About this role
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:
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Approval of remote and hybrid work is not guaranteed regardless of work location. For additional information on remote work at Penn State, see Notice to Out of State Applicants .
POSITION SPECIFICS
Your working location will be fully on-site, located in State College, PA. This role requires periodic travel to remote locations
We are searching for experienced and dedicated Electric Propulsion and Power Systems (EPPS) Engineers to join the Electrical Power and Control Systems (EPCS) Department within the Undersea Systems Office (USO) at the Applied Research Laboratory (ARL) at Penn State. You will lead multidisciplinary engineering teams in project development of cutting edge electric and hybrid electric propulsion and power systems for undersea vehicles. Specifically, you will oversee the detail design, documentation, integration, and testing of high-power electric propulsion motors and controllers for undersea propulsion applications along with overall vehicle power system design and control. This will include laboratory and field testing for U.S. military and related applications.
ARL is an authorized DoD SkillBridge partner and welcomes all transitioning military members to apply.
You Will:
- Provide project management leadership for one or more projects
- Lead full project life cycle design and development to deliver advanced, efficient and reliable electric and hybrid electric propulsion systems and power sub-systems
- Guide system requirements identification, flow-down, and functional allocation
- Manage detailed design stages including early design and development processes (market surveys, analysis of alternatives, interface control documents, functional design documents, and test plans/reports) followed by design reviews, design acceptance and documentation packages
- Ensure that detail designs satisfy the identified requirements and expectations during large scale system integration exercises and requirement verification stages
- Manage testing of EPPS designs including advanced hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) test methods to support integration with larger systems of systems
- Support laboratory and field testing of prototype EPPS systems to demonstrate final design
Additional Responsibilities for Senior Professional and Higher-level Positions Include:
- Serve as a technical leader on multiple projects
- Manage multiple and/or large projects
- Create opportunities to enhance technical methodology
- Mentor and train assigned employees in the development of technical, project and business development skills
Required Skills/Experience areas include:
- Development and implementation of motor control algorithms/techniques such as Field Oriented Control, Direct Torque Control, and other relevant open- and closed-loop control methods
- Design experience of systems utilizing permanent magnet synchronous motors (PMSM), induction motors, and other motor topologies
- Low level design experience in high and low voltage power conversion systems including, motor drives, DC-DC converters, rectifiers, and alternators
- Past success executing prototype, hardware design verification, and qualification test programs
- Operating laboratory test equipment including dynamometers, power supplies, loads, and oscilloscopes
- Design of high voltage power systems
- Rigid and flex circuit card design
- Analog and digital circuit design
- Modeling techniques in multiple physical domains
- Past success managing and leading a team of engineers and technicians
- Be hands-on, exhibit a solid understanding of electronics concepts
- Possess a proven ability to build, troubleshoot, and integrate hardware into larger, more complex systems
Preferred Skills/Experience areas include:
- Electrical CAD tools including Altium Design Suite
- Mechanical CAD tools including Siemens NX and/or Solidworks
- Embedded C/C++ and VHDL/Verilog firmware languages
- Data acquisition hardware and software including LabVIEW and MATLAB
- MATLAB, Simulink, Stateflow, and RT-LAB for simulation and control
- Multiphysics simulation software including COMSOL, Ansys, or other tools
- Prior high voltage training and working experience
- Prior hardware-in-the-loop HIL experience
- Safely interfacing to various battery chemistries and BMS systems
- 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
MINIMUM EDUCATION, WORK EXPERIENCE & REQUIRED CERTIFICATIONS
If filled as R&D Engineer - Electrical (ARL) - Senior Professional, this position requires:
Bachelor's Degree - Engineering or Science
14+ years of relevant experience
Required Certifications:
None

If filled as R&D Engineer - Electrical (ARL) - Advanced Professional, this position requires:
Bachelor's Degree - Engineering or Science
5+ years of relevant experience
Required Certifications:
None
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ARL’s purpose is to research and develop innovative solutions to challenging scientific, engineering, and technology problems in support of the Navy, the Intel Community (IC), and other federal government customers.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION on ARL, visit our website at www.arl.psu.edu .
BACKGROUND CHECKS/CLEARANCES
Employment with the University will require successful completion of background check(s) in accordance with University policies.
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Notice regarding employment at the Applied Research Laboratory (ARL):
Employees must be eligible to obtain a government security clearance, participate in the ARL drug testing program, and comply with electronic and physical monitoring requirements applicable to federal contractors. ARL operates in a secure information environment involving Unclassified, Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI), and Classified information. Personal electronic devices brought onsite must be registered and may be restricted from certain areas. You must be a U.S. citizen to apply.
SALARY & BENEFITS
The salary range for this position, including all possible grades, is $121,704.00 - $231,000.00.
Salary Structure - Information on Penn State's salary structure
Penn State provides a competitive benefits package for full-time employees designed to support both personal and professional well-being. In addition to comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, employees enjoy robust retirement plans and substantial paid time off which includes holidays, vacation and sick time. One of the standout benefits is the generous 75% tuition discount, available to employees as well as eligible spouses and children. For more detailed information, please visit our Benefits Page .
CAMPUS SECURITY CRIME STATISTICS
Pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act and the Pennsylvania Act of 1988, Penn State publishes a combined Annual Security and Annual Fire Safety Report (ASR). The ASR includes crime statistics and institutional policies concerning campus security, such as those concerning alcohol and drug use, crime prevention, the reporting of crimes, sexual assault, and other matters. The ASR is available for review here .
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.
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