Department Head System Design

Penn State University • Ferguson Township, PA

1d • Onsite

About The Position

We are searching for a Department Head to lead our System Design Department in the Sonar Research and Development (SRD) Division in the Undersea Systems Office (USO) at the Applied Research Laboratory (ARL) at Penn State. ARL’s purpose is to research and develop innovative solutions to challenging scientific, engineering and technology problems in support of the Navy, the Department of Defense (DoD), and the Intelligence Community (IC). The System Design Department is responsible for design, fabrication, testing and maintenance of Sonar systems. System Design is comprised of a diverse group of electrical, mechanical, computer/software, industrial engineers and support specialists. The System Design Department Head provides overall leadership, direction and oversight for programs and research activity across these technology areas and is also responsible for recruitment, professional development and promotion in rank of current and future department staff. This position may be filled as either a Research and Development Engineer or a non-tenure Research Faculty. ARL is an authorized DoD SkillBridge partner and welcomes all transitioning military members to apply.

Requirements

• Understanding of Sonar from system level through detailed design with background in Acoustics to support subsystem specification / requirements development; including electronics, mechanical structural interaction, and signal processing
• Past success in technical leadership of diverse group(s) of technologists from concept through design implementation and test of complex electromechanical-acoustic systems
• Bachelor's Degree - Engineering or Science
• 19+ years of relevant experience if filled as Research and Development Engineer - Principal Professional
• 5+ years of relevant experience if filled as Research and Development Engineer - Advanced Professional
• 14+ years of relevant experience if filled as Research and Development Engineer - Senior Professional
• You must be a U.S. citizen to apply.
• All positions at ARL require candidates to possess the ability to obtain a government security clearance; you will be notified during the interview process if this position is subject to a government background investigation.

Nice To Haves

• Advanced degree in EE, ME, Computer Engineering and/or Acoustics
• CAD tools with focus on ECAD, Simulation tools such as SPICE, Matlab, Simulink
• Familiarity with Mechanical design, including pressure vessels, interpretation of FEA results, thermal mitigation, packaging
• Familiarity with Embedded Software, operating systems, networking
• Experience with at-sea deployment and testing
• Current eligibility for access to classified information at the Secret level or higher and may be subject to a government background investigation to upgrade clearance eligibility, if required

Responsibilities

• Cultivate business opportunities related to the overall mission of the Department and organizational leadership
• Develop and execute the strategic vision, goals, and plans of the Department in concert with other units in the Division, USO, and ARL
• Develop, perform and oversee complex Sonar designs while working closely in collaboration with other departments/groups, both internal and external to ARL, that develop processing/algorithms, transducers and arrays, underwater vehicles/platforms
• Collaborate with project managers to ensure timely delivery of quality technical work by Department staff
• Prepare and review proposals, technical reports, status reports and other programmatic and administrative documents
• Contribute to the design, development, implementation, and analysis of technical engineering products, systems, and subsystems
• Investigate and evaluate practical applicability of scientific theories and engineering principles to develop and improve various engineering systems; identify technical approach for solving problems and meeting customer/grantor needs
• Interact in a collaborative manner with other team members, engineers, and scientists to accomplish organizational goals; provide innovative problem-solving approaches to enhance organizational capabilities

Benefits

• Penn State provides a competitive benefits package for full-time employees designed to support both personal and professional well-being.
• In addition to comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, employees enjoy robust retirement plans and substantial paid time off which includes holidays, vacation and sick time.
• One of the standout benefits is the generous 75% tuition discount, available to employees as well as eligible spouses and children.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees