Facilities and Instrumentation Department Head; FACULTY

Position: Facilities and Instrumentation Department Head (FACULTY)

We are searching for an experienced fluids and acoustics researcher to lead the Facilities and Instrumentation Department in the Fluid Dynamics and Acoustics Office (FDAO) at The Applied Research Laboratory (ARL) at Penn State. Facilities Support maintains all Garfield Thomas Water Tunnel (GTWT) testing facilities and testing assets, while Instrumentation Support maintains and develops electronic and data acquisition assets and sensor applications for all GTWT facilities and test articles.

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:

• Oversee the maintenance and operations of FDAO research testing facilities, including water tunnels, rotor balancing facility, instrumentation and calibration devices, flow-through anechoic chamber, pump loop, and reverberation tank; assist with planning and budgeting for facility needs and department funds including data acquisition equipment, facility upgrades, and maintenance
• Manage aspects of mechanical/electrical design, fabrication, inspection, testing;

Provide guidance and collaborate with engineers and technicians throughout the experimental evaluation process, including delivery of prototype mechanical systems to be tested in ARL facilities or in field testing programs

• Collaborate with Principal Investigators (PI), test engineers, and sponsors to coordinate and conceptualize solutions for experimental evaluations data acquisition plans, data resources, programming, and test implementation
• Lead conversations with vendors regarding fabrication costs and schedules to facilitate the manufacture of hardware and equipment for facility-related maintenance and improvements
• Interact and collaborate regularly with program management, program sponsors, and stakeholders;

Provide project updates to sponsors

• Recruit, define performance expectations and goals, provide mentorship, and regularly evaluate and offer constructive feedback through conversation and performance reviews in order to support professional growth and effectively retain department staff
• Perform as a Principal Investigator (PI) on sponsored projects
• Lead and provide engineering support and evaluations on research tasks or projects

Faculty rank will be commensurate with education and experience. Minimally requires a Master's degree in an engineering or science discipline and 1 year relatated experience.

Required skills/experience areas include:

• Fluids, acoustics, or similar testing in a research environment
• Research testing processes from hardware/test article development through evaluations
• Familiarity with data acquisition and measurement systems
• Use of scheduling and resource management software (MS Project or similar)
• Previous success with collaborations in a multi-disciplinary, team-oriented environment
• Demonstrated success leading teams of engineers/scientists

Preferred skills/experience areas include:

• Oversight of fluids, acoustics, or similar testing facilities
• Lead in large research projects
• Mechanical or electrical design
• Master's or higher Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Engineering Science, Aerospace Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or Industrial Engineering
• 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 hybrid on-site/work from home, located in State College, PA. Questions related to flexible work should be directed to the hiring manager during the interview process.

ARL’s purpose is to research and develop innovative solutions to challenging scientific, engineering, and technology problems in support of the Navy, the Department of Defense (DoD), and the Intel Community (IC).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION on ARL, visit our web site .psu.edu.

BACKGROUND CHECKS/CLEARANCES

Employment with the University will require successful completion of background check(s) in accordance with University policies.

All positions at ARL require candidates to possess the ability to obtain a government security clearance; you will be notified during the interview process if this position is subject to a government background investigation. You must be a U.S. citizen to apply. Employment with the ARL will require successful completion of a pre-employment drug screen.

BENEFITS

Penn State provides a competitive benefits package for full-time employees designed to support both personal and professional wellbeing. In addition to comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, employees enjoy robust retirement plans. One of the standout benefits is the generous 75% tuition discount, available to employees as well as eligible spouses and child