in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related field
  • Strong programming skills in Python with experience in software design patterns
  • Understanding of data structures and algorithms
  • Experience with version control (Git) and collaborative development workflows
  • Ability to read technical documentation and learn new technologies independently
  • Strong problem-solving skills and attention to detail
  • Due to the nature of the work, you must be eligible for a security clearance and must be a U.S. Citizen.

Preferred Qualifications

  • Coursework or projects in machine learning, signal processing, or data engineering
  • Experience with scientific Python libraries (NumPy, SciPy, pandas)
  • Familiarity with ML frameworks (PyTorch, TensorFlow)
  • Knowledge of database systems (SQL, vector databases, or time-series databases)
  • Experience with containerization (Docker) and orchestration tools
  • Understanding of RF fundamentals or digital signal processing concepts
  • Experience with package managers and virtual environments (conda, uv, pip)
  • Familiarity with configuration management and experiment tracking tools

What You'll Learn

  • Advanced RF signal processing and machine learning techniques
  • Production ML system design and deployment
  • Large-scale data pipeline architecture
  • Domain expertise in RF fingerprinting and emitter identification
  • Collaborative research and development in a cutting-edge technical domain

Work Environment

  • Collaborative team environment working alongside RFML engineers and researchers
  • Hands-on experience with state-of-the-art RF datasets and ML models
  • Opportunities to contribute to novel research and development
  • Flexible development environment with modern tooling (GitLab, VSCode, Jupyter, etc.)

Blue Sky Innovators, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected Veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law. If you are a qualified job seeker with a disability or a disabled veteran, you have the right to request an accommodation if you are unable or limited in your ability to use or access http://www.blueskyinnovators.com as a result of your disability. To request an accommodation, please email us at careers@blueskyinnovators.com and provide your name and contact information. Please note: this is only for job seekers with disabilities requesting an accommodation.

Create a Job Alert

Interested in building your career at Blue Sky Innovators? Get future opportunities sent straight to your email.

Apply for this job

*

indicates a required field

Resume/CV*

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf

Cover Letter

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf

Education

Select...
Select...
Select...
Select...
Select...
What is your current security clearance level? *
Select...

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey. Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiring process or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in a confidential file.

As set forth in Blue Sky Innovators’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

Select...
Select...
Race & Ethnicity Definitions

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection. As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measure the effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categories is as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.

Select...

Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability

Form CC-305
Page 1 of 1
OMB Control Number 1250-0005
Expires 04/30/2026

Why are you being asked to complete this form?

We are a federal contractor or subcontractor. The law requires us to provide equal employment opportunity to qualified people with disabilities. We have a goal of having at least 7% of our workers as people with disabilities. The law says we must measure our progress towards this goal. To do this, we must ask applicants and employees if they have a disability or have ever had one. People can become disabled, so we need to ask this question at least every five years.

Completing this form is voluntary, and we hope that you will choose to do so. Your answer is confidential. No one who makes hiring decisions will see it. Your decision to complete the form and your answer will not harm you in any way. If you want to learn more about the law or this form, visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) website at www.dol.gov/ofccp.

How do you know if you have a disability?

A disability is a condition that substantially limits one or more of your “major life activities.” If you have or have ever had such a condition, you are a person with a disability. Disabilities include, but are not limited to:

  • Alcohol or other substance use disorder (not currently using drugs illegally)
  • Autoimmune disorder, for example, lupus, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, HIV/AIDS
  • Blind or low vision
  • Cancer (past or present)
  • Cardiovascular or heart disease
  • Celiac disease
  • Cerebral palsy
  • Deaf or serious difficulty hearing
  • Diabetes
  • Disfigurement, for example, disfigurement caused by burns, wounds, accidents, or congenital disorders
  • Epilepsy or other seizure disorder
  • Gastrointestinal disorders, for example, Crohn's Disease, irritable bowel syndrome
  • Intellectual or developmental disability
  • Mental health conditions, for example, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD
  • Missing limbs or partially missing limbs
  • Mobility impairment, benefiting from the use of a wheelchair, scooter, walker, leg brace(s) and/or other supports
  • Nervous system condition, for example, migraine headaches, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis (MS)
  • Neurodivergence, for example, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia, other learning disabilities
  • Partial or complete paralysis (any cause)
  • Pulmonary or respiratory conditions, for example, tuberculosis, asthma, emphysema
  • Short stature (dwarfism)
  • Traumatic brain injury
Select...

PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENT: According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. This survey should take about 5 minutes to complete.