Embedded Software Department Head; FACULTY Job University Park Texas USA,Software Development

POSITION SPECIFICS

Your working location will be fully on-site and located in State College, PA. Options exist for hybrid of on-site/work from home based on project-dependent ability. This role may require periodic travel to remote locations. We are searching for a Department Head to join our Embedded Software (ES) department at the Applied Research Laboratory (ARL) at Penn State University. ARL's purpose is to research and develop innovative solutions to challenging scientific, engineering, and technology problems in support of the U.S. Military.

The ES Department's mission is to design, build, test, and deliver software and firmware for undersea systems. The department is responsible for designing, implementing, and integrating software for Science & Technology demonstrations as well as Engineering Development and In-Service system programs. The ES department serves as the leading resource for our Undersea Systems Office (USO) in real-time embedded software/firmware design, development, integration, and testing.

This position may be filled as either a Research and Development Engineer or a non-tenure Research Faculty. ARL is an authorized DoD Skill Bridge partner and welcomes all transitioning military members to apply.

You will:

Develop and sustain a high-performing workforce through coaching, mentorship, succession planning, talent development, and employee engagement

Establish the technical vision and strategic direction for the department, ensuring capabilities, resources, and investments align with office, division, and laboratory objectives

Direct and oversee the software engineering function in developing, releasing, and maintaining software and firmware applications to meet program, customer, and business needs

Guide the architecture, design, development, integration, and testing of embedded software and firmware solutions for autonomous and undersea systems

Foster a culture of technical excellence, innovation, continuous improvement, and adherence to software engineering best practices

Establish and maintain policies, processes, and standards that produce high-quality products, including coding principles, engineering tools, and development methodologies

Coordinate with office engineering leadership to ensure rigorous execution, sound research and engineering practices, and the highest standards of technical work

Collaborate with division and office leadership to prioritize work, allocate resources, manage staffing requirements, and support current and future programs

Additional responsibilities for higher-level position includes:

Lead major research and development initiatives and shape the department's long-term research and technology portfolio

Lead strategic initiatives through customer engagement, business development activities, and proposal development

Non-tenure faculty rank will be commensurate with education level and experience

Required Skills/Experience areas include:

Management of projects, people, and technical teams, including demonstrated leadership and the ability to establish and achieve organizational goals and objectives

Demonstrated experience leading technical teams and providing technical direction in the development and delivery of complex engineering systems

Demonstrated experience leading, mentoring, and developing technical personnel

Design and development of embedded real-time, multi-threaded software, FPGA/CPLD firmware, or hardware design, including experience with C/C++ and modern embedded development tools and environments

Effective verbal and written communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills

Active security clearance at the Secret level or higher, or the ability to obtain and maintain a Secret security clearance

Preferred Skills/Experience areas include:

Bachelor's degree in software engineering, computer engineering, electrical engineering, computer science, or a related STEM discipline

Advanced degree preferred

Demonstrated experience leading engineering teams and mentoring technical staff in a research, development, or a product-focused environment

Managing multiple technical projects, balancing workforce priorities, and allocating resources to meet program objectives

Developing technical proposals, supporting business development activities, or leading strategic growth initiatives

Working within DoD, Navy, defense research, or other government-sponsored programs

Past success establishing technical roadmaps, guiding architecture decisions, and aligning departmental capabilities with…