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Sensor Operator Jobs in Reston, VA (NOW HIRING)

Senior Engineer

Arlington, VA ยท On-site

$119K - $164K/yr

... sensor integration, and mission systems efforts for Department of War programs operating in complex, contested, and asymmetric warfare environments. The selected candidate will provide technical ...

Senior Engineer

Arlington, VA ยท On-site

$119K - $164K/yr

We have an immediate opening for a Senior Engineer to support advanced Command and Control (C2), sensor integration, and mission systems efforts for Department of War programs operating in complex ...

Senior Engineer

Arlington, VA ยท On-site

$119K - $164K/yr

We have an immediate opening for a Senior Engineer to support advanced Command and Control (C2), sensor integration, and mission systems efforts for Department of War programs operating in complex ...

Senior Engineer

Arlington, VA ยท On-site

$119K - $164K/yr

... sensor integration, and mission systems efforts for Department of War programs operating in complex, contested, and asymmetric warfare environments. The selected candidate will provide technical ...

Senior Engineer

Arlington, VA ยท On-site

$119K - $164K/yr

We have an immediate opening for a Senior Engineer to support advanced Command and Control (C2), sensor integration, and mission systems efforts for Department of War programs operating in complex ...

Senior Engineer

Arlington, VA ยท On-site

$119K - $164K/yr

... sensor integration, and mission systems efforts for Department of War programs operating in complex, contested, and asymmetric warfare environments. The selected candidate will provide technical ...

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Sensor Operator information

What is a Sensor Operator?

A Sensor Operator is a specialized professional who operates and monitors sensor equipment, often on military aircraft such as drones or surveillance planes. Their main responsibility is to collect, analyze, and interpret data from various sensors, including radar, infrared, and video systems. Sensor Operators play a critical role in intelligence gathering, reconnaissance, and targeting missions. They work closely with pilots and mission commanders to provide real-time information and ensure the success of missions. This role requires strong technical skills, attention to detail, and the ability to make quick decisions under pressure.

What job makes $10,000 a month without a degree?

A sensor operator typically does not earn $10,000 a month without specialized training or experience. High-paying roles in fields like sales, real estate, or entrepreneurship can reach that level without a degree, but most technical jobs, including sensor operation, require relevant skills or certifications. Achieving such income often involves advanced skills, experience, or working in high-demand industries.

What jobs pay $6,000 a month?

Sensor operators and similar technical roles can earn around $6,000 per month, especially with experience, certifications, and working in specialized environments such as manufacturing, security, or industrial settings. Salaries vary based on location, industry, and level of expertise, with higher pay often associated with overtime or shift work.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Sensor Operator, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Sensor Operator, you need strong analytical skills, attention to detail, and an understanding of electronic and surveillance systems, often supported by specialized military or technical training. Familiarity with sensor platforms, data analysis software, GPS systems, and sometimes security clearance are typically required. Excellent communication, teamwork, and decision-making skills help operators relay critical information quickly and accurately. These abilities are vital for ensuring accurate data collection and mission success in high-stakes environments.

What Does a Sensor Operator Do?

A sensor operator is a fairly new position with the advent of unmanned aircraft and involves employing airborne sensors, either manually or with the help of a computer, to track and monitor various objects. The air force is one major employer for these types of defense positions. In this role, you assist with flight operations, debriefing, and planning missions. Your main task is to continually monitor these surveillance and weapon systems in a remote setting, ensuring each mission is successful. Other duties include detecting the correct targets using various forms of radar and video.

What is the difference between Sensor Operator vs Radar Technician?

AspectSensor OperatorRadar Technician
Required CredentialsTypically certifications in sensor systems or related fields, sometimes associate degreesCertifications in radar systems, electronics, or technical degrees
Work EnvironmentControl rooms, field sites, or industrial settingsMaintenance facilities, technical labs, or field service locations
Employer & Industry UsageMilitary, aerospace, security, industrial sectorsDefense, aerospace, transportation, and military sectors
Common Search & ComparisonSensor OperatorRadar Technician

Sensor Operators and Radar Technicians both work with radar and sensor systems, often in similar industries like defense and aerospace. Sensor Operators focus on monitoring and operating sensor equipment, while Radar Technicians specialize in maintaining and repairing radar systems. Both roles require technical certifications and are vital for system performance, but their daily tasks and focus areas differ.

How does a Sensor Operator typically collaborate with other team members during a mission?

Sensor Operators work closely with pilots, mission commanders, and intelligence analysts to ensure accurate data collection and mission success. During operations, they communicate real-time findings, relay critical information, and adjust sensor settings based on team feedback. This role requires strong teamwork, adaptability, and clear communication, as decisions made by the Sensor Operator often impact mission outcomes and safety. Effective collaboration is key to interpreting data correctly and responding quickly to evolving mission scenarios.

What do sensor operators do?

Sensor operators monitor and interpret data from various sensors and surveillance equipment to detect and track objects or activities. They often work in security, military, or industrial environments, using specialized tools and maintaining certifications to ensure accurate and timely responses.

How much does a sensor operator make?

Sensor operators typically earn between $40,000 and $70,000 annually, depending on experience, location, and industry. They often require technical skills and certifications related to sensor systems and data analysis, and may work in environments such as manufacturing, security, or military operations.
What are the most commonly searched types of Sensor Operator jobs in Reston, VA? The most popular types of Sensor Operator jobs in Reston, VA are:
Infographic showing various Sensor Operator job openings in Reston, VA as of June 2026, with employment types broken down into 94% Full Time, 3% Part Time, and 3% Contract. Highlights an 91% Physical, 4% Hybrid, and 5% Remote job distribution.
AI/ML Engineer, Senior - WFH1650 (Remote)

AI/ML Engineer, Senior - WFH1650 (Remote)

Global InfoTek, Inc.

Reston, VA โ€ข Remote

$107K - $146K/yr

Full-time

Posted 17 days ago


Job description

Clearance Level: Public Trust

US Citizenship: Required

Job Classification: Full Time

Location: Remote

Years of Experience: 57 years of relevant experience

Education Level: BS or MS in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Applied Mathematics, or a closely related quantitative field. Experience may be considered in place of education requirement.

Briefly Describe the Work:

GITI is seeking a Senior AI/ML Engineer to support an R&D program focused on passive RF emitter identification and network analysis from real-time sensor data streams. The Senior AI/ML Engineer designs, builds, and validates machine learning models for RF emitter identification, conducts hands-on exploratory data analysis on NDF (Network Description File) sensor datasets, and implements ML data pipelines that operate on constrained tactical edge hardware. Working under the direction of the Principal AI/ML Engineer and program technical lead, the candidate collaborates closely with research scientists and software engineers to translate analytical findings into reproducible, well-documented ML experiments and pipeline components. The role requires strong Python and deep learning skills, comfort with real-world noisy sensor data, and the ability to work in air-gapped Linux environments without cloud infrastructure or GPU acceleration.

Responsibilities:

  • Design, build, and validate machine learning models for RF emitter identification including feature engineering from sensor data, training pipeline development, model evaluation, and iterative refinement based on results
  • Conduct hands-on exploratory data analysis on RF sensor datasets using Python and Jupyter notebooks writing and running analytical code, characterizing feature distributions, identifying data quality issues, and producing documented findings
  • Implement and maintain ML data pipelines ingesting NDF sensor streams, applying rollup and preprocessing logic, constructing training datasets, and ensuring pipeline correctness on constrained edge hardware with no cloud dependency
  • Collaborate with the technical lead and Principal AI/ML Engineer to investigate RF sensor data quality, attribution reliability, and feature behavior under contention writing code to characterize error sources, validate assumptions, and reproduce findings
  • Produce clear technical documentation of experiments, model configurations, and results maintaining reproducibility through disciplined versioning, and contributing to monthly status reports and team knowledge sharing

Career level with a complete understanding and wide application of machine learning principles and data science techniques. Working under general direction from the Principal AI/ML Engineer, executes independently on assigned modeling and analysis tasks, contributes to pipeline development, and produces reproducible, well-documented results. Bachelor's or Master's (or equivalent) with 57 years of hands-on applied experience.

Required Skills:

  • 5+ years of hands-on applied experience in machine learning, data science, or RF signal processing
  • Demonstrated proficiency in Python for ML and data science work PyTorch or TensorFlow for model development, Pandas/NumPy for data manipulation, and scikit-learn or similar for evaluation and baseline modeling
  • Hands-on experience designing, training, and evaluating deep learning models particularly metric learning, Siamese networks, or other similarity-learning architectures on real-world, noisy, imbalanced datasets
  • Practical experience handling real-world data quality problems missing values, label noise, class imbalance, systematic bias, and sensor artifacts and the ability to diagnose and address them without discarding valid data
  • Ability to develop and run ML pipelines on Linux-based systems without cloud infrastructure or GPU acceleration optimizing for CPU-only inference and multi-threaded data processing on resource-constrained x86 hardware

Desired Skills:

  • Familiarity with RF signal characteristics, passive receiver phenomenology, and sensor data interpretation including awareness of processing artifacts, attribution ambiguities, and measurement limits common in signals intelligence datasets
  • Hands-on experience applying machine learning particularly metric learning, deep learning networks, or similarity-learning architectures to RF or time-series signal data, including feature engineering, training pipeline development, and model validation
  • Exposure to TDMA network protocols or military datalink systems, and interest in learning the signal processing challenges of dense, contested electromagnetic environments
  • Familiarity with direction-finding, time-difference-of-arrival (TDOA), or related passive geolocation concepts understanding of their mathematical foundations and common failure modes is more important than operational experience
  • Experience with binary serialization formats (FlatBuffers, Protocol Buffers) and high-throughput sensor data pipelines operating in near-real-time on resource-constrained hardware
  • Background in statistical signal processing error ellipses, bearing estimation uncertainty, feature reliability under noise with the ability to distinguish statistically significant findings from artifacts of small sample size or improper normalization

Relevant Certifications:

  • Certifications in machine learning, data science, or related technical fields (e.g., TensorFlow Developer Certificate; PyTorch Certified Associate; AWS Certified Machine Learning Specialty; Microsoft Certified: Azure AI Engineer Associate; Certified Analytics Professional (CAP); etc.)

Global InfoTek, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, or disability.

About Global InfoTek, Inc. Global InfoTek Inc. has an award-winning track record of designing, developing, and deploying best-of-breed technologies that address the nation's pressing cyber and advanced technology needs. GITI has rapidly merged pioneering technologies, operational effectiveness, and best business practices for over two decades.