Six Figure Work

Electrical Research and Development Engineer

Penn State University

Company websitepsu.edu (Penn State University, opens in new tab)

Base salary $121,704  to $231,000

Employer-published annual base salary, USD. Advertised base range Penn State University Park

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  • LocationPenn State University Park
  • WorkplaceWorkplace not stated
  • Status at last checkSource accepting applications when checked
  • Last checked (1 h ago) · observed since

About this job

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:

  • CURRENT PENN STATE EMPLOYEE (faculty, staff, technical service, or student), please login to Workday to complete the internal application process. Please do not apply here, apply internally through Workday.

  • CURRENT PENN STATE STUDENT (not employed previously at the university) and seeking employment with Penn State, please login to Workday to complete the student application process. Please do not apply here, apply internally through Workday.

  • If you are NOT a current employee or student, please click “Apply” and complete the application process for external applicants.

Approval of remote and hybrid work is not guaranteed regardless of work location. For additional information on remote work at Penn State, see Notice to Out of State Applicants.

​

POSITION SPECIFICS​

We are searching for a highly motivated, self-starting Electrical Research and Development Engineer to join our Agile Systems Engineering (ASE) Department at the Applied Research Laboratory (ARL) at Penn State. The ASE Department mission is to support research, design and application of engineering development methodologies supporting the strategic advancement of warfighter capability at the speed of relevance.  Focus is on rapid development of complex engineering systems requiring the integration of cross-disciplinary solutions and expertise.

ARL is an authorized DoD SkillBridge partner and welcomes all transitioning military members to apply.

You will:

  • Interface with project stakeholders to understand their requirements and ensure project success

  • Work closely with senior engineers and subject matter experts

  • Define system control and data architectures

  • Perform systems engineering activities spanning typical DoD product development lifecycle

  • Travel for stakeholder engagements (as needed)

Additional responsibilities for higher level position includes:

  • Indirect supervision and mentorship of other engineers

  • Monitoring and tracking of funding and budgets

  • Work independently on moderately complex work assignments, review progress, and evaluate results

  • Communicates with external audiences for scheduling/coordination

  • Communicate with external audiences for business purposes

Required skills/experience areas include:

  • Technical background in Electrical or Systems Engineering

  • Previous experience with detailed design and implementation of electrical circuits, software, and firmware

  • Excellent communication, writing, and presentation skills

Preferred skills/experience areas include:

  • Controls, simulation, and hardware-in the-loop test set development and operation

  • Hands-on experience with electrical design, simulation, and test.

  • Working with standard laboratory test equipment such as oscilloscopes, function generators

  • Model Based Systems Engineering training and experience

  • Systems engineering fundamentals and project management

  • Experience contributing as a team player

  • Current eligibility for access to classified information at the Secret level or higher and may be subject to a government background investigation to upgrade clearance eligibility, if required 

Your working location will be located fully on-site in State College, PA.

MINIMUM EDUCATION, WORK EXPERIENCE & REQUIRED CERTIFICATIONS

If filled as Research and Development Engineer - Electrical (ARL) - Senior Professional, this position requires:
Bachelor's Degree - Engineering or Science
14+ years of relevant experience
Required Certifications:
None

If filled as Research and Development Engineer - Electrical (ARL) - Advanced Professional, this position requires:
Bachelor's Degree - Engineering or Science
5+ years of relevant experience
Required Certifications:
None

ARL’s purpose is to research and develop innovative solutions to challenging scientific, engineering, and technology problems in support of the Navy, the Intel Community (IC), and other federal government customers. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION on ARL, visit our website at www.arl.psu.edu.

BACKGROUND CHECKS/CLEARANCES

Employment with the University will require successful completion of background check(s) in accordance with University policies.

Notice regarding employment at the Applied Research Laboratory (ARL):
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. You must be a U.S. citizen to apply.

SALARY & BENEFITS

The salary range for this position, including all possible grades, is $121,704.00 - $231,000.00.

Salary Structure - Information on Penn State's salary structure

Penn State provides a competitive benefits package for full-time employees designed to support both personal and professional well-being. In addition to comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, employees enjoy robust retirement plans and substantial paid time off which includes holidays, vacation and sick time. One of the standout benefits is the generous 75% tuition discount, available to employees as well as eligible spouses and children. For more detailed information, please visit our Benefits Page.

CAMPUS SECURITY CRIME STATISTICS

Pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act and the Pennsylvania Act of 1988, Penn State publishes a combined Annual Security and Annual Fire Safety Report (ASR). The ASR includes crime statistics and institutional policies concerning campus security, such as those concerning alcohol and drug use, crime prevention, the reporting of crimes, sexual assault, and other matters. The ASR is available for review here.

EEO IS THE LAW

Penn State is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status. If you are unable to use our online application process due to an impairment or disability, please contact 814-865-1473.

Federal Contractors Labor Law Poster

PA State Labor Law Poster

Penn State Policies

Copyright Information

Hotlines

Source: Penn State University on Workday · View original posting (opens in new tab)

This range next to 6 other live Penn State University roles with the nearest advertised base floor
Chart as a table
This range next to 6 other live Penn State University roles with the nearest advertised base floor
RolePublished base
Electrical Research and Development Engineer (this listing)$121,704 - $231,000
R&D Engineer - Signal Processing$121,704 - $265,704
Mechanical Engineer$121,704 - $231,000
Signal Processing Research and Development Engineer$121,704 - $231,000
Electric Propulsion and Power Systems Engineers$121,704 - $231,000
Battery Systems Research and Development Engineer$121,704 - $231,000
Data Engineer – Data Architecture for Data Science & Machine Learning$121,704 - $265,704

Same $100K to $400K scale as every card. All Penn State University roles · How to read the bar

Observed changes

  1. First observed on the employer's board
  2. Began meeting the published-salary criteria
Observed since
Employer-stated posting date
2026-07-01
Where this pay comes from

Location as the employer wrote it: Penn State University Park

The salary range for this position, including all possible grades, is $121,704.00 - $231,000.00.

Method
Employer text, read with fixed rules and re-verified
Checked
Rule set
us-base-v2

The pay passage appears in the employer's own job text. Fixed, deterministic rules located it, and the passage below was checked against the stored copy of the posting.

What we verified

  • The pay figures come from the employer's own listing, quoted exactly above.
  • The pay is an annual base salary in US dollars with a minimum of at least $100,000.
  • The role was publicly listed on the employer's job board when last checked.

We do not verify what the employer will actually offer, whether the employer is still recruiting for the role, or anything beyond what the employer published. Full methodology.