'Our orders for new signal processing capabilities are up," says Todd Penns, senior technical recruiter.
Applied Signal products are designed to respond to the most advanced telecommunications signals as well as current and future security threats. The company specializes in software, hardware and systems solutions for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance for global security.
Right now Penns is actively recruiting engineers; he anticipates adding seventy-five or more this year. Applied Signal currently has techies in ten offices across the U.S. that focus on technology development and customer service.
What will the new techies do? "Our recruiting motto is 'We could tell you what we do, but then we'd have to hire you,'" says Penns. "It's a great icebreaker," he adds with a smile.
Seriously, government contracts mean strict clearance requirements for all employees, Penns explains. "Both the employees and all members of their immediate households must be U.S. citizens. Due to our classified technology development, we look for people with clearances at the top secret and extended background investigation level." There are also, Penns adds, unclassified positions where new hires can get their feet wet while their security applications are being processed.
Some 500 of the company's staff members have the top-level clearances. Some are members of government and industrial committees and panels that support Applied Signal customers and the scientific and engineering communities.
Applied Signal invests heavily in internal R&D, anticipating customer requirements and keeping the company at the cutting edge of scientific and engineering advances. Some 15 to 20 percent of tech staff devotes full time to these projects.
But all the company's work is essentially cutting-edge, Penns notes. "Our engineers work with other team members, bringing the integration together. Engineers tell me they really like being involved with the full development cycle."
Since the start of the global war on terror, Applied Signal's business has changed. The company has been reorganized into five divisions: wireless communications, multi-channel systems, electronic systems, national security systems and ocean systems.
There has also been an increased demand for the company's products. "More government organizations are trying to incorporate our technology into their defense spending. As a result of our joint efforts with other organizations, the U.S. government is now allowing certain nations to purchase our technology. That translates into wider applications than before," Penns explains.
Proactive diversity recruitment is part of Penns' mandate. "We host an open house every January for college students, work with societies like NSBE, SHPE and SWE and bring our staff engineers to career fairs. While looking for the really good engineers we need, we also focus on maintaining a diversity balance."
The company has also made donations to minority-serving colleges and universities, and makes the rounds of campus career fairs, Penns notes.
Applied Signal has a "strong mentoring culture," Penns says. Teams and individual mentors are available for new recruits.
Addressing community needs, Applied Signal has adopted underprivileged schools in its area, donating time, money and computer equipment. During career days at the company campus, high-school and college students are invited to tour the facilities and talk to engineers. "Our network operation center resembles something right out of NASA with big screens and all those technical bells and whistles. The kids are wowed by the technology," Penns notes.
Applied Signal is also concerned with providing work/life balance for employees. Benefits include full tuition reimbursement, matching retirement contributions and domestic partner benefits. There are also refreshing perks like on-site massage therapy and "nutrition rejuvenation lounges" and showers in every building, yoga, tennis and bowling clubs along with barbeques, pizza parties and breakfasts.
"Applied Signal Technology isn't just about technology," Penns says. "It's an organization that understands the importance of its employees. Gary Yancey, our CEO, says 'Give me a strong forty,' meaning that once you've completed your forty hours of work you should spend the same amount of time with your family relaxing and enjoying life."
D/C
www.appsig.com
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Headquarters: |
Sunnyvale, CA |
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Employees: |
700 |
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Revenues: |
$161,900,000 |
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Business: |
Advanced digital signal processing systems, products and services in support of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. Customers include the DoD, the intelligence community, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and allied governments |
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