Operations Research and Development Engineer
About The Position
We are searching for an Operations Research and Development Engineer to join The Vehicle Investigation & Cybersecurity Department at the Applied Research Laboratory (ARL) at Penn State. In this role you will serve as a senior technical and operational leader to drive sponsor engagement, guide ground vehicle sustainment research, and strengthen ARL’s relationships across the military. This role will support the division’s mission to advance next‑generation sustainment technologies, readiness analytics, vehicle systems resilience, and cyber‑secure maintenance capabilities. This position plays a critical leadership role in sustaining ARL’s institutional knowledge of vehicle sustainment operations and sponsor engagement. The successful candidate will help anchor ARL’s understanding of real‑world vehicle logistics, readiness challenges, and fleet sustainment needs, ensuring our research remains aligned with operational priorities across the Services. The ideal candidate brings deep operational expertise in military ground vehicle operations, direct experience with sustainment engineering, and a track record of shaping, growing, and maintaining sponsor relationships in defense research and development. ARL is an authorized DoD SkillBridge partner and welcomes all transitioning military members to apply.
Requirements
- 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 role
- Demonstrated understanding of the DoD acquisition process, including requirements development and sustainment integration
- Comprehensive knowledge of ground vehicle operations, including both 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 clearly communicate complex sustainment challenges and technical concepts to both technical and non‑technical audiences
- Bachelor's Degree - Engineering or Science
- 14+ years of relevant experience
Nice To Haves
- Past success supporting or advising R&D organizations on vehicle sustainment technologies.
- Cyber considerations for vehicle systems, maintenance processes, or diagnostic tools
- Past success leading multidisciplinary teams and guiding research portfolios
- Bachelor’s degree in engineering, logistics, or related field (military equivalent experience also considered)
- 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
- 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
- Shape research directions by translating 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
- Serve as an advisor 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 conducted within Unclassified, Controlled Unclassified Information (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 activities through technical concept development, customer engagement, proposal preparation, Independent Research and Development (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 continued professional development, participation in technical working groups, awareness of emerging technologies, and engagement with the defense research community
Benefits
- comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage
- robust retirement plans
- substantial paid time off which includes holidays, vacation and sick time
- 75% tuition discount, available to employees as well as eligible spouses and children
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
