Senior Scientist- Concept Development Job Listing at SPA in Arlington, VA (Job ID 2024-18667)

Description

Qualifications

Required Qualifications:

• MS/MA degree in a technical field (engineering, math, sciences) with 15 years of cumulative experience 
• Active TS/SCI clearance and eligible for Special Access Programs
• Demonstrated experience in a technical, managerial, and/or scientific field; expert credentials or being a recognized authority in one or more aspects of military platform innovation, missionized autonomy, innovative methods of design space exploration and systems engineering, and/or affordable and responsive manufacturing techniques
• Self-starter with the ability to quickly grasp problems in a broad range of military technology areas and to initiate and evaluate revolutionary concepts relevant to TTO
• Ability to perform top-level technical analyses and assessments of new ideas for physical consistency, military utility, technology risk, and cost impacts
• Demonstrated ability to develop conclusions independently on R&D engineering problems and methods, resolving important questions, planning and coordinating work, and rapidly troubleshooting complex technical problems
• Demonstrated experience in the use of advanced techniques, theories, precepts, and practices
• Strong oral and written communication skills, with the mature judgment required to advise senior government personnel

Desired Qualifications: 

• PhD in a technical field with 15 years of relevant experience
• Experience with basic, applied research and advanced technology development
• Experience managing R&D programs from inception to closeout
• Experience as a DARPA Program Manager or senior SETA contractor at DARPA, to include at least ten years extensive experience, background, and knowledge of one or more DARPA programs, and at least three years of experience working with DARPA Program Managers
• Published articles in a field of scientific, engineering, or technical expertise
• Demonstrated ability to communicate program and technical requirements into strategy, acquisition, planning, and/or public release documents and correspondence in clear, concise, and compelling terms
• Experience creating and coordinating strategy and program overview documents, and developing briefings to technical and non-technical audiences

The Senior Scientist will support the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) in addressing the scientific rationale for investments in high-risk, high-reward technology Research and Development (R&D) projects. Will apply their expertise and experience to assist Tactical Technology Office (TTO) executive leadership and program managers in developing and initiating new efforts, managing them, and seeing them through to growth and transition. This position will emphasize coordination of the technical agenda for an ongoing series of concept development workshops featuring government, industry, and academia to understand the state-of-the-art, identify promising research areas, generate ideas for credible-scale efforts, and rapidly refine them into focused pitches suitable for approval by agency leadership. Will also include assisting leadership in identifying national security challenges and participating in the development of portfolio-level strategies to address them.