Systems Research and Development Engineers

Systems Research and Development Engineers

Join to apply for the Systems Research and Development Engineers role at The Applied Research Laboratory at Penn State University.

We are searching for mid‑level Systems Engineers to join the Multimodal Systems Department of the Applied Research Laboratory (ARL) at Penn State University. The mission of the department is to analyze, design, develop, and prototype sensor systems and networks for all DoD services and national intelligence and other government agencies. Focus is on the development of systems that can support the warfighter in the near‑term.

Core mission areas include:

• Application of traditional systems and software engineering techniques for the design and development of complex sensor systems.
• Application of modeling and simulation methodologies.
• Approaches for rapid prototyping as a means of concept assessment, risk reduction, and accelerated capability fielding.
• Utilization of agile development methods including Dev Sec Ops  for continuous integration / continuous delivery (CI/CD) software pipelines, and application to all facets of complex system development.

You will

• Provide hands‑on leadership of project teams.
• Provide technical management / leadership of research and development tasks.
• Mentor entry‑level engineers in sound engineering practices.
• Have an active role in the entire sensor development process.
• Collaborate with engineers within IST, CINO and across ARL to deliver complex sensor systems.

This position can be filled at multiple levels depending on education and experience. Minimally requires a Bachelor's degree in Engineering or Science discipline plus 2 years related experience. Additional education and/or experience required for higher level positions. A Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering or Computer Science is preferred.

Required Skills

• Automated testing and measurement, hardware calibration, and hardware design, development, testing and integration.
• Programming in MATLAB, LabVIEW or other prototyping environment along with programming experience in C/C++/Python.

Preferred Skills

• PCB layout in multi‑layer boards using Altium.
• Solid Works.
• Producing required technical documentation related to the design and building of complex systems.
• Broad technical background to include modeling and simulation, software development, mechanical and power system design, test and evaluation of sensor systems.
• Work in Linux and Windows OS systems.
• Embedded systems to include FPGAs, microcontrollers, and similar entities.
• Active government security clearance.

Your working location will be predominantly on‑site at our offices in State College, PA. Periodic travel may also be required for attendance at program meetings and/or in support of field testing or exercises.

ARL at Penn State is an integral part of one of the leading research universities in the nation and serves as a University center of excellence in defense science, systems, and technologies with a focus in naval missions and related areas.

You will be subject to a government security investigation. An active security clearance is highly desired. You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply. Employment with ARL will require successful completion of a pre‑employment drug screen.

For further information on ARL, visit our website .psu.edu.

The proposed salary range may be impacted by geographic differential.

The salary range for this position, including all possible grades is:

$86,300.00 – $

Salary structure – additional information on Penn State's job and salary structure is available through the university’s career portal.

EEO IS THE LAW

Penn State is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status. If you are unable to use our online application process due to an impairment or disability, please contact 814‑865‑1473.