R&D Engineer

Hepburn and Sons LLC is seeking a driven and technically versatile and innovative R&D Engineer to join our defense engineering team in Manassas, Virginia. In this role, you will be at the forefront of naval power systems innovation leading technology development efforts that directly advance U.S. Navy fleet readiness and warfighter capability.

You will own technical programs from concept through delivery, collaborate with elite university research groups and industry partners, and contribute to technologies that matter. You will help grow our engineering capabilities as our team seeks to grow. You will be welcomed into a group with diverse expertise and engineering backgrounds that are dedicated to mentor and support our entire work staff at all levels. 

This is a contingent position based on award/funding from the customer.

Working at Hepburn and Sons LLC

At Hepburn and Sons, we believe a passion for meaningful work and intellectual rigor will help solve the leading issues of today. We honor handshakes as rigorously as contracts. We keep trust at the forefront of every decision we make and customer we serve! We believe there is no greater principle in business than that of building a solid foundation of trust. We hold one another to the highest levels of integrity and ethics. We cherish every opportunity given to us by our clients. We believe in collaboration, mutual respect, open communication, and opportunity for growth.

Our team brings together diverse engineering expertise in an environment built on trust, open communication, and mutual respect. Here you will find a culture that invests in your growth, challenges you with consequential problems, and gives you the tools to lead.

You will serve as a technical lead across a full program lifecycle, including but not limited to the following responsibilities:

• Lead technology development and integration for U.S. Navy power systems, working alongside prestigious universities and industry teammates
• Take end-to-end ownership of complex engineering programs including planning, executing, and delivering technical scope while coordinating multidisciplinary teams spanning engineering, drafting, technical writing, and supporting program management
• Develop, mature, and de-risk emerging technologies toward deployment readiness:
  • Modular power and energy systems technologies (insulated bus pipe, disconnect switches, and related shipboard components) to support operational availability and fleet readiness
  • AI/ML-based algorithms for power system monitoring and condition-informed maintenance
• Engage in digital engineering, modeling and simulation (M&S), and model-based systems engineering (MBSE) to accelerate and maintain continuity of systems design
• Perform technology demonstrations, qualification programs, requirements development, system design integration, design space exploration, and/or analysis of alternatives (AoA) studies
• Verify and validate technologies against military performance requirements and standards to support military concept of operations (CONOPS)
• Technically lead diverse stakeholder teams, including but not limited to subcontractor teammates, industrial manufacturers, university research programs, and national laboratories
• Represent the company at conferences, symposia, and exhibitions through active participation and technical presentations
• Up to 20% travel

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Physics, Mathematics, Systems Engineering, Computer engineering, or an equivalent technical discipline
• 5 or more years of practical, professional engineering experience
• Demonstrated experience in at least one of the following areas, with familiarity across the others: power systems, sensors, signal processing, AI/ML, and/or model-based systems engineering
• Ability to obtain and maintain a Secret level clearance

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with R&D engineering and applied technology development in defense or maritime environments
• Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Physics, Mathematics, Systems Engineering, Computer engineering, or an equivalent technical discipline
• Demonstrated ability and experience to author white papers, technical publications, and/or proposals
• Familiarity with defense acquisition processes, Navy programs, and/or Navy shipboard power systems
• Working proficiency with software and engineering products such as: Solidworks Design, Finite Elements Analysis (FEA) software, Python