Engineering Configuration Manager

This position is fully on-site in State College, PA. The Undersea Systems Office (USO) at the Applied Research Laboratory (ARL) designs, develops, validates, and maintains large-scale undersea warfare models and simulations for technology developers, analysts, the Navy, and its allies. The Engineering Configuration Manager will manage and maintain hardware and software configuration items and related engineering documentation, support product development, manufacturing handover, and guide product life cycle efforts.

Responsibilities

Core duties:

• Work closely with internal and external stakeholders; participate in internal and external customer meetings
• Provide technical leadership to resolve configuration management issues during product and project lifecycles
• Evaluate and facilitate orderly management of technical and/or engineering changes to hardware, software, and technical data
• Develop and provide training, advice, and guidance for the integration of new technologies, environments, and processes to engineering departments
• Work regularly with ARL IT personnel to maintain and configure tools on servers and clients, manage licenses, establish automation where possible, and manage access controls
• Assist in the selection and evaluation of technology to support program development, assist in defining processes and standards, and maintain required documentation at the Undersea Systems Office level

Additional responsibilities for higher-level position:

• Facilitate the creation, maintenance, and delivery of complete Technical Data Packages (TDPs), ensuring all required design documentation, specifications, drawings, software artifacts, and supporting records are accurate, complete, and properly controlled
• Ensure configuration documentation aligns with sponsor requirements, applicable federal standards, cybersecurity requirements, and internal laboratory policies, including Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) handling where applicable
• Utilize and/or recommend configuration management tools and systems to support configuration identification, change control, status accounting, and audit reporting
• Conduct configuration audits and reviews (functional and physical) to verify that system configurations, deliverables, and documentation accurately reflect approved baselines and contractual requirements
• Develop, maintain, and publish configuration status accounting reports, audit findings, and compliance documentation for internal stakeholders and sponsor reporting
• Collaborate with engineers and project teams to ensure configuration items are properly defined, tracked, and updated throughout development, integration, and delivery phases
• Review engineering, software, and system documentation to ensure configuration consistency, completeness, and compliance with established CM standards and program requirements
• Support the development and enforcement of engineering change control processes, including evaluation, approval, implementation, and verification of changes to system baselines
• Maintain CM documentation repositories and ensure controlled access, version integrity, and proper archival of records in accordance with audit and retention requirements
• Provide guidance and subject matter expertise in configuration management principles, tools, and best practices to support project execution and delivery success
• May supervise staff members, including hiring, development, and performance management

Requirements

Required skills/experience:

• Engineering Configuration Management
• Siemens TeamCenter
• Confluence
• Jira

Preferred skills/experience:

• Change Management
• Document Management
• Process Development
• Past experience working within a Software, Electrical, or Mechanical Engineering environment

Education and experience

This position may be filled at one of two levels:

• Engineering Configuration Manager (ARL) – Senior Professional: Bachelor's Degree and 6+ years of relevant experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience. No required certifications.
• Engineering Configuration Manager (ARL) – Advanced Professional: Bachelor's Degree and 3+ years of relevant experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience. No required certifications.

Bachelor’s Degree, preferably in a Technical Discipline, and 3+ years of experience working in a Research & Development environment are preferred.

Clearances and compliance

• Current eligibility for access to classified information at the Secret level or higher; may be subject to a government background investigation to upgrade clearance eligibility if required
• Must be a U.S. citizen
• Employment requires successful completion of background checks in accordance with University policies
• 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

Pay

The salary range for this position, including all possible grades, is $75,408.00 – $152,004.00.

Benefits

Penn State provides a competitive benefits package for full-time employees, including comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage; robust retirement plans; substantial paid time off (holidays, vacation, and sick time); and a generous 75% tuition discount available to employees as well as eligible spouses and children.