Group Lead - Embedded Systems Technology II

Draper Labs; Cambridge (MA); On-site; USD 82,300 - 220,000; Full time

Job summary

Draper, an independent nonprofit R&D organization in Cambridge, MA, seeks a Group Leader in the Embedded Systems Technology Group. You will guide a team designing reliable embedded systems for mission-critical applications, including defense programs, while shaping technology roadmaps and capabilities.

Lead administrative duties, staffing, and performance reviews; develop talent and drive program success in a high-stakes environment with broad cross-domain collaboration.

Qualifications

• Excellent communication and written skills.
• Ability to present technical material to diverse engineering levels and customers.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Applications.
• Strong ability to supervise a team of 10-20.

Responsibilities

• Manage administrative details and career development for group members.
• Convey information from management to group members.
• Lead, mentor, and conduct performance evaluations of group members.
• Maintain staffing awareness and write job requisitions for hiring as needed.
• Serve as Lead Subject Matter Expert for area of specialty.
• Shape Draper's technology offerings and open new business areas based on program and technical experience.
• Analyze Draper strategy to build capability aligned with customer priorities.

Skills

Communication

Presentation skills

MS Office

Team leadership

Education

Engineering degree

Job description

Overview

Draper is an independent, nonprofit research and development company headquartered in Cambridge, MA. The 2,000+ employees of Draper tackle important national challenges with a promise of delivering successful and usable solutions. From military defense and space exploration to biomedical engineering, lives often depend on the solutions we provide. Our multidisciplinary teams of engineers and scientists work in a collaborative environment that inspires the cross‑fertilization of ideas necessary for true innovation. For more information about Draper, visit www.draper.com.

Job Description Summary

As part of the Software Engineering Division, the primary focus of the Embedded Systems Technology Group is to lead cutting‑edge efforts in software development tasks to make new or modified processing hardware usable for development and execution of higher‑level software applications. Board support functions, boot sequences, I/O and interrupt handling, and communications architectures are also key activities in this group. The embedded systems developed by this group must be highly reliable and robust in order to architect new system capability solutions and enabling avionics technologies that ensure success for our sponsors' most challenging missions. These systems include hypersonic weapon systems, autonomous and collaborative systems, integrated air & missile defense systems, global strike and power projection in contested environments, and other systems critical for our nation’s security and defense.

Group Leaders are the first layer of Line Management in Engineering at Draper. Their main responsibility is the care and development of their direct reports to ensure Draper has the workforce it needs to meet its customer needs both now and in the future. Group Leaders are responsible for administrative duties (e.g. staffing, hiring, performance reviews), workforce development (e.g. training, mentoring), and developing/furthering the group's charter/capabilities (e.g. developing technology/capability roadmaps, improving processes/ procedures/ best practices).

Job Description

Duties/Responsibilities

• Manage administrative details and career development for group members.
• Convey relevant information from management to group members.
• Lead, mentor, build depth in their area of expertise and conduct performance evaluations of group members.
• Maintain awareness of staffing requirements, write job requisitions (responsibilities and required qualifications) for hiring as required, review and disposition incoming resumes, conduct interviews.
• Serve as Lead Subject Matter Expert for Area of specialty.
• Shape Draper's technology offerings and open new business areas based on program and technical experience.
• Analyze Draper strategy and work with management to build capability in key areas that align Draper's capabilities with customer's strategic priorities.

Skills/Abilities

• Excellent communication and written skills.
• Excellent ability with presenting technical material to various levels of the engineering organization and customers.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Applications.
• Strong ability to supervise a team of 10-20.

Education

Requires a degree in Engineering or related discipline.

Experience

5-7 years of experience in the engineering; design, development, and management of complex systems.

Additional Job Description

• Technical domain expertise in maturing new embedded systems technologies and implementing them in the design for advanced first‑of‑a‑kind systems.
• Prior experience in leading medium and large teams through the full lifecycle development of software in the embedded systems space, preferably mission critical or safety critical systems.

Preferred Qualifications

• Foundational experience in software and system technologies used in guidance, navigation, and control hardware of complex systems.
• Technical leadership experience, serving as a Technical Director, Task Leader, or Principal Investigator in the development of new technologies and applications.
• Experience with Earned Value Management (EVM), with direct experience in cost and schedule management of tasks.
• Experience leading or contributing to technical and cost proposals.

Applicants selected for this position will be required to obtain and maintain a government security clearance. Secret Clearance is required.

Job Location

City: Cambridge
State: Massachusetts
Postal Code: 02139-3563

Salary

The US base salary range for this full‑time position is $82,300.00 - $220,000.00. Our salary ranges are determined by role, level, and location. The range displayed on each job posting reflects the minimum and maximum target salaries for the position across all US locations. Within the range, individual pay is determined by work location and additional factors, including job‑related skills, experience, and relevant education or training. Union ranges will be in compliance with the collective bargaining agreement's approved rates by location and role. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range for your preferred location during the hiring process. Please note that the compensation details listed in US role postings reflect the base salary only, and does not include bonuses or benefits.

Benefits

Draper supports many programs to improve work‑life balance including workplace flexibility, employee clubs ranging from photography to yoga, health and finance workshops, off‑site social events and discounts to local museums and cultural activities.

To apply for this position, visit: www.draper.com/careers.

Equal Opportunity Employer Statement

Draper is committed to creating an inclusive environment. We understand the value of inclusivity and its impact on a high‑performance culture. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, national origin, veteran status, or genetic information. Draper is committed to providing access, equal opportunity, and reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities in employment, its services, programs, and activities. To request reasonable accommodation, please contact [e-mail].