Sustainment Information Systems Research Professor

The Pennsylvania State University•University Park, FL

5d•Onsite

About The Position

Penn State’s Applied Research Laboratory (ARL) is seeking an Assistant Research Professor for its Sustainment Information Systems Department in the Applied Sustainment Technologies Division, within the Materials, Manufacturing, and Sustainment office. The role supports applied research in defense applications, emphasizing NAVSEA environments and submarine platform support. The position focuses on process development, qualification, transition, and in-situ monitoring for advanced sustainment technologies. The non-tenure faculty rank will be commensurate with education and experience. The position 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 is subject to successful background checks, participation in ARL’s drug testing program, and compliance with electronic and physical monitoring requirements applicable to federal contractors. ARL’s secure information environment includes Unclassified, Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI), and Classified information; personal electronic devices brought onsite must be registered and may be restricted in certain areas.

Requirements

At least 1.5 years of professional experience in NAVSEA-related research.
Past success deploying solutions in NAVSEA applications.
Experience working with and modernizing current sustainment information systems used by shipyards and Trident Refit Facilities.
Ability to collaborate with military stakeholders to define requirements, evaluate solution paths, and deliver technical capabilities.
Experience with Kubernetes, Docker, GitLab CI/CD, Helm, and supporting enterprise sustainment platforms.
Experience developing sustainment solutions for defense applications.
Excellent communication skills and ability to work independently or in multidisciplinary teams.
Must be a U.S. citizen.
Must be eligible to obtain a government security clearance and complete required background checks.

Nice To Haves

Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering or a related discipline.
Published research or technical documentation in sustainment technologies.
Ability to work with Penn State faculty.
Past success working with NAVSEA applications.
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.

Responsibilities

Lead and support the design, development, and deployment of processes for advanced sustainment technologies in defense applications.
Serve as principal investigator on projects and programs related to base material technology.
Investigate and implement emerging technologies to enhance logistics, training, and sustainment systems.
Collaborate with government and industry sponsors and Penn State faculty on applied research projects.
Contribute to technical proposals, risk assessments, and cost and effort estimates for research initiatives.
Apply expertise in technology qualification and transition to sustainment challenges.
Deliver professional reports and executive-level presentations documenting findings and recommendations.
Mentor junior engineers in sustainment technology transition for NAVSEA applications.
Lead and mentor a team of engineers developing and implementing sustainment technology transition for NAVSEA applications.
Coordinate the development of processes and technologies with sponsors and external collaborators.