Mission Systems Department Head

Penn State University•University Park, IL

2d•$161,004 - $298,800•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 (SERP) Division. SERP 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 work that turns 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 develops trusted partnerships with operational users, DoD Program Offices, defense contractors, systems integrators, and government laboratories. The position may be filled as either a Research and Development Engineer or non-tenure Research Faculty. It is fully on-site in State College, Pennsylvania, with periodic travel to remote locations. The role may be filled at different R&D Engineer professional levels. Each requires a bachelor's degree in engineering or science, with experience requirements ranging from 5+ years for Advanced Professional, 14+ years for Senior Professional, and 19+ years for Principal Professional. Applicants must be U.S. citizens and eligible to obtain a government security clearance. ARL is an authorized DoD SkillBridge partner and welcomes transitioning military members to apply.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in engineering or science for the R&D Engineer appointment.
Relevant experience: 5+ years for Advanced Professional, 14+ years for Senior Professional, or 19+ years for Principal Professional, if filled as an R&D Engineer.
Experience leading individual research projects and portfolios, including 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.
Experience with 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 field experiments, exercises, demonstrations, user feedback, coordination among sponsors, operators, and technical teams, and support for fielding, sustainment, and 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.
Must be a U.S. citizen and eligible to obtain a government security clearance.
Must successfully complete applicable background checks, participate in the ARL drug testing program, and comply with applicable electronic and physical monitoring requirements.

Nice To Haves

Experience in requirements development, decomposition, and management.
Experience with model-based systems engineering (MBSE) and digital engineering.
Experience in system-of-systems architecture and integration.
Experience developing concepts of operations (CONOPS).
Experience in test and evaluation planning and execution.

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 requirements development and analysis grounded in operational context.
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 by connecting 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 place 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 roadmap for mission systems capabilities relevant to division 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 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 systems-of-systems architectures.
Take part in or lead field experiments, exercises, and demonstrations; gather and act on user feedback; coordinate sponsors, operators, and technical teams; and support fielding, sustainment, and user adoption.