The WiCI Center has Manager, Researcher, Systems Engineer, Software Engineer, and Student positions for research, development, innovation, and entrepreneurship in advanced wireless (e.g., URLLC in 5G-and-beyond systems), Open RAN, rural broadband, and applications (e.g., agriculture automation, XR/metaverse, EdTech, and renewable energy). The positions offer opportunities of contributing to exciting projects such as the OPERA open-source project, $16M ARA PAWR project, $20M ICICLE AI Institute project, and other projects of the WiCI Center. Key missions include 1) developing and operating the large-scale, first-of-its-kind wireless living lab ARA which encompasses bleeding-edge technologies and innovation platforms such as those for free-space optical communications, mmWave, massive MIMO, LEO satcom, URLLC, communications and networking softwarization, XR, and precision agriculture, and 2) collaborating with a broad ecosystem of public-private partners in advancing the frontiers of wireless systems, edge/cloud computing, rural broadband, and applications.
The work is conducted at Iowa State University (ISU), U.S.A. ISU is a major research university, and it has over 80 years of rich and distinguished history of transformative innovations in computing and electronics. For instance, faculty, students, and alumni have pioneered the world’s first electronic digital computer, world’s first portable phone, and world’s first handheld scientific calculator. As a 400+ acre development and having over 96 tenants employing over 2,250 people, the ISU Research Park hosts a vibrant startup community as well as R&D branches of major companies such as John Deere. In addition, many other established and start-up companies (e.g., Collins Aerospace, Emerson) are within 100 miles from ISU campus and are leaders in wireless communication and networking, XR and control systems, and their applications in various domains. ISU campus also offers a great life experience in the City of Ames, Iowa.
Detailed descriptions of the positions are enclosed below. Interested candidates are encouraged to email the WiCI Career Team with relevant background information (e.g., education, experience, transcripts, and/or publications) and the names of up to three references. Applications will be considered until the positions are filled. (Note: due to the volume of inquires, we may be unable to respond to each inquiry, but each inquiry is greatly appreciated and carefully evaluated. Different positions may become available over time; to receive notifications on new positions in the WiCI Center, please join the Google Group WiCI Career via https://groups.google.com/g/wici-career. Questions/suggestions can be directed to Prof. Hongwei Zhang.)
For the Research/Engineering Manager position, key responsibilities include leading technical project execution and management, team development, and stakeholder engagement. Prior experience in wireless/networking/software systems development, deployment, and/or operation is invaluable. Qualifications in any of the following areas are pluses (even though not required):
- Prior experience in managing technology projects (especially those in wireless, networking, software, and/or IT);
- Prior experience in leading engineering teams;
- Project Management Professional (PMP) and/or Scrum Master certifications;
- Prior experience in managing public-private partnerships.
For the Researcher position (e.g., postdoc or research scientist), prior research experience in wireless, networks, and/or distributed systems is invaluable. For instance, qualifications in any of the following areas are strong pluses:
- Research experience and quality publications in advanced wireless systems (e.g., safety-critical wireless, URLLC, Open RAN, 6G/NextG);
- Hands-on experience in designing, developing, deploying, and/or operating field-deployed wireless, network, and/or distributed systems;
- Hands-on experience with cellular network platforms (e.g., srsRAN, OpenAirInterface, ONF SD-RAN, O-RAN), edge/cloud computing platforms (e.g., Kubernetes, OpenStack), SDN, and/or VNF;
- Hands-on experiences in edge/cloud systems management, virtual machines/containers, Linux systems administration, shell scripting, etc;
- Capability of building systems prototypes based on reference publications and/or open-source software;
- Knowledge of wireless systems, networked/distributed systems, operating systems, virtualization, systems and network security;
- Programming skills: Python, C, C++, Java, Web etc.
For the Systems Engineer and Software Engineer positions, prior experience in wireless, networks, software, and/or distributed systems is invaluable. For instance, qualifications in any of the following areas are strong pluses:
- Hands-on experience in open-source projects and open-source software systems;
- Hands-on experience in designing, developing, deploying, and/or operating field-deployed wireless, network, and/or distributed systems;
- Hands-on experience with cellular network platforms (e.g., srsRAN, OpenAirInterface, ONF SD-RAN, O-RAN), edge/cloud computing platforms (e.g., Kubernetes, OpenStack), SDN, and/or VNF;
- Hands-on experiences in edge/cloud systems management, virtual machines/containers, Linux systems administration, shell scripting, etc;
- Capability of building systems prototypes based on open-source software and/or reference publications;
- Knowledge of systems/software engineering, DevOps, wireless systems, networked/distributed systems, operating systems, virtualization, systems and network security;
- Programming skills: Python, C, C++, Java, Web etc.
For the Ph.D. positions, background in computer science, computer engineering, and/or electrical engineering is required, and experience in systems building, analytical studies, research, and/or telecom/software industry will be a strong plus.
For the Master and Undergraduate positions, we always welcome the opportunities of training and working with engineering/science students with experience/interest in research, programing, systems building, and experiential learning, as well as non-engineering/science students with experience/interest in project management, business operation (e.g., finance, accounting), marketing, entrepreneurship, communication, etc.