Senior Defense Vehicle R&D Engineer - Sponsor Engagement

Penn State University; University Park (TX); Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 231,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

75% tuition discount

Benefits package

Job summary

Penn State University’s Applied Research Laboratory in State College seeks an Operations Research and Development Engineer to lead vehicle sustainment and cyber‑secure maintenance research. You will engage sponsors, translate field challenges into research objectives, and guide multi‑disciplinary teams across DoD contexts.

We value deep military logistics experience, a track record of sustaining sponsor relationships, and the ability to operate across unclassified, CUI, and classified programs

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in engineering or science.
• 14+ years of relevant experience.
• Experience as U.S. military Engineer, Motor Transport, or Ordnance.
• Experience as a U.S. Marine Corps logistics officer or comparable role.
• Understanding of the DoD acquisition process and sustainment integration.
• Knowledge of ground vehicle operations and related IT/logistics support systems.
• Experience in automotive maintenance or vehicle lifecycle management.
• Proven track record cultivating sponsor relationships in defense R&D.
• Ability to communicate complex sustainment challenges to technical and non-technical audiences.

Responsibilities

• Lead business development and sponsor engagement for vehicle sustainment and cybersecurity research portfolios
• Maintain and expand strategic relationships with military stakeholders, especially within the USMC, Army, and joint logistics communities
• Provide subject‑matter expertise on military ground vehicle operations, sustainment processes, and enabling IT systems
• Shape research directions by translating operational sustainment challenges into actionable research and development objectives
• Support and guide project teams in vehicle investigation, readiness analytics, cyber‑secure maintenance operations, and related technologies
• Mentor staff in sponsor engagement, program execution, and operational sustainment concepts
• Serve as an advisor on DoD acquisition pathways and requirements processes relevant to sustainment technologies
• Contribute to proposal development, program planning, and strategic road‑mapping for ASTD

Skills

Military logistics

Ground vehicle operations

DoD acquisition process

Sponsor relationships

IT systems for maintenance

Operational sustainment

Technical leadership

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor's Degree - Engineering or Science

Bachelor's degree in engineering, logistics, or related field

Job description

Penn State University’s Applied Research Laboratory in State College seeks an Operations Research and Development Engineer to lead vehicle sustainment and cyber‑secure maintenance research. You will engage sponsors, translate field challenges into research objectives, and guide multi‑disciplinary teams across DoD contexts.

We value deep military logistics experience, a track record of sustaining sponsor relationships, and the ability to operate across unclassified, CUI, and classified programs