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MIT Lincoln Laboratory does R&D critical to national security
Nearly half the technical staff are EEs;
20 percent are in physics, most of the rest
in math and CS. About 42 percent of the staff have PhDs
 As a federally funded R&D center, MIT Lincoln Laboratory conducts work aimed at solutions to problems critical to national security. Its core work is in sensors; information extraction like signal processing and embedded computing; communications; integrated sensing and decision support. The work is supported by
a broad research base in advanced electronics.
Bill Kindred, manager for diversity and inclusion programs, says the laboratory “recognizes that its continuing success is achieved through the appreciation and support of the diverse talents, ideas, cultures and experiences of its employees.”
Of Lincoln Laboratory’s technical staff, nearly half are EEs, 20 percent are in physics, about 10 percent in math and about 8 percent in CS, with a few doing ME and aerospace engineering. About 42 percent of the staff have PhDs, 27 percent have MS degrees, and 25 percent have bachelors.
MIT Lincoln Laboratory has a long history of government service. It began after World War II, Kindred says, when “The government asked the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT, Cambridge, MA) to start an R&D center to improve the nation’s air defense system through advanced electronics.”
Kindred notes that the laboratory’s reputation attracts great attention among PhD students. “We are world class. The work we do appeals to techies who like to work in the R&D field in support of national security.”
Because of the laboratory’s highly specific needs and the nature of its work, the candidate pool can be quite small. But Kindred maintains relationships with professional societies and networks with employees. “I make efforts to reach out to professors, deans and faculty to let them know who we are and what we do. These are the people who will refer their top students to us.”
Although the laboratory is managed by MIT, employees conduct their research in a relatively nonacademic setting. “People do in fact publish here, employees are awarded patents, and everyone can take advantage of both the laboratory’s and MIT’s phenomenal library system.”
“People love it here and don’t want to leave,” Kindred notes with a smile.
 Kindred’s job is part of the laboratory’s effort to increase the diversity and quality of the overall recruiting talent pool, to continue diversifying its workforce, and to ensure the laboratory retains its talent. For example, a program for female technical staff began in April 2008. The Lincoln Laboratory Technical Women’s Network is “an effort to make sure our female employees have a forum to discuss shared professional experiences and strategies for success,” Kindred notes. The network’s activities include a formal mentoring program.
Kindred goes to meetings of the National Association of Multicultural Engineering Program Advocates, SHPE, SWE, NSBE and the Anita Borg Institute. He is also working on a laboratory-wide mentoring program, currently in the pilot stage, aimed at improving employee development, engagement and retention. And he works with MIT’s NSBE, SWE and SHPE chapters.
The laboratory’s management is very supportive of work/life balance and community enrichment, Kindred notes. Flexible work schedules, telecommuting and part-time employment options are available. “We work to make the most beneficial arrangement for each individual’s work assignments.
“Lincoln Laboratory is truly a unique and great place to work.”
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