DRS Technologies, A Finmeccanica Company, provides leading edge products and services to government and commercial customers worldwide. Focused on defense electronics, we develop and manufacture a broad range of mission critical systems and components in the areas of communications, combat systems, battlefield digitization, electro-optics, power systems, data storage, digital imaging, flight safety and space. Headquartered in Parsippany, NJ, the company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Finmeccanica S.p.A. which employs more than 70,000 people worldwide. We offer a competitive compensation package and a business culture which rewards performance. For additional information on DRS, please visit our website at www.drs.com.

We operate on a 9/80 work schedule, all employees work 80 hrs in 9 days and have every other Friday off. 

Position Summary

Manages rapid development efforts including architecture design, software, hardware and test development, and system integration efforts for miniature tactival radio products typically optimized for cost as well as size, weight and power (SWaP), for the signals intelligence (SIGINT) market.. Organizes, leads, coordinates and direct internal, virtual, and external collaborative teams on high visibility, agile development efforts, often on short timescales that are critical to meet customer requirements and to hit short market entry windows. This individual will have exposure and contact up through senior management. Scale of development investment on a project effort typically ranges from $300K to $3M.

Key Activities, Duties and Responsibilities

• Will work with other groups like program management, project engineers, systems engineering, software engineering, test engineering, hardware engineering, mechanical engineering, customer support, production operations and business development.
• Will interact with customers, understand requirements, propose and develop solutions. Leads team in final determination of scope or specifications trade-offs and conveying decisions to business leaders.
• Responsible for understanding the customer applications sufficiently to ensure comprehensive requirements capture, analysis, and flow down to the hardware and software module level.
• Will lead a multi-disciplinary engineering team of to execute rapid product development projects including hardware and software module development, thermal, environmental and reliability analysis, system integration, hardware, software and system testing and verification, technical documentation, customer integration, transition to a sustaining engineering function and introduction to production manufacturing.
• Accountable for designing and executing proper planning, including continuous critical path analysis, as well as risk identification, avoidance and mitigation strategies. Utilize best in class project management concepts, software planning tools, as well as flexible system development and agile software development methodologies when applicable.
• Maintains a high level of personal direct engagement in the day-to-day activity of the team.  As required, prioritizes task assignments to meet projects end goals.
• Plans hardware and software integration activities and manages team interaction required for problem solving during those activities.
• Integrates hardware and software from multiple sources both internal and external to the company.
• Leverages resources to ensure timely supply chain activity execution including procuring long lead parts, key vendor selection activities and working to drive the shortest queue and turn times for fabrication, assembly, and test activities when needed.
• Not afraid to think outside the box on product developments by leveraging external capability and capacity and innovating on the product development process when warranted to optimize schedule without sacrificing cost and quality.
• Leads, directs, coaches, and mentors team members to maximize project success. 
• Provides meaningful feedback to functional leaders regarding the performance and training needs of core team members.   
• Plan, coordinate and track resource allocation.
• Financial Management of project budget and oversight of capital expenditures.
• Routine and regular communication and reporting on the project.
• Regular interaction with management including project review presentations.
• Regular interaction with current and potential customers providing project status and development plan presentations.
• For customer funded programs, provides the primary interface to the customer from the project development team.
• May manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Direct participation in development of agreements with partners and key vendors.
• Identification and management of outside development partners and other resources with focus on positive impact to project and schedule.
• Ensures smooth handoff to a sustaining engineering function. Conducts life-cycle cost analysis. Ensures that important learned information is disseminated to the benefit of the company.

• A qualified candidate will possess experience and demonstrated skill in successfully developing complex, leading edge products and systems on platforms with embedded DSP/FPGA capability and an interface to other software components and interfaces.
• 7+ years of successful demonstrated experience in managing technically complex, multidisciplinary new product development projects and leveraging resources from both within the company and outside of it to achieve success.
• Bachelor's degree in engineering and/or business (preference will be given to engineering and dual degreed candidates).
• PMI certification or tracking to certification preferred.
• Strong verbal and written communicator.
• Strong Microsoft Project skills.
• Successful track record of managing hardware or system development projects on schedule that range from 6 to 24 months of intense effort. Some projects include successful introduction into a production environment.
• Successfully demonstrated entrepreneurship in rapid development utilizing new technology.
• Excellent interpersonal and management by influence skills including evidence of managing multi-disciplined teams, conflict, resource constraints and problem solving. Track record of motivating these teams to successful business outcomes.
• Experience, familiarity and demonstrated successful coordination with internal functional departments (Business Development, Engineering, Contracts, Customer Support, Marketing, etc) and establishing relationships with external design partners to form a well operating team.
• Experience leading co-development teams consisting of both internal and external designers.
• Experience working directly with customers to help establish requirements, provide updates on project status and help keep the sale.
• Experience with RF circuits/systems (VHF/UHF) is a plus.
• Track record of creating innovative solutions to complex technical problems and resolving less complex issues in an expeditious, efficient and timely manner.
• US Citizenship with the ability to obtain a security clearance to the TSSI level is required.
• Works independently/self-directed.
• Domestic travel as needed (typically less than 20%).

For immediate consideration, please go to www.drs.com and apply for the corresponding position under Maryland, Gaithersburg - DRS Signal Sol.  Only candidates that meet the qualifications as outlined above will be contacted for further information. Applicants selected will be subject to a government security investigation and must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information. 

DRS Technologies, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. We consider applicants without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, national origin, age, disability, marital or veteran status, or any other legally protected status. We are committed to recruiting and retaining the best talent in the defense and commercial technology areas. 

 Basic Qualifications

DRS Signal Solutions, Inc. specializes in communications-surveillance products that meld both RF and DSP technologies and is a leading worldwide supplier of high-quality signal-intercept equipment. We provide creative RF solutions to the Department of Defense and prime contractors. The facility designs and manufactures HF, VHF, and SHF tuners and receivers, demodulators, direction finders and wireless intercept solutions.