The Applied Research Laboratory for Intelligence and Security (ARLIS), based at the University of Maryland College Park, was established in 2018 under the sponsorship of the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security (OUSD(I&S)). As a University-Affiliated Research Center (UARC), our purpose is to be a long-term strategic asset for research and development in intelligent human-machine systems; human and social systems; and information, data, and computing.

The Director of Research coordinates and stewards ARLIS’s core competencies -- the essential areas of scientific, engineering and technical expertise that the Government requires of ARLIS and the University of Maryland. ARLIS’s technical personnel are grouped into core competencies that the Director of Research oversees, as described below. 

1. Human and Social Systems:

• Foreign languages and dialects, including the analysis and documentation of those languages and language varieties for which national security interests define staffing requirements.
• Linguistics and all of its sub-fields, including phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, discourse analysis, semantics, pragmatics, sociolinguistics, applied linguistics, lexicography, computational linguistics, geolinguistics, corpus linguistics, historical linguistics, psycholinguistics.
• Disciplines relevant to the acquisition and practice of analysis and critical thinking, including psychology, cognitive science, neuroscience, computer science, organizational science, political science, anthropology, criminology, economics, education, philosophy, and second language acquisition.

2. Intelligent Human-Machine Systems:

• Artificial Intelligence, including knowledge acquisition, knowledge representation and reasoning, knowledge discovery and data mining, machine learning, human-computer interaction, natural language processing, information studies, data science, computer science, and autonomy.
• Human-machine interaction, including human-computer interaction, human-centered design, human performance, and virtual reality/augmented reality.

3. Information, Systems and Computing

• Disciplines related to the manipulation, use, and sharing of information of varying quantities and diverse forms.
• Engineering and systems disciplines
• Software and system design, including software engineering, information modeling, interoperability, and information systems architecture.

All research in the lab is overseen by the Executive Director and a technical leadership team which includes the Director of Research and other designated senior advisors. The Research Director oversees and supervises the Core Competency Directors and Mission Area Leads and collaborates with the Director of Strategic Development and Principal Investigators on strategic, business, and research development initiatives.
 

Key Responsibilities:

Support strategic and long-range planning as well as portfolio analysis;. Manage ongoing emerging operational and professional development needs of professional track faculty and resolve issues. Advise and assist in the development of short-and-long range plans, establishing goals and objectives for support of research programs. Create and maintain relationships with other UMD units and Federal agencies in pursuit of the overall ARLIS mission. Maintain a significant role as an individual contributor and technical leader on research programs. Serve as key member to assignment on committees and temporary working groups across the lab to solve problems, improve staff communication, and effect coordination for special initiatives.
 

Additional Responsibilities:

Develop trusted relationships with sponsors/internal customers. Represent the laboratory within the scientific community. Participate in recruiting new talent. Supervise and/or mentor laboratory faculty.

Ph.D. in a field with relevance to ARLIS core competencies (see above) or an advanced degree with experience commensurate with the leadership requirements of an academic department or that of a government or industrial research laboratory.

Preference will be given for candidates that demonstrate expertise in a broad range of topics, including cognitive and social sciences, and a demonstrated track record of interdisciplinary leadership.

Ability to collaborate with a diverse faculty, graduate and undergraduate student body, administration, and staff, and excellent writing and presentation skills. This role requires not only knowledge in relevant disciplines, but also a commitment to high standards, a considerable breadth of interest and receptivity to new ideas, a strong sense of fairness, good judgment, and a high degree of personal integrity.

Additional qualifications include:

• 10 years of experience managing complex research programs;
• 10 years of supervisory experience;
• Career track record of professional accomplishment in areas of technical expertise relevant to ARLIS’s competencies, including publications, society leadership, professional acknowledgements, etc.;
• Experience overseeing the hiring of science and technology professionals;
• Demonstrated ability to generate and articulate scientific and technical priorities across a breadth of disciplines;
• Experience building and sustaining partnerships;
• Eligibility to obtain and maintain a Top Secret/SCI clearance.

• Demonstrated understanding of government research and engineering processes and project life cycle requirements for DoD programs;
• Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional teams consisting of scientific/technical and programmatic personnel;
• Demonstrated history of providing insight, advice, and scientific/technical guidance on programmatic and engineering strategies and project execution requirements for government customers;
• Understanding of Institutional Review Board (IRB) protocols/regulations.