Group Leader - Mission Software Architectures & Applications II

draper; Cambridge (MA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

Draper in Cambridge, MA seeks a Group Leader for the Mission Software Architectures & Applications Group. Lead a team of 10–20 engineers to deliver robust, mission-critical software architectures for space, defense, and autonomous systems.

Responsibilities include mentoring staff, coordinating with program offices and customers, and shaping technology roadmaps to meet strategic priorities. Requires hands-on leadership in embedded systems with a strong analytical mindset.

Qualifications

• Bachelor or Master degree in engineering or related discipline.
• 10+ years hands-on experience and leadership in advanced technologies.
• Experience leading medium/large teams through full software lifecycle in embedded/safety-critical spaces.
• Strong analytical and communication skills for customers, engineers, and managers.

Responsibilities

• Manage administrative details and career development for group members.
• Convey information from management to group members.
• Lead, mentor, and conduct performance evaluations for group personnel.
• Plan staffing, write job requisitions, review resumes, and conduct interviews.
• Serve as Lead Subject Matter Expert for the area of specialty.
• Shape Draper's technology offerings and open new business areas.
• Align capabilities with customers' strategic priorities.

Skills

Communication

Technical presentations

Microsoft Office

Team supervision

Education

BS / MS in engineering or related field

Tools

Microsoft Office Applications

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 Mission Software Architectures & Applications Group is to provide cutting-edge solutions to mission-critical software applications. Robust, highly reliable software architectures must be designed and implemented to give the highest probability of success for the most demanding missions, and the harshest environments. The group must provide architectures for new system capabilities and enabling avionics technologies that ensure success for our sponsors' most challenging missions. These systems include space systems, 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.

The Group Leader is responsible for leading and managing a group of approximately 10 - 20 engineers who have technical and domain expertise related to the group's focus areas and can provide the highest level of support to our customers. The continual development and advancement of Draper's expertise for specific mission domains and system software technology is a key focus of the Group Leader. To that end, the Group Leader is expected to:

• Ensure the long-term success of the group, and its contributions to Draper, by shaping the group's talented workforce, while maintaining and developing key, differentiating capabilities that align with customer and business needs.
• Collaborate regularly with internal group members, Draper Program Offices, Customers/Sponsors, other Draper engineering groups, and the external technical community.
• Partner with Customers/Sponsors, Draper Program Managers and subject matter experts within Draper to develop and implement strategic plans and technology roadmaps.
• Promote and direct internal and external R&D activities, including development and alignment of research proposals with technology roadmaps, collaborations with universities and direction of scholar, coop, and internships cohorts.
• Support and enable the technical and career growth of individual staff members by performing check-in reviews and annual performance reviews, as well as advocating for leadership, mentorship, and training opportunities.

Job Description

• Manage administrative details and career development for group members.
• Convey relevant information from management to group members.
• Lead, mentor, build depth 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

Required Qualifications

• BS / MS or equivalent degree(s) in a technically relevant engineering field with 10+ years of both direct "hands-on" work in advanced technologies and effective leadership, in both formal and informal roles.
• 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
• Critical thinking skills for framing, analyzing, and synthesizing complex problems, both qualitatively and quantitatively.
• Ability to communicate technical concepts effectively with customers, engineers, managers, and other