Diversity In Action

General Dynamics C4 Systems seeks 900 techies, many diverse

They need experience in communications systems, embedded software or RF “to program complex radio systems for our customers,” says a manager

General Dynamics C4 Systems, a business unit of General Dynamics, plans to hire a core group of program and business development managers this year, along with systems and software engineers, from candidates with experience to new grads. “We expect to hire about 900,” says Rich Skelnik, director of talent acquisition and community relations.

Most of the new employees will be located in Scottsdale, AZ, but opportunities will also be available at other General Dynamics locations. Two of the largest after Scottsdale are Taunton and Needham, MA. General Dynamics C4 Systems currently employs more than 11,000 people.

The new hires should have experience in communication systems, embedded software or RF engineering. “These people are going to program complex radio systems to meet customer requirements,” Skelnik explains.

Of course the company will bring in some hardware engineers, but “This is very much a software and systems facility.”

A security clearance is always a plus, although not a necessary prerequisite for employment. But eventually, “About 80 percent of all the engineers we hire will need clearance at some time during their careers,” Skelnik notes. U.S. citizenship is required because of the high volume of government work the company contracts.

General Dynamics is also interested in engineers familiar with analog and digital design, RF signals and programming languages like C, C++ and Java. “VoIP is big, too,” Skelnik adds.

“We also look for capture managers to get new business for us.” A capture manager translates and explains customer requirements to the team that’s pursuing the new business opportunity, helping to win the contract.

To develop a diverse work environment the company recruits its systems engineers in a variety of ways. Skelnik and his team tap into SHPE, AISES, SWE, NSBE and others, as well as IEEE. Job postings are listed at historically black colleges and universities in addition to schools like University of Nebraska, Kansas State, Arizona State, Illinois, WPI, University of Texas and Florida A&M. “We like to recruit on campuses,” Skelnik says. “We are more partial to interviewing the students there than going to job fairs.”

“We want to do business in a manner that is sustainable over time,” says Bernadette Phillips-Garcia, senior manager for global mobility and diversity. Phillips-Garcia’s responsibilities include managing the movement of General Dynamics’ employees among locations, both domestic and international.

“We focus on talent and capabilities. Once people are here, they can feel comfortable that processes are in place to foster an environment that supports inclusion, full participation and collaboration.”

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