Systems Engineer

We are searching for highly motivated Systems Engineers to join our Systems Engineering Department in the Undersea Systems Office at the Applied Research Laboratory (ARL) at Penn State.  This role will support the development of complex physical undersea systems, including advanced vehicles, sensors, and integrated hardware/software technologies for undersea applications. This is not an IT, cloud, or enterprise systems position. This role focuses on traditional systems engineering for defense hardware, spanning concept development, system architecture, subsystem integration, test, and transition to fielded military systems. This department's focus is on tailoring and on applying rigor using the systems engineering process.  You will have the opportunity to contribute heavily to physical systems development, from conceptual definition into design, test, then transition into production. USO designs, develops, validates, and maintains a suite of large-scale undersea warfare models and simulations used by technology developers, analysts, the Navy, and its allies. We serve as a research center of excellence in undersea weapons, unmanned undersea vehicles, and advanced sonars. We support our national security and undersea warfare sponsors through the development and demonstration of science and technology with the expertise, tools, and processes to take concepts from the early developmental phase through transition to industry and the fleet.

ARL is an authorized DoD SkillBridge partner and welcomes all transitioning military members to apply.

You will:

• Translate stakeholder needs into system-level requirements and architectures

• Perform analysis of alternatives and develop system concepts for hardware‑centric undersea platforms and payloads

• Conduct system and requirements decomposition, interface definition, and integration planning

• Support model-based systems engineering (MBSE), system modeling, and hardware/software integration

• Develop verification and validation strategies, test plans, and test procedures for physical prototypes and fielded systems

• Participate in and support lab, dockside, and at-sea test events

• Collaborate regularly with engineering teams, program sponsors, Navy partners, and program management

• Identify risks, develop mitigation strategies, and support lifecycle decision-making

Additional responsibilities for higher level positions includes:

• Organize and direct a multi-disciplinary and diverse engineering team

• Provide technical leadership within the division programs

• Plan and direct research projects that have substantial impact that extends knowledge and understanding

• Propose and lead new initiatives; guide programs of national or international significance; identify future problems, research trends, and opportunities

Required skills/experience areas include:

• Applying systems engineering to complex physical systems, preferably in defense, aerospace, maritime, or robotics domains

• Experience collaborating in multi-disciplinary, team-oriented cultures

• Ability to express ideas successfully to drive understanding

• Past success in writing white papers or reports

• Past success in a lead role, organizing, managing, and directing, multi-disciplinary teams, while contributing and assisting in project management

• Past success while leading or contributing to technical proposals and white papers

Preferred skills/experience areas include:

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in Mechanical, Electrical, Aerospace, Computer, Systems Engineering or related engineering discipline.

• Unmanned underwater systems development

• Hardware integration, prototype testing, or system-level test events

• Past success using requirements and MBSE tools (Cameo, DOORS, Jama, etc.)

• Working knowledge of DoD acquisition, especially Department of the Navy systems engineering processes

• Exposure to environmental qualification, hardware-in-the-loop testing, or embedded system integration

• 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

Your working location can be fully on-site to start for training located in State College, PA and then a hybrid of on-site/work from home based on project-dependent ability. Questions related to flexible work should be directed to the hiring manager during the interview process.