Overview:

The Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) is the nonprofit, applied research division of the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech). Founded in 1934 as the Engineering Experiment Station, GTRI has grown to more than 2,900 employees, supporting eight laboratories in over 20 locations around the country and performing more than $940 million of problem-solving research annually for government and industry. GTRI's renowned researchers combine science, engineering, economics, policy, and technical expertise to solve complex problems for the U.S. federal government, state, and industry.   

Georgia Tech's Mission and Values

Georgia Tech's mission is to develop leaders who advance technology and improve the human condition. The Institute has nine key values that are foundational to everything we do: 

1. Students are our top priority.
2. We strive for excellence.
3. We thrive on diversity.
4. We celebrate collaboration.
5. We champion innovation.
6. We safeguard freedom of inquiry and expression.
7. We nurture the wellbeing of our community.
8. We act ethically.
9. We are responsible stewards.

Over the next decade, Georgia Tech will become an example of inclusive innovation, a leading technological research university of unmatched scale, relentlessly committed to serving the public good; breaking new ground in addressing the biggest local, national, and global challenges and opportunities of our time; making technology broadly accessible; and developing exceptional, principled leaders from all backgrounds ready to produce novel ideas and create solutions with real human impact.

Project/Unit Description

The Applied Systems Lab (ASL) Autonomy Technology Transition Division (ATTD) is currently seeking an Autonomous Systems Engineering Branch Head for a full-time research faculty position.

ATTD conducts research supporting sponsors across the Department of Defense and focuses on autonomous uncrewed aircraft programs. Expertise includes autonomous systems, systems engineering, avionics engineering, embedded software development, test and evaluation, and hardware- and software-in-the-loop development and test environments and laboratories.

Job Purpose

Lead multiple sponsored research projects. Manage Branch (7-15 FTE) administrative activities including hiring, appraisals and sponsored project success.

Key Responsibilities

• Recognized SME in technical domain. Lead and/or contribute to white papers and proposals.
• Seek out and respond to opportunities for new research.
• Support presentations and travel to support new business development.
• Ensure that the branch is continuing to pursue new and novel research efforts through judicious use of internal R&D funding.
• Lead branch hiring activities including development of position vacancy announcements, resume reviews, interviews and onboarding.
• Determine branch hiring needs.
• Lead role on manpower planning for branch personnel.
• Conduct staff appraisals.
• Support Monthly Project Status Review meetings.
• Coordinate with division leadership as required.
• Lead branch hiring activities including development of position vacancy announcements, resume reviews, interviews and onboarding.
• Determine branch hiring needs.
• Lead role on manpower planning for branch personnel.
• Conduct staff appraisals.
• Support Monthly Project Status Review meetings. Coordinate with division leadership as required.

Additional Responsibilities

The Autonomous Systems Engineering Branch (ASEB) head is expected to execute the following management responsibilities:

• Mentor engineers on team.
• Develop training plans for team members.
• Engage with current and potential sponsors.
• Capture new opportunities for research.
• Perform research in the development and integration of autonomous air vehicle systems.
• Develop proposals for new research.
• Contribute to division strategy.

In addition to management duties, the individual will provide technical inputs and perform as an individual contributor/project leader on sponsored research to include:

• Develop and integrate new capabilities and subsystems into military systems, including the design of inter-software interfaces, inter subsystem interfaces (e.g. data, interconnects, messaging, and middleware), aircraft to subsystem integration, pilot vehicle interface, and test/instrumentation system integration.
• Serve as a technical expert for autonomous air vehicle systems engineering.

Required Minimum Qualifications

• Leading small teams (5-10) engineers.
• Experience designing/developing complex, software-intensive, systems using systems engineering processes and methodologies.
• Experience integrating and troubleshooting systems to determine functional correctness, completeness, and/or effectiveness.
• Experience developing, integrating, and/or testing unmanned autonomous robotic system capabilities.

Preferred Qualifications

• Active Secret Clearance
• Experience technically leading multi-disciplined (Systems Engineers, Software Engineers, Test Engineers) project teams.
• Experience developing/designing complex, software-intensive, military unmanned air systems (UAS) using system engineering processes and methodologies.
• Experience with avionic data buses (e.g., MIL-STD-1553, ARINC 429, Ethernet, RS-422, etc.), tactical data links (e.g., Link-16), military radios, and open systems architecture frameworks (e.g., FACE™ and OMS/UCI).
• Experience using Model-Based System Engineering (SysML) to design systems (e.g., use cases, behavior, interfaces, data models). Additional DoDAF experience is a plus.
• Experience working in a full-lifecycle agile and/or digital engineering environment.

Travel Requirements

10% - 25% travel

Education and Length of Experience

Levels 4, 5

This position vacancy is an open-rank announcement. The final job offer will be dependent on candidate qualifications in alignment with Research Faculty Extension Professional ranks as outlined in section 3.2.1 of the Georgia Tech Faculty Handbook

• 9 years of related experience with a Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Robotics Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Applied Physics, Applied Mathematics, or related field.
• 7 years of related experience with a Masters’ degree in Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Robotics Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Applied Physics, Applied Mathematics, or related field.
• 4 years of related experience with a Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Robotics Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Applied Physics, Applied Mathematics, or related field.

U.S. Citizenship Requirements

Due to our research contracts with the U.S. federal government, candidates for this position must be U.S. Citizens.

Clearance Type Required

Candidates must be able to obtain and maintain an active security clearance.

Benefits at GTRI

Comprehensive information on currently offered GTRI benefits, including Health & Welfare, Retirement Plans, Tuition Reimbursement, Time Off, and Professional Development, can be found through this link: https://benefits.hr.gatech.edu/.

Equal Employment Opportunity

The Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. The Institute is committed to maintaining a fair and respectful environment for all. To that end, and in accordance with federal and state law, Board of Regents policy, and Institute policy, Georgia Tech provides equal opportunity to all faculty, staff, students, and all other members of the Georgia Tech community, including applicants for admission and/or employment, contractors, volunteers, and participants in institutional programs, activities, or services. Georgia Tech complies with all applicable laws and regulations governing equal opportunity in the workplace and in educational activities.

Equal opportunity and decisions based on merit are fundamental values of the University System of Georgia (“USG”) and Georgia Tech. Georgia Tech prohibits discrimination, including discriminatory harassment, on the basis of an individual’s race, ethnicity, ancestry, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age, disability, genetics, or veteran status in its programs, activities, employment, and admissions. Further, Georgia Tech prohibits citizenship status, immigration status, and national origin discrimination in hiring, firing, and recruitment, except where such restrictions are required in order to comply with law, regulation, executive order, or Attorney General directive, or where they are required by Federal, State, or local government contract.

USG Core Values Statement

The University System of Georgia is comprised of our 26 institutions of higher education and learning as well as the System Office. Our USG Statement of Core Values are Integrity, Excellence, Accountability, and Respect. These values serve as the foundation for all that we do as an organization, and each USG community member is responsible for demonstrating and upholding these standards. More details on the USG Statement of Core Values and Code of Conduct are available in USG Board Policy 8.2.18.1.2 and can be found on-line at https://www.usg.edu/policymanual/section8/C224/#p8.2.18_personnel_conduct.

Additionally, USG supports Freedom of Expression as stated in Board Policy 6.5 Freedom of Expression and Academic Freedom found on-line at https://www.usg.edu/policymanual/section6/C2653.