Asst Group Leader G81, Materials

Group 81, the Advanced Materials and Microsystems Group, is seeking an Assistant Group Leader to provide leadership in the development of advanced materials with a broad emphasis on functional materials for applications supporting diverse DOD missions.  
To execute its mission, Group 81 has expertise and technical capabilities in the following areas: materials design, synthesis, processing, and analysis; microfabrication and packaging; and fiber and textile engineering.  The group leverages these capabilities to create novel optical materials and components, develop next-generation microelectronics, and prototype highly capable microsystems.  The group collaborates across multiple mission areas, such as missile defense, ISR and tactical systems, human-machine interfaces and cyber-physical systems to develop innovative solutions to national security needs beyond the scope of commercial industry.

 

The Group takes projects from initial concept stage, though simulation and analysis, to design and prototyping, and finally to field demonstration. Members of the Group have an entrepreneurial spirit and are very active in the peer-reviewed research community.  They have recently led the Lab in generating intellectual property, have had multiple R&D100 award winning technologies, and have incubated technologies that have been spun out into companies.

 
The successful applicants will work closely with other Group Leaders, the Business Manager, and Senior Staff to ensure the overall health of the Group and to maintain and expand Group 81’s international reputation for innovation and technical excellence within the materials science and applications communities.  The applicant will provide technical and programmatic leadership in the execution of programs across one or more technical and functional areas; engage strategically and tactically with Government sponsors, industrial partners, and the research community; manage hiring, training, and staff development; and partner across the Laboratory to leverage opportunities for synergies and increase the impact of our Group.  Activities in Group 81 typically require multidisciplinary approaches, and the applicant will therefore be expected to possess technical breadth, intellectual agility, collegiality, stewardship, and a willingness to lead technology development activities from basic research through system prototyping.

 

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES:

 

1.    Program execution, development, and leadership

 

•    Lead and manage all aspects of program development and execution. Responsibilities include conceiving and securing funding for new programs and initiatives; establishing and achieving technical, schedule, and budgetary objectives; managing program execution; promulgating results via briefings, publication of papers, and reports; and other technology transfer activities.
•    Build and manage relationships with sponsors through all phases of program development and execution, including identifying and understanding sponsor requirements and concerns, developing and promoting new programs and new initiatives to existing programs, and reporting on program execution, schedule, and budget.
•    Develop an in-depth understanding of the "lay of the land" in advanced materials, including the Government funding and strategic landscape, the Laboratory's strengths, capabilities and research activities, and the capabilities and business strategies of other research, academic, and commercial entities.
•    Engage with Systems Divisions to ensure that potential users of advanced materials remain up to date on the state of the technology and its possibilities. Work with Systems Divisions to identify off-ramps for materials that can impact DoD prototyping efforts.

 

2.    Technical leadership

 

•    Promote technical excellence and professional development through consistent staff interaction and providing constructive feedback on staff work, briefings, and reports.
•    Identify promising areas for research and technical innovation, and develop strategic roadmaps for realizing this promise.
•    Influence and inspire Government, industry, and Laboratory personnel to invest in and incorporate advanced materials.
•    Participate and assume leadership roles in professional organizations to build influence, enhance the Laboratory's reputation, and remain on the cutting edge of research and innovation.
•    Foster and sustain collaborations with strategic partners in academia, national/government laboratories, and industry, including deepening collaborations with MIT faculty and staff.
•    Represent the Laboratory as a technical and strategic leader within the advanced materials research space.

 

3.    Staff development

 

•    Identify staffing needs and recruit high-quality can