They are seeking an Application Architect to lead the DARPA SciFy project, focusing on developing ... program meetings, technical demonstrations, and pilot exercises with transition partners ...
They are seeking an Application Architect to lead the DARPA SciFy project, focusing on developing ... program meetings, technical demonstrations, and pilot exercises with transition partners ...
Contribute to external funding proposals to agencies such as NSF, DOE, DARPA, and other sponsors ... research programs are encouraged to apply. Appointment Details The position is a full-time ...
Contribute to external funding proposals to agencies such as NSF, DOE, DARPA, and other sponsors ... research programs are encouraged to apply. Appointment Details The position is a full-time ...
Contribute to external funding proposals to agencies such as NSF, DOE, DARPA, and other sponsors ... research programs are encouraged to apply. Appointment Details The position is a full-time ...
Contribute to external funding proposals to agencies such as NSF, DOE, DARPA, and other sponsors ... research programs are encouraged to apply. Appointment Details The position is a full-time ...
Darpa Program information
See Pennsylvania salary details
$21.6K - $25.3K
0% of jobs
$25.3K - $29.1K
0% of jobs
$29.1K - $32.9K
3% of jobs
$32.9K - $36.7K
10% of jobs
$38.3K is the 25th percentile. Wages below this are outliers.
$36.7K - $40.5K
27% of jobs
$40.5K - $44.2K
9% of jobs
The median wage is $44.3K / yr.
$44.2K - $48K
29% of jobs
$48K - $51.8K
12% of jobs
$51.8K - $55.6K
8% of jobs
$55.6K - $59.4K
1% of jobs
$59.4K - $63.2K
1% of jobs
$21.6K
$45.8K
$63.2K
How much do darpa program jobs pay per year?
As of Aug 10, 2026, the average yearly pay for darpa program in Pennsylvania is $45,831.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $37,600.00 and $47,600.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.
What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a DARPA program manager?
To thrive as a DARPA Program Manager, you need expertise in science or engineering, experience leading research projects, and often an advanced degree (e.g., PhD) in a relevant field. Familiarity with project management tools, government contracting processes, and technical proposal evaluation is typically required. Strategic vision, strong communication, and the ability to inspire and coordinate multidisciplinary teams are standout soft skills. These abilities are crucial for successfully designing, launching, and managing high-impact, innovative research programs that address complex national challenges.
What is a DARPA program?
A DARPA Program refers to a research and development initiative managed by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), a branch of the U.S. Department of Defense. These programs are designed to create breakthrough technologies and capabilities for national security, often focusing on high-risk, high-reward innovations. DARPA Programs span a wide range of fields, such as artificial intelligence, robotics, cybersecurity, biotechnology, and advanced materials. Each program is typically led by a program manager and aims to transition successful technologies to military or commercial use. Participation often involves collaboration among universities, private companies, and government labs.
What are some typical challenges faced when working on a DARPA program team?
Working on a DARPA program team often involves tackling highly ambitious technical goals with tight deadlines and evolving requirements. Team members must be adaptable, as projects may pivot based on research findings or shifting priorities. Collaboration is key, as teams are typically multidisciplinary and may include external partners from academia, industry, and government. Successfully managing these dynamics while maintaining innovation and compliance with security protocols is a common challenge.
What is the difference between Darpa Program vs Research Scientist?
| Aspect | Darpa Program | Research Scientist |
|---|---|---|
| Credentials | Typically requires advanced degrees in science or engineering, often with security clearances | Requires at least a master's degree, often a Ph.D., in a relevant scientific or technical field |
| Work Environment | Government-funded projects, often in labs or specialized facilities, with a focus on innovation and defense applications | Academic, industrial, or government labs; conducting experiments, data analysis, and publishing research |
| Employer & Industry | U.S. Department of Defense, research agencies, and contractors | Universities, research institutions, or corporate R&D departments |
While Darpa Programs focus on funding and managing innovative defense research projects, Research Scientists conduct scientific investigations across various fields, often contributing to knowledge and technology development. Both roles require strong technical credentials, but Darpa Programs are more project and funding-oriented within the defense sector, whereas Research Scientists focus on scientific discovery and experimentation.
How do you get hired at DARPA?
To get hired at DARPA, candidates typically need a strong background in science, engineering, or technology, along with relevant research experience. The application process involves submitting a resume through official government channels and often requires security clearances and interviews. Demonstrating expertise in innovative research and collaboration skills can improve chances of selection.
What are the most commonly searched types of Darpa Program jobs in Pennsylvania? The most popular types of Darpa Program jobs in Pennsylvania are:
What are popular job titles related to Darpa Program jobs in Pennsylvania? For Darpa Program jobs in Pennsylvania, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Darpa Program jobs in Pennsylvania look for? The top searched job categories for Darpa Program jobs in Pennsylvania are:
What cities in Pennsylvania are hiring for Darpa Program jobs? Cities in Pennsylvania with the most Darpa Program job openings:
Application Architect - DARPA SciFy Project - Penn Engineering
Philadelphia, PA • On-site
Full-time
Re-posted 25 days ago
University Of Pennsylvania rating
8.1
Based on 81 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz
160th of 617 rated colleges and universities
Job description
Job Summary:
The University of Pennsylvania is a prestigious institution known for its leadership in education and research. They are seeking an Application Architect to lead the DARPA SciFy project, focusing on developing AI systems for scientific claim assessment. The role involves designing core infrastructure and collaborating with a multi-university team to enhance the capabilities of their flagship system, ClaimSpy.
Responsibilities:
• Design and build ClaimSpy's agent architecture: multi-LLM pipelines with tool-calling chains for literature retrieval, computational analysis, and claim assessment
• Develop an interactive Claim Card interface for analysts to construct, refine, and explore structured speculative claims, inspect reasoning traces, and review evidence bundles
• Extend the Panel of Virtual Experts (PoVE) system to support Tech Council in a Box (TCBX), enabling multi-perspective deliberation over speculative AI forecasts
• Integrate Two Six Technologies' speculative claims component into the ClaimSpy pipeline, including ablation studies to assess integration quality
• Instrument systems with logging, observability, and error tracing across tool-calling chains to support operational pilot deployments
• Collaborate with researchers on AutoRubric integration for automated LLM-as-judge evaluation of claim assessments
• Conform to DARPA's testing and evaluation framework
• Collaborate with postdocs and graduate students to translate research prototypes into production-ready systems
• Assist with technical documentation, system testing, and monthly DARPA reporting
• Participate in program meetings, technical demonstrations, and pilot exercises with transition partners
Qualifications:
Required:
• Bachelor's in Computer Science with four to six years of substantial software development experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Strong Python skills and hands-on experience with LLM APIs (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google) and agent frameworks
• Experience building agentic systems with tool use, multi-step reasoning, and orchestration
• Experience developing APIs that expose LLM capabilities as services (REST/GraphQL endpoints, streaming, authentication, rate limiting)
• Experience with API development, system integration, and full-stack web development
• Ability to rapidly prototype and iterate in an agile research environment
• Strong communication skills for coordinating across a distributed team and with government stakeholders
Preferred:
• Experience with RAG systems, vector databases, and retrieval pipelines
• Experience building interactive data exploration or sensemaking interfaces
• Familiarity with scientific literature processing and structured knowledge extraction
• Containerization and deployment (Docker, Kubernetes)
• Open source contributions
• Experience with evaluation frameworks, benchmarking, or LLM-as-judge pipelines
• Prior experience on government-funded research projects
Company:
The University of Pennsylvania is an American private Ivy League Research University that excels in producing future leaders. Founded in 1740, the company is headquartered in Philadelphia, USA, with a team of 10001+ employees. The company is currently Late Stage.
The University of Pennsylvania is a prestigious institution known for its leadership in education and research. They are seeking an Application Architect to lead the DARPA SciFy project, focusing on developing AI systems for scientific claim assessment. The role involves designing core infrastructure and collaborating with a multi-university team to enhance the capabilities of their flagship system, ClaimSpy.
Responsibilities:
• Design and build ClaimSpy's agent architecture: multi-LLM pipelines with tool-calling chains for literature retrieval, computational analysis, and claim assessment
• Develop an interactive Claim Card interface for analysts to construct, refine, and explore structured speculative claims, inspect reasoning traces, and review evidence bundles
• Extend the Panel of Virtual Experts (PoVE) system to support Tech Council in a Box (TCBX), enabling multi-perspective deliberation over speculative AI forecasts
• Integrate Two Six Technologies' speculative claims component into the ClaimSpy pipeline, including ablation studies to assess integration quality
• Instrument systems with logging, observability, and error tracing across tool-calling chains to support operational pilot deployments
• Collaborate with researchers on AutoRubric integration for automated LLM-as-judge evaluation of claim assessments
• Conform to DARPA's testing and evaluation framework
• Collaborate with postdocs and graduate students to translate research prototypes into production-ready systems
• Assist with technical documentation, system testing, and monthly DARPA reporting
• Participate in program meetings, technical demonstrations, and pilot exercises with transition partners
Qualifications:
Required:
• Bachelor's in Computer Science with four to six years of substantial software development experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Strong Python skills and hands-on experience with LLM APIs (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google) and agent frameworks
• Experience building agentic systems with tool use, multi-step reasoning, and orchestration
• Experience developing APIs that expose LLM capabilities as services (REST/GraphQL endpoints, streaming, authentication, rate limiting)
• Experience with API development, system integration, and full-stack web development
• Ability to rapidly prototype and iterate in an agile research environment
• Strong communication skills for coordinating across a distributed team and with government stakeholders
Preferred:
• Experience with RAG systems, vector databases, and retrieval pipelines
• Experience building interactive data exploration or sensemaking interfaces
• Familiarity with scientific literature processing and structured knowledge extraction
• Containerization and deployment (Docker, Kubernetes)
• Open source contributions
• Experience with evaluation frameworks, benchmarking, or LLM-as-judge pipelines
• Prior experience on government-funded research projects
Company:
The University of Pennsylvania is an American private Ivy League Research University that excels in producing future leaders. Founded in 1740, the company is headquartered in Philadelphia, USA, with a team of 10001+ employees. The company is currently Late Stage.
What University Of Pennsylvania employees say
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About University of Pennsylvania
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The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer in Philadelphia, is a world-renowned leader in education, research, and innovation. This historic, Ivy League school consistently ranks among the top 10 universities in the annual U.S. News & World Report survey. Penn has 12 highly-regarded schools that provide opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education, all influenced by Penn's distinctive interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and learning. As an employer Penn has been ranked nationally on many occasions with the most recent award from Forbes who named Penn one of America's Best Employers By State in 2021.
Industry
Colleges, universities, and professional schools
Company size
10,000+ Employees
Headquarters location
Philadelphia, PA, US
Year founded
1740