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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 in State College, PA. This position will require periodic travel to remote locations.
We are searching for Mechanical Engineers to join our Deployables and Undersea Connectivity (DUC) Department at the Applied Research Laboratory (ARL) at Penn State. The mission of the DUC Department is to develop and mature technical methods and devices to connect platforms in the undersea domain, as well as, bridge to above the sea-air boundary, support tethered and untethered communication techniques between stationary or moving undersea platforms, and employ these capabilities to solve the most challenging undersea communications problems. Primary tasking will be to design, analyze, build, and test mechanical components and systems for undersea applications.
ARL is an authorized DoD SkillBridge partner and welcomes all transitioning military members to apply.
You will:
- Analyze requirements, identify problems, and develop innovative solutions
- Design structures, mechanisms, actuation systems, and bearing systems
- Work with drafting to create and approve drawings
- Develop assembly and test procedures
- Work with technicians to perform assembly and testing of systems and subsystems
- Support on-site field testing
- Meet with sponsors, faculty and staff engineers to define the scope of task requirements and schedule constraints
- Communicate with Principal Investigators (PI’s) and project managers to provide progress reports
- Facilitate the identification of resources needed to accomplish the task/project
Additional responsibilities for higher-level position may include:
- Develop and build mechanical testing methods and laboratory experiments
- Mentor less experience staff
- Design and perform modeling, subsystem integration, or interface analysis
Required Skills/Experience areas include:
- Geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T ANSI Y14.5)
- Abaqus or similar advanced FEA software
- Past success with multi‑material assemblies and integrated system architectures
- 3D CAD design and engineering drawing development (Siemens NX preferred)
- Design of machined components and subsystems
- Read and interpret mechanical drawings
- Completing free-body diagrams; using hand calculations to calculate forces and resultant stresses on structures
- Developing test plans and procedures and strong written communication skills
Preferred Skills/Experience areas include:
- Support field testing of vehicles and test platforms which could include travel to support test events.
- Knowledge of structural or thermal finite element analysis
- Packaging of electromechanical assemblies
- Ability to learn and work across disciplines (mechanical, electrical, software, logistics) in a small team environment of engineers, technicians, and US military personnel
- Attention to detail.
- 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 - Mechanical (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 Engineer - Mechanical (ARL) - Intermediate Professional, this position requires: Bachelor's Degree - Engineering or Science 2+ years of relevant experience Required Certifications: None
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 customer.
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.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 $105,900.00 - $200,808.00.
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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Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in Engineering or Science
- At least 2 years of relevant experience for the Intermediate Professional level
- At least 5 years of relevant experience for the Advanced Professional level
- Experience with geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T) using ANSI Y14.5
- Experience with Abaqus or similar advanced finite element analysis software
- Experience with multi-material assemblies and integrated system architectures
- Experience with 3D CAD design and engineering drawing development; Siemens NX preferred
- Experience designing machined components and subsystems
- Ability to read and interpret mechanical drawings
- Ability to complete free-body diagrams and calculate forces and resultant structural stresses
- Experience developing test plans and procedures
- Strong written communication skills
- Experience supporting field testing of vehicles and test platforms
- Knowledge of structural or thermal finite element analysis
- Experience packaging electromechanical assemblies
- Ability to work across mechanical, electrical, software, and logistics disciplines
- Current eligibility for access to classified information at the Secret level or higher
- U.S. citizenship
Penn State University Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Penn State University and has not been reviewed or approved by Penn State University.
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Retirement Support — Employer contributions to SERS and the TIAA Alternate Plan are described as significant, with supplemental retirement options available. Feedback suggests these choices and contributions create strong long‑term value.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Full‑time employees accrue over 24 sick and vacation days annually, with additional university holidays and a winter break. Feedback suggests this depth of leave supports work–life balance.
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Inclusive Benefits Coverage — A 75% tuition discount extends to employees, spouses, and dependent children up to age 26 across resident instruction, World Campus, and Penn College courses. Feedback suggests this broad eligibility meaningfully enhances total rewards, especially for families.
Penn State University Insights
What We Do
There’s a reason Penn State consistently ranks among the top one percent of the world’s universities. Across 24 campuses, our nearly 88,000 students and 17,000 faculty and staff know the real measure of success goes beyond the classroom—it’s the positive impact made on communities across the world. From access to state-of-the-art resources to interdisciplinary pursuits in collaborative atmospheres, a Penn State degree is more than an education. The experiences and knowledge gained here will form the foundation for the lives our students build. Their contributions to the world begin with a Penn State degree. We Are Penn State.
