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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
We are searching for an experienced, motivated, and driven System Safety Engineer to join the Systems Engineering Department within the Undersea Systems Office at the Penn State University Applied Research Laboratory (ARL) located fully on-site in State College, PA. Candidates should be comfortable working within the Department of Defense safety process and will be involved in the development of the next generation of undersea systems. The System Safety Engineer will operate across the entire lifecycle of undersea systems development, from concept formulation to design, build, and test. The candidate will develop in-depth knowledge of ARL-developed systems and will represent them within the safety community.
ARL is an authorized DoD SkillBridge partner and welcomes all transitioning military members to apply.
You will:
Collaborate with Systems Engineering and Subsystem Design Teams to learn the design and operation of ARL systems
Perform safety analyses as specified in MIL-STD-882E including Preliminary Hazard Analyses, Functional Hazard Analyses, Requirements Hazard Analyses, Subsystem Hazard Analyses, Software Safety Level of Rigor, etc.
Assess engineering documents, data, and artifacts to ensure component and system level safety compliance; identify and mitigate potential and existing hazards
Participate in anomaly investigations, failure review boards, and root cause/corrective action analyses
Collaborate with internal and external team members and United States Navy (USN) counterparts in order to ensure delivery of a safe product
Collaborate and maintain relationships within the community including sponsors, engineering teams, and program management
Participate in System Safety Working Groups to ensure that all aspects of system safety are addressed and communicated throughout the program
Communicate with government personnel including NOSSA (Naval Ordnance Safety Support Activity), the WSESRB (Weapon Systems Explosive Safety Review Board) and its constituent panels (FISTP, SSSTRP) and the Navy PHST center (Packaging, Handling, Shipping, Transportation) to identify and address requirements for safe shipping, handling and deployment of weapons systems
Brief the WSESRB and its constituent panels at periodic formal engagements as well as less formal “Tech Assist” meetings.
Brief program personnel including USN Program Manager(s), relevant Technical Warrant Holders, etc.
The person in this role will have the capability to work independently with external government, program, and contractor counterparts to develop successful system safety programs
Develop deliverable safety work products including System Safety Program Plans, Software System Safety Program Plans, Hazardous Material Management Plans, etc.
Additional responsibilities for higher level positions include:
Lead system safety efforts across one or more undersea programs
Lead team members in order to ensure the delivery of a safe product
Mentor staff in the system safety process including development of work products
Train additional staff in the System Safety process as required by ARL workload
Represent program(s) with presentations, analyses, and reports at engineering review boards, technical interchange meetings, and government safety working groups
Required skills/experience areas include:
System Safety Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a related field
Effective at presenting in front of teams or groups, or creating conveying information to drive understanding, action, or decision
Previous success with collaborations in a multi-disciplinary, team-oriented, culture
Ability to obtain and maintain a government security clearance
Preferred skills/experience areas include:
Familiarity with relevant engineering and safety standards
Ability to conduct various safety analyses: Functional Hazard Analysis, Fault Trees, Failure Modes and Effects Analyses (FMEA), Failure Modes, Effects and Criticality Analyses (FMECA), Requirements Hazard Analysis, Software Level of Rigor Analyses, etc.
Hardware circuit design and development
Embedded software development
Active government security clearance
Your working location will be located fully on-site in State College, PA.
MINIMUM EDUCATION, WORK EXPERIENCE & REQUIRED CERTIFICATIONS
If filled as Research and Development Engineer - Systems (ARL) - Senior Professional, this position requires: Bachelor's Degree - Engineering or Science 14+ years of relevant experience Required Certifications: None If filled as Research and Development Engineer - Systems (ARL) - Advanced Professional, this position requires: Bachelor's Degree - Engineering or Science 5+ years of relevant experience Required Certifications: None If filled as Research and Development Engineer - Systems (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 Department of Defense (DoD), and the Intel Community (IC).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION on ARL, visit our web site 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 - $231,000.00.
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
- Relevant experience in System Safety Engineering or Systems Engineering (minimum 2+ years stated for intermediate level)
- Ability to obtain and maintain a government security clearance
- U.S. citizenship (required to apply)
- Willingness and ability to work fully on-site in State College, PA
- Effective presentation and communication skills
- Proven ability to collaborate in multi-disciplinary, team-oriented environments
- Participation in ARL drug testing program and compliance with electronic/physical monitoring requirements
- Familiarity with relevant engineering and safety standards (e.g., MIL-STD-882E)
- Ability to perform safety analyses (FHA, FTA, FMEA, FMECA, Requirements Hazard Analysis, Software Level of Rigor)
- Hardware circuit design experience
- Embedded software development experience
- Active government security clearance
- Experience interacting with Navy safety organizations and review boards (WSESRB, NOSSA)
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.
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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.
