7.2.3 Early Findings from Interviewing Systems Engineers who Support the U.S. Department of Defense

Abstract

AbstractHelix, which is focused on examining the “DNA” of the systems engineering workforce, is a project of the Systems Engineering Research Center (SERC). It is a multi‐year longitudinal study designed to build an understanding of the landscape of the systems engineering workforce, of what enables and inhibits the effectiveness of systems engineers, and of how organizations are attempting to improve their effectiveness. At the time of submission, the team has interviewed 112 individuals from 7 organizations. This paper outlines early findings based on these interviews. Insights include a characterization of the systems engineers in the study including career paths for senior systems engineers; the most important characteristics and competencies for systems engineers; what systems engineers believe their greatest contributions are; and what factors make systems engineers most and least effective.