Fluids Machinery Department Head

Penn State University; Ferguson Township (PA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Penn State University in State College, PA, seeks a Department Head to lead the Fluids Machinery Department within the ARL. The role covers turbomachinery design, analysis and testing for government and industry customers, spanning from concept to fabricated devices.

You will mentor engineers, drive technical excellence, manage proposals, and grow sponsor relations while ensuring on-time delivery and compliance with DoD and safety standards.

Qualifications

• PhD in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering or related field.
• Strong leadership and program management experience.
• Experience with turbomachinery and fluid dynamics.
• Proven ability to secure and manage sponsored programs.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management.

Responsibilities

• Provide organizational leadership to Engineers, including recruitment and development.
• Direct technical excellence, cost control and on-time delivery.
• Lead technical execution of research, design, and testing of turbomachinery systems.
• Develop sponsor relationships and oversee proposals for new programs.
• Ensure compliance with DoD, safety, security, and export controls.

Skills

Leadership

Turbomachinery

Fluid dynamics

Cavitation

Proposal development

Sponsor relations

Security clearance

Staff mentoring

Risk management

Education

Ph.D. in Mechanical/Aerospace Eng

Bachelor's degree in Engineering/Science

Tools

MATLAB/Simulink

CAD software

Job description

POSITION SPECIFICS

Your working location will be fully onsite located in State College, PA. This role requires periodic travel to remote locations.

We are searching for a Department Head to join our Fluids Machinery Department of the Fluid Mechanics Division at the Applied Research Laboratory (ARL) at Penn State. In this role, you will contribute to and direct the work and growth of a team whose focus is the design, analysis and testing of turbomachinery and devices for the motion and control of fluids, ranging in technical maturity from fundamental physics to fabricated devices, and in size from small-scale models to full-scale propulsion systems for UUV's, surface ships and submarines. Mentorship and business development will be significant components of this position. This position may be filled as either a Research and Development Engineer or a non-tenure Research Faculty.

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

You will:

• Provide organizational leadership to a growing group of Engineers, to include employee management, recruitment, development, retention, and technical direction
• Direct technical excellence, cost control and on-time delivery of work
• Lead the technical execution of research, design, development and testing of turbomachinery systems for a range of U.S. Government and Industry customers
• Provide subject matter expertise in the areas of turbomachinery, fluid dynamics and cavitation
• Develop and maintain long-term professional relationships with sponsors and relevant stakeholders
• Oversee the development of proposals for new programs
• Embrace ARL's mission to discover, demonstrate, transition and educate

Additional responsibilities for higher-level position includes:

• Provide technical and managerial leadership for research and development programs, establishing technical vision, priorities, and standards across one or more engineering disciplines
• Lead and oversee small or moderate size and scope projects, ensuring technical rigor, feasibility, quality, cost effectiveness, and on-time execution
• Guide concept development, design analyses, and problem resolution by independently evaluating and applying appropriate scientific and engineering methods to meet sponsor and customer needs
• Manage, mentor, and develop engineering staff, including hiring, performance management, workforce planning, and professional development
• Serve as a primary technical and managerial point of contact for sponsors and partners; maintain external research relationships and contribute to business development through identification of funding opportunities and proposal development
• Review and author technical reports, publications, and presentations; represent the organization in technical reviews and collaborations
• Ensure compliance with applicable DoD, University, safety, security, and export control requirements, while collaborating across teams to advance organizational goals

Required Skills/Experience areas include:

• Fluid mechanics or aerodynamics
• Taking an idea from concept through design and analyses into test-validated hardware
• Proposal writing and subsequent securing of funding.
• Past success in leadership of technical personnel
• Past success in management of sponsored programs
• Strong presentation and communication skills, both technical and inter-personal
• Design and execution of experiments utilizing wind or water facilities
• Active security clearance, at the Secret level or higher

Preferred Skills/Experience areas include:

• Ph.D. degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering or related field
• Numerical modeling of fluids and systems using MATLAB or Simulink
• Solid modeling and CAD systems

MINIMUM EDUCATION, WORK EXPERIENCE & REQUIRED CERTIFICATIONS

If filled as R&D Engineer, Department Head (ARL) - Principal Professional, this position requires:

• Bachelor's Degree - Engineering or Science
• 19+ years of relevant experience
• Required Certifications:
• None

If filled as R&D Engineer, Department Head (ARL) - Advanced Professional, this position requires:

• Bachelor's Degree - Engineering or Science
• 5+ years of relevant experience
• Required Certifications:
• None

If filled as R&D