Group Lead-Production Design, Verification & Validation

Overview

Draper is an independent, nonprofit research and development company headquartered in Cambridge, MA. The 2,000+ employees of Draper tackle important national challenges with a promise of delivering successful and usable solutions. From military defense and space exploration to biomedical engineering, lives often depend on the solutions we provide. Our multidisciplinary teams of engineers and scientists work in a collaborative environment that inspires the cross-fertilization of ideas necessary for true innovation.

The Production, Mission, Operations, & Enhancements Division within the Systems Engineering directorate is seeking a Group Leader to lead our Production Design, Verification & Validation. The Division serves as the system integrator for technologies and product lines developed using Draper's core capabilities. The Division plans, executes, and manages I&T activities starting from early test concept development through system certification, including test concepts and requirements development, technology maturation, system and sub‑system integration, verification and validation (V&V), performance evaluation, and acceptance testing.

In addition, the Division leverages multi‑disciplinary engineering expertise and collaborates with front‑end Systems Engineers and the Digital Engineering & Enabling Technologies Division to establish clear, verifiable, and traceable requirements, inform and drive system concepts, architectures, and designs to promote testability, and utilizes resident expertise and lessons learned to support the development of highly reliable, robust, and complex systems.

The primary focus of the Production Design, Verification & Validation Group is to integrate, test, and ensure design compliance of Draper's advanced GN&C system technologies into new platform solutions that enable warfighters to successfully execute their missions by enhancing resilience, precision, and reliability. Programs supported by this group are focused on tactical, nav and strategic grade systems, autonomy, performance in contested environments, production support, and surveillance.

The Group Leader is responsible for leading and managing a group of approximately 10–15 engineers. The Group Leader is expected to:

• Ensure the long‑term success of the group and its contributions to Draper by shaping the group’s talented workforce, while maintaining and developing key, differentiating capabilities that align with customer and business needs.
• Collaborate regularly with internal group members, Draper Program Offices, customers/sponsors, other Draper engineering groups, and the external technical community.
• Partner with customers/sponsors, Draper Program Managers and subject matter experts within Draper to develop and implement strategic plans and technology roadmaps.
• Promote and direct internal and external R&D activities, including development and alignment of research proposals with technology roadmaps, collaborations with universities, and direction of scholar, co‑op, and internships cohorts.
• Support and enable the technical and career growth of individual staff members by conducting check‑in reviews and annual performance reviews, and advocating for leadership, mentorship, and training opportunities.
• Manage administrative details and career development for group members.
• Convey relevant information from management to group members.
• Lead, mentor, and build depth in their area of expertise, and conduct performance evaluations of group members.
• Maintain awareness of staffing requirements, write job requisitions for hiring as required, review and disposition incoming resumes, and conduct interviews.
• Serve as Lead Subject Matter Expert for the area of specialty.
• Shape Draper’s technology offerings and open new business areas based on program and technical experience.
• Analyze Draper strategy and work with management to build capability in key areas that align Draper’s capabilities with customer’s strategic priorities.

• Excellent communication and written skills.
• Excellent ability to present technical material to various levels of the engineering…