BAE Systems is actively hiring experienced techies & new grads

Several hundred engineers are needed in locations across the U.S., especially systems folks in optics, lasers and communications

David Goldstein: “emphasis on recruiting people coming from the military, especially those with disabilities.”

Engineers who want to live in New England should talk to BAE Systems. “We’re hiring,” says David Goldstein, director of talent acquisition in the U.S. For example, “We’re looking for systems engineers in New Hampshire.”

And if you don’t want to relocate to New England? “We’re hiring in most of our locations,” Goldstein adds.

BAE Systems manufactures a variety of defense- and avionics-related products. It’s the largest military land systems provider in the world. The company not only engineers, designs and builds new vehicles, it also accepts used vehicles from the war zones, replaces parts, refurbishes them and returns them to the military.

“It’s one of the things we do really well,” says Goldstein. “We see many vehicles returning from the Middle East, and soldiers are always thanking us because we save lives with what we do, as well as giving them a better vehicle to use.”

Right now the company has a particular need for systems engineers, especially in the hot areas of optics, lasers and communications systems.

Goldstein expects to hire several hundred college grads with little to no experience, but he’s also eager to bring in experienced engineers. “Some of the things we do, like optics and lasers, require specific expertise,” he says.

BAE Systems attends career fairs for groups like NSBE, SHPE and SWE, and also recruits at campus chapters and at HBCUs. “We’ll go to some of the chapters and bring kids in to our facility to help them get a feel for what engineers can achieve in their careers,” says Goldstein.

The company recently added a focus on recruiting techies with a military background. “We decided we really need to put more emphasis on people coming from the military, especially those with disabilities,” Goldstein notes. “It’s important to us to protect those who protect us. We ask those men and women to risk their lives for us, so it’s the right thing to do to help them get work when they come back.”