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People everywhere are having a tough time finding jobs, but there is at least one industry hiring — defense.
Raytheon Co.’s Integrated Defense Systems unit in Tewksbury and BAE Systems Inc.’s Electronic Solutions unit in Nashua, N.H. are hiring a range of positions, with systems engineers in particular in demand.
The companies are a bright spot in a bleak employment landscape, but growth can also be problematic if the positions are hard to fill, according to Defense Technology Inititative director Don Quenneville. With baby boomers retiring (though perhaps a bit later, given the recession), and despite science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education efforts, the supply of engineers may not be enough. For defense contractors, the pool is even smaller, because they need to hire employees who can obtain government security clearances, Quenneville said.
“It’s going to get more acute,” Quenneville said. Growing fields such as robotics and security help steer young people toward engineering, Quenneville said. However, that boost may not carry over to the specific kinds of experienced engineers needed by defense integrators like Raytheon and BAE.
In the meantime, Raytheon IDS is on track to hire about 1,100 people before the end of the year, according to its senior manager for talent acquisition and compliance, Lisa Trearchis. It’s already hired about 500 people in all areas — finance, program management, supply chain, IT and manufacturing — but mostly engineers.
“It’s a bit of a niche,” Trearchis said.
The hiring binge is due to a $3.3 billion contract Raytheon IDS received to supply its U.S. Patriot Missile system to the United Arab Emirates last December, Trearchis said.
Raytheon IDS’ hardest position to fill is a systems engineer with 10 years of radar experience, Trearchis said. The company also faces a challenge hiring supply chain managers who have experience in engineering and handling deals in the hundreds of millions of dollars, she said.
The recession has had some unique effects on Raytheon’s hiring efforts. For example, Trearchis has noticed that some good candidates are reluctant to relocate for fear of losing money on real estate. Retirement and voluntary attrition are down about 1 to 2 percent. And the number of applicants has increased substantially, making the process of elimination more challenging.
“We don’t want to miss a gem,” she said.
In Nashua, BAE has 300 open positions at its Electronic Solutions unit, which develops weapon sights and first-responder communications systems, among other things. Of those 300 positions, about 250 are engineering jobs, including optical, software and systems engineers, according to a spokesperson.
On Wednesday, the BAE unit announced two additional contracts worth more than $38 million. One, a $33.6 million contract from the U.S. Navy, is for a system that provides fighter aircraft with defense against radar-guided missiles. BAE will also continue to develop a digital night-vision goggle for the U.S. Army under a $5.1 million deal.
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