Operations Research and Development Engineer

The Pennsylvania State University•University Park, FL

About The Position

The Vehicle Investigation & Cybersecurity Department at the Applied Research Laboratory (ARL) at Penn State is seeking an Operations Research and Development Engineer to serve as a senior technical and operational leader. The role drives sponsor engagement, guides ground vehicle sustainment research, and strengthens ARL’s relationships across the military. It supports research in sustainment technologies, readiness analytics, vehicle systems resilience, and cyber-secure maintenance capabilities, while maintaining ARL’s institutional knowledge of vehicle sustainment operations and sponsor needs. The successful candidate will apply operational expertise in military ground vehicle operations and sustainment engineering to ensure research aligns with operational priorities across the Services. The role includes business development, sponsor relationship management, subject-matter guidance, project and staff leadership, proposal development, and strategic planning. The position may be fully on-site in State College, hybrid, or fully remote within the U.S., depending on skillset and location, and requires periodic travel to remote locations. Higher-level responsibilities include ensuring engineering work complies with sponsor requirements, standards, quality requirements, cybersecurity and information assurance policies, export controls, and laboratory security procedures. The role may support work in Unclassified, CUI, and Classified environments and contribute to technology transition, risk mitigation, business development, technical planning, and the mentoring of engineers and other personnel. 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.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in engineering or science; the posting also identifies engineering, logistics, or a related field, with military-equivalent experience considered.
14 or more years of relevant experience.
Senior NCO, Warrant Officer, or Commissioned Officer experience within U.S. military Engineer, Motor Transport, or Ordnance communities.
Previous service as a U.S. Marine Corps logistics officer or comparable operational logistics experience.
Demonstrated understanding of the DoD acquisition process, including requirements development and sustainment integration.
Comprehensive knowledge of ground vehicle operations, including vehicle systems and associated IT/logistics support systems.
Past success in automotive maintenance, sustainment engineering, or vehicle lifecycle management.
Proven track record of developing and maintaining sponsor relationships in defense R&D environments.
Ability to communicate complex sustainment challenges and technical concepts clearly to technical and non-technical audiences.
Must be a U.S. citizen.
Must be eligible to obtain a government security clearance and meet ARL employment requirements, including background checks and participation in the drug testing program.

Nice To Haves

Past success supporting or advising R&D organizations on vehicle sustainment technologies.
Knowledge of cybersecurity considerations for vehicle systems, maintenance processes, or diagnostic tools.
Past success leading multidisciplinary teams and guiding research portfolios.
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.
Military-equivalent experience in place of the stated degree may be considered.

Responsibilities

Lead business development and sponsor engagement for vehicle sustainment and cybersecurity research portfolios.
Maintain and expand strategic relationships with military stakeholders, especially within the USMC, Army, and joint logistics communities.
Provide subject-matter expertise on military ground vehicle operations, sustainment processes, and enabling IT systems.
Translate operational sustainment challenges into actionable research and development objectives.
Support and guide project teams in vehicle investigation, readiness analytics, cyber-secure maintenance operations, and related technologies.
Mentor staff in sponsor engagement, program execution, and operational sustainment concepts.
Advise on DoD acquisition pathways and requirements processes relevant to sustainment technologies.
Contribute to proposal development, program planning, and strategic road-mapping for ASTD.
Ensure engineering activities comply with applicable sponsor requirements, engineering standards, quality requirements, cybersecurity policies, export control regulations, information assurance requirements, and laboratory security procedures.
Support research in Unclassified, CUI, and Classified environments while safeguarding sensitive technical information and government-furnished data.
Participate in technology transition activities, including system integration, operational demonstrations, customer evaluations, manufacturing support, and field implementation.
Identify technical risks and develop mitigation strategies to improve program execution, system performance, reliability, maintainability, and mission effectiveness.
Initiate and contribute to business development through technical concept development, customer engagement, proposal preparation, IRAD initiatives, and strategic technology planning.
Mentor and provide technical leadership to junior engineers, engineering technologists, engineering support personnel, interns, and students.
Maintain technical expertise through professional development, participation in technical working groups, awareness of emerging technologies, and engagement with the defense research community.