Mission Systems Department Head (FACULTY)

Penn State University•University Park, IL

2d•Onsite

About The Position

Penn State’s Applied Research Laboratory (ARL) is seeking a Department Head for the Mission Systems Department (MSD) within the Systems Engineering and Rapid Prototyping Division. The division supports research, development, rapid prototyping, manufacturing, fielding, and testing of complex systems for the warfighter and national defense. MSD connects technology and operations, leading multidisciplinary initiatives that turn operational challenges into integrated capabilities. The Department Head provides strategic direction, technical leadership, and operational oversight for the department. The role leads a multidisciplinary team focused on mission engineering, operational analysis, solutions integration, and systems-of-systems analysis, and builds trusted partnerships with operational users, DoD Program Offices, defense contractors, systems integrators, and other government laboratories. The position may be filled as either a Research and Development Engineer or non-tenure Research Faculty; non-tenure faculty rank will be commensurate with education level and experience. The role is fully on-site in State College, Pennsylvania, and requires periodic travel to remote locations. Applicants must be U.S. citizens and eligible to obtain a government security clearance. Employment also requires successful background checks, participation in ARL’s drug testing program, and compliance with applicable electronic and physical monitoring requirements. ARL is an authorized DoD SkillBridge partner and welcomes transitioning military members to apply.

Requirements

Experience leading research projects and portfolios, including technical concept development, proposal writing, project staffing, research, budget management, and delivery of high-quality results.
Experience in mission engineering and mission thread analysis.
Experience in operational analysis, modeling and simulation, and wargaming.
Knowledge of technology transition and fielding methods.
Knowledge of operational challenges in complex DoD systems and environments, such as maritime, aerospace, ground, space, and uncrewed systems.
Experience working directly with operational users and stakeholders, including participating in or leading field experiments, exercises, and demonstrations; gathering and acting on user feedback; coordinating sponsors, operators, and technical teams; and supporting fielding, sustainment, and user adoption.
Strong stakeholder engagement, relationship-building, and communication skills.
Superior writing and presentation skills.
Current eligibility for access to classified information at the Secret level or higher; may be subject to a government background investigation to upgrade clearance eligibility, if required.
U.S. citizenship.
Eligibility to obtain a government security clearance and successful completion of required background checks.

Nice To Haves

Requirements development, decomposition, and management.
Model-based systems engineering (MBSE) and digital engineering.
System-of-systems architecture and integration.
Concept of operations (CONOPS) development.
Test and evaluation planning and execution.
Transitioning military members are welcome to apply through ARL’s DoD SkillBridge partnership.

Responsibilities

Lead and manage all aspects of the Mission Systems Department, providing strategic direction, technical leadership, and operational oversight.
Support division leadership in developing and maintaining sponsor relationships to meet funding objectives.
Build and direct a multidisciplinary team focused on mission engineering, operational analysis, complex systems analysis, and operationally grounded requirements development and analysis.
Lead research projects and portfolios, including developing technical concepts, writing proposals, staffing projects, conducting research, managing budgets, and delivering results.
Translate mission needs, capability gaps, and concepts of operations into actionable technical requirements and solutions, linking operational stakeholders with technical teams.
Provide technical oversight of multidisciplinary initiatives and ensure the quality and rigor of deliverables, prototypes, and research outputs.
Plan and lead field experimentation, demonstrations, and operational assessments that put solutions in users’ hands.
Transition integrated solutions to operational platforms and end users in support of the warfighter.
Recruit, mentor, and develop staff with expertise in systems engineering, mission engineering, and operational analysis.
Foster a culture of innovation, technical excellence, collaboration, and mission focus.
For the higher-level position, support development of a comprehensive roadmap for mission systems capabilities relevant to the division’s systems of interest, including hypersonics, uncrewed systems, and maritime platforms.
For the higher-level position, establish and maintain partnerships with operational commands, DoD Program Offices, defense contractors, systems integrators, and other government laboratories.
For the higher-level position, build strategic relationships with operational users and Defense Industrial Base stakeholders.
For the higher-level position, collaborate across ARL divisions and departments and with external stakeholders to integrate multidisciplinary solutions into larger mission and system-of-systems architectures.