Technical Group Supervisor at California Institute of Technology Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, CA

Located in Pasadena, California, JPL has a campus-like environment situated on 177 acres in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains and offers a work environment unlike any other: we inspire passion, foster innovation, build collaboration, and reward excellence.

Responsibilities

The Technical Group Supervisor of the Infrared Photonics Group, working with the Microdevices and Sensor Systems Section Manager will be responsible for providing line leadership for Infrared detectors and focal plane array technology advancements. The group will further the development of innovative infrared detectors, focal planes, and imaging concepts. In addition, you will be responsible for a wide range of infrared detector and instrument technologies development activities, and assist with resources (i.e., personnel, facilities, partnerships, funding).

The objective of the group is to pursue innovative technologies that will lead to efficient flight instruments. The Technical Group Supervisor will be tasked with evaluating promising new technologies and shepherding them from a conceptual level to flight implementation, assist with a combination of feasibility studies; requirements development; design evaluations; and secure and evaluate resources to help mature concepts into breadboards, prototypes, engineering models, laboratory and field demonstrations and eventually flight delivery.

You will need to establish, develop and maintain a team of highly skilled engineers and scientists responsible for the innovative ideas. And support the section management and other group supervisors in the continuous evolution and improvement of the Section.

Tasks include but not limited to:

• Responsible for hiring and retaining a diverse, highly qualified staff, and for providing career mentoring, growth and personal development for direct report JPL employees. Accountable for the performance of employees or the work output of managed subcontractors.
• Maintains a safe working environment and a strong customer focus.
• Responsible for continuous process improvement, setting goals and ensuring that they are achieved. Uses best industry practices to ensure success in areas of responsibility. Ensures employee awareness and compliance with Laboratory policies, procedures, and practices, and regulatory requirements.
• Knows and applies appropriate tools, processes, and procedures affecting organization of responsibility.
• Provides direct supervision to employees of a functional organization and acts as an advisor.
• Supervises day-to-day activities of staff and makes decisions/weighted recommendations on hiring, promotions, salary changes, performance appraisals, etc.
• Coordinates and executes policies and procedures and recommends improvements and/or makes changes to operating policies and procedures.
• Assigns tasks and monitors daily organizational operations according to established guidelines, procedures and policies.
• Will develop standards for the group to address operational processes the group must carried out accordingly with section goals.
• May provide project/task leadership and/or coordination.
• Partners with directorate managers to develop strategies for the group innovations.
• Participates on proposals that will utilize the technologies developed by the group.
• Leads the development of state-of-the-art infrared detector and imaging technologies.
• Leads development of concepts to be used in pursuing JPL business.
• Direct the work of specialist engineers and scientists to develop coordinated concepts.
• Provide oversight and recommendation that positively affect the availability of Laboratory resources due to efficient management of budgets and workforce.
• Primary leadership position for a functional organization.
• Solutions require the use of creativity and innovation.
• Exercises judgment to determine appropriate course of action, consistent with established procedures and policies.
• Frequently interacts with supervisors, functional peers, and sponsors.
• Functions as a domain specialist to other organizations regarding technology activities within the group.
• Requires the ability to gain collaboration of others; conducts presentations of technical information concerning specific projects or schedules.
• Frequently interacts with other managers on coordinated strategies and workflow to improve organizational efficiency.

Qualifications

• Bachelors degree in Physics, Applied Physics, Electrical Engineering or related subject area with a minimum of 12 years of related experience; Masters degree in similar fields with a minimum of 10 years of related experience; or PhD in similar subject areas with a minimum of 8 years related experience. Minimum of 2 years of lead experience.
• Knowledge of multiple technical subject areas with significant expertise in technology development and flight delivery.
• Extensive understanding and wide application of sophisticated measurement principles, theories, concepts and techniques in definition, design, development and verification of complex technologies
• Extensive knowledge of industry and/or academic practices and standards across a range of applications related to instrument technology innovations.
• Extensive knowledge of industry and/or academic practices and standards across a range of applications related to instrument technology innovations.
• Extensive knowledge of JPL flight project practices and design principals
• Demonstrated ability to communicate optimally in writing and verbally and a high comfort level presenting science, engineering and flight results to large audiences
• Demonstrated ability to interact cooperatively with multiple levels of JPL management and the technical and business workforce
• Demonstrated ability to lead teams from engineering to flight
• Demonstrated ability to mentor others in their career development