Job Description
Because this role involves a combination of collaborative/in-person and independent work, it will take the form of a hybrid work format, with time split between working onsite and remotely.

We are seeking a Senior Principal Scientist to join the Missionized Payloads and Platforms (MPP) team within the BAE Systems FAST Labs organization. FAST Labs is the research arm of BAE Systems’ Electronic Systems sector that develops disruptive technologies to tackle the Defense and Intelligence Communities’ hardest problems. The ideal candidate will have expertise in one or more of the core technical areas within MPP. These include Acoustic Transducer Development, Advanced Signal Processing, Mission Systems and Payloads, and Underwater Vehicles.

Scientists working in FAST Labs lead the design, development, execution, and implementation of algorithms and advanced scientific solutions to complex technical problems. They participate in professional societies, author external publications (like conference papers, presentations, journal articles, and books), develop patents and invention disclosures, speak at external forums, and interact with external partners (industry, government, academia, etc.).

As a Scientist within the Missionized Payloads and Platforms technical area, you will drive key components of the MPP strategy that, depending on your expertise, may include:

• Exploitation of innovative transducer geometries and the development of novel active and passive transduction materials to advance the state-of-the-art in sonar transducer technology.
• Creating and growing opportunities in maritime signal processing and modeling, shaping targeted opportunities in offensive processing and systems, designing innovative algorithms and systems that provide a leap-ahead in ability to detect, track, localize, navigate, communicate, learn, and predict the future in the maritime theater, including development of new methods to direct the adversary’s battlespace perception and behavior.
• The design, development, and transition of autonomous maritime mission payloads supporting: distributed sensor systems, multi-INT ISR (e.g. acoustics, optical and RF sensing), effects delivery, and seabed, anti-surface, anti-submarine, and mine warfare.
• The development of custom autonomous maritime platforms for special missions, leveraging the BAE Systems’ RiptideTM family of autonomous undersea vehicles program area.

Scientists within MPP coordinate and collaborate with peers, chief scientists, engineers, and Technology Development Managers within the Autonomy, Processing, and Exploitation (APEX) product line as well as the Sensor Technologies (ST) and RF, Electronics and Cyber (R3) product lines within FAST Labs.

The focus of the Scientist career path is the technical leadership of research and development projects, defining, capturing, and executing contract 6.1, 6.2, and 6.3 research and development programs. Scientists are expected to grow to become world-class experts whose technical expertise is sought out by our customers. They are expected to be well-known in their technical community and actively engaged with the research community outside of BAE Systems. Scientists use their position, reputation, and technical expertise to create and lead research programs that advance technology for purposes of providing discriminating capabilities for BAE Systems. Scientists focus on 1) technical leadership of programs as the principal investigator; 2) the capture of new business opportunities as the technical lead; and 3) guiding the strategic planning of technology to coordinate investments, captures, and program execution towards overall BAE Systems business objectives. When called on, a Scientist may be an individual contributor, a team leader, or the Program Engineering Manager on a project. A Scientist may be program manager on small programs, e.g. a seedling effort. Scientists are expected to have quantitative new business capture objectives, focused on new business pursuits and the capture of follow-up work to the seedling efforts they lead. Scientists are expected to have significant customer interaction, initiating customer contact to create new business opportunities. Scientists are expected to be entrepreneurial in the creation, shaping, capture, and promotion of CRAD for groundbreaking technologies for current and future BAE Systems products. Scientists are expected to provide strategic guidance to programs and to portfolios of programs to align technology development to business needs. Scientists may participate in program transition planning.

Typical minimum professional research experience for this position is 8 years with a bachelor’s degree, 6 years with a master’s degree, or 4 years with a Doctorate.

This position can be located in Merrimack, NH, Hudson, NH, Burlington, MA, or Plymouth, MA.

Please note that pursuant to a government contract, this specific position requires US citizenship status and eligibility to obtain a US security clearance.

Required Education, Experience, & Skills

• Bachelor’s degree in science, engineering, or mathematics
• Experience leading or contributing to government-sponsored research and development programs for government laboratories and agencies such as DARPA, ONR, NAVSEA, and NAVAIR
• Experience as a project lead for a medium research effort (5-10 people) with a small amount of content from outside of candidate’s main area of expertise
• Demonstrated proficiency the design, development, execution, and implementation of novel, state-of-the-art scientific solutions to complex technical problems
• Ability to coordinate technical project performance with program leadership
• Significant contributions to proposals and participates in generation of technical baselines
• Experienced in defining, proposing and leading independent research and development efforts
• Independently identifies new business opportunities and marshals resources to capture new business
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with experience presenting technical research to a large audience
• Collaborates with internal/external customers to align projects for eventual transition.
• Recognized expertise among external peers in specialty
• Experienced in bidding and winning new business
• Ability to obtain a US Secret Security Clearance
• US Citizenship is required

Preferred Education, Experience, & Skills

• Masters or PhD in engineering, mathematics, or physics
• Experience as a technical lead of government-funded R&D programs
• Experience as a leader/manager of advanced prototype development programs that include software and hardware integration and test
• Significant authored or co-authored publications in refereed journals, transactions and/or conferences and/or technical books/book chapters
• Briefs customers regularly on various issues/concepts, and serves as organization spokesperson on advanced projects and/or programs
• Works directly with customers to define new concepts, articulate value of those concepts and build new programs to develop these concepts.
• Broad network of key stakeholders/leaders in government R&D communities and from key universities and research institutions
• Leadership role in professional societies
• Management of staff resources and financial responsibility
• Defines technical marketing and internal research and development needs for new technical initiatives and convinces management to allocate resources
• Perform as a significant contributor to the business development process, especially with conceiving of novel and innovative ideas for new customers
• Heavily involved in the business development process including: strategy development, business capture, and program execution
• Maintains strong relationships with current and potential customers and wins new business based on relationships
• Eligible for US Top Secret/SCI Security Clearance

About BAE Systems Electronic Systems
BAE Systems, Inc. is the U.S. subsidiary of BAE Systems plc, an international defense, aerospace and security company which delivers a full range of products and services for air, land and naval forces, as well as advanced electronics, security, information technology solutions and customer support services. Improving the future and protecting lives is an ambitious mission, but it’s what we do at BAE Systems. Working here means using your passion and ingenuity where it counts – defending national security with breakthrough technology, superior products, and intelligence solutions. As you develop the latest technology and defend national security, you will continually hone your skills on a team—making a big impact on a global scale. At BAE Systems, you’ll find a rewarding career that truly makes a difference. Electronic Systems (ES) is the global innovator behind BAE Systems’ game-changing defense and commercial electronics. Exploiting every electron, we push the limits of what is possible, giving our customers the edge and our employees opportunities to change the world. Our products and capabilities can be found everywhere – from the depths of the ocean to the far reaches of space. At our core are more than 14,000 highly talented Electronic Systems employees with the brightest minds in the industry, we make an impact – for our customers and the communities we serve.

Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion:
At BAE Systems, we work hard every day to nurture an inclusive culture where employees are valued and feel like they belong. We are conscious of the need for all employees to see themselves reflected at every level of the company and know that in order to unlock the full potential of our workforce, everyone must feel confident being their best, most sincere self and be equipped to thrive. We provide impactful professional development experiences to our employees and invest in social impact partnerships to uplift communities and drive purposeful change. Here you will find significant opportunities to do meaningful work in an environment intentionally designed to be one where you will learn, grow and belong.