Senior Engineer-Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUVs)

ARA is seeking a Senior Engineer/Researcher with a background in unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) systems to support US Navy UUV Modeling, simulation, and testing efforts. Seeking an individual with a deep understanding of unmanned underwater vehicle systems (Remotely operated and autonomous vehicles), machine learning, and AI to lead a research team in finding solutions for current UUVs and discovering new capabilities.

As a Senior Engineer/Researcher, you will collaborate with a team of researchers on UUV designs, architectures, testing and development.  

Required Experience and Expertise include: 

• A bachelor's degree in engineering or a relevant field and 8-10 years' experience in unmanned underwater vehicle systems. 
• U.S. Citizenship and the ability to obtain a DoD Secret security clearance. 
• Extensive knowledge of theoretical and practical UUV operations, including mechanical, electrical, hardware, software, sensors, and controls. 
• Knowledge in UUV design, modification, testing, data analysis, troubleshooting, and operations. 
• Experience with Underwater environment and vehicle data collection using custom or third-party sensor systems. 
• Experience developing and conducting UUV tests and evaluations for the purposes of developing models & simulations and/or verifying and validating models & simulations. 
• Experience preparing research reports, technical proposals, formal presentations, and reading/interpretating data.  
• Proficiency with MS Office Suite.  
• Ability to work independently or in a diverse team setting. 

Preferred Experience:  

• Working with U.S. Navy UUVs or similar. 
• Working with the Naval Autonomy Test System (NATS), NATS Integrated Management System (NIMS), and/or Virtual Maritime Autonomy Test Environment (VMATE). 
• Developing and/or using Tactical Awareness Kit (TAK) applications. 
• Developing and conducting testing for digital twin environments. 
• Surveying underwater environments and finding/collecting available data for testing.  
• Active DoD Secret security clearance.   

About ARA:

ARA is an employee-owned international research and engineering company recognized for providing technically superior solutions to complex and challenging problems in the physical sciences. The company, founded in Albuquerque, NM, in 1979, currently employs over 1,500 professionals and continues to grow.

ARA offices throughout the United States and Canada provide expertise across a broad range of engineering and science technologies. Our Better Fuels Group develops and deploys innovative fuels technologies, converting waste products to renewable fuels, and creating high value products for a sustainable future. ARA employs traditional refinery equipment and novel water-based technologies to make fuels and chemicals, including sustainable jet fuel that meets petroleum specifications without blending and diesel fuel that is virtually indistinguishable from petroleum.

At ARA, employees are our greatest assets. We realize that employee ownership spawns greater creativity and initiative along with higher performance and customer satisfaction levels. ARA gives employees the tools, training, and opportunities to take more active roles as owners. The culture is challenging; innovation and experimentation are the norm. Employees are eligible for contributions which not only add to the company’s success, but also their own through the Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). The motto, “Engineering and Science for Fun and Profit” sums up the ARA experience.