“Learning is a big part of any job, and the corporate culture of experimentation and innovation at Noblis really lends itself well to growing and changing as a professional.” – Matt, Lead of Noblis’ Aerospace Mission Solutions Division

Learn more about life at Noblis through the viewpoint of Matt, an engineer who has been with the company throughout the span of his career. Matt is an expert on various subject matter at Noblis, spanning from advanced artificial intelligence, to engineering research, to project management. His diverse experience includes working with clients in law enforcement, space, and aviation, and on research teams to deliver the cutting-edge solutions for the future. 

What brought you to Noblis and where are you now? 

Matt was first exposed to Noblis when he was attending graduate school at West Virginia University—the company was recruiting students from his program and became interested in Matt’s computer vision work. Soon after that interaction, Matt was recruited to Noblis to join the then “National Security & Intelligence” mission area (now called Intelligence & Analytics).  

Currently, Matt serves as a program manager and is the Aerospace Mission Solutions Division lead. He is also responsible for managing the research and development pipeline for the Federal Civilian Solutions mission area.  

“Managing our research pipeline, I have the opportunity to really observe what our clients need and how we can help,” said Matt. “It’s exciting to take that need and translate it into a full-fledged Noblis Sponsored Research (NSR) project. Right now, we’re looking at how technologies like drones are going to affect the national air space. It’s up–and–coming and exciting.” 

You’ve been given the chance to move around different areas of the company—what was that process like for you?  

Continuous education, training, and collaborating with others has helped Matt grow at the company. “I’ve had three big shifts in my career at Noblis, and all three times, it started by me simply identifying areas of interest and being open to new opportunities” said Matt. Luckily, Matt found that Noblis was flexible and encouraging when his career goals and interests shifted over time.  

“Between the extensive professional development the company provides, and networking opportunities like the NSR program, I had the tools I needed to fill capability gaps and make the new connections that have led me to new roles,” he recalled. He believes this is why there are so many success stories, of both people and programs, from Noblis.  

“Learning is a big part of any job, and the corporate culture of experimentation and innovation at Noblis really lends itself well to growing and changing as a professional.” Although he’s worn many hats, one thing has remained constant—Matt has stayed close to his technical roots.  

“No matter where I’ve been, my responsibilities have always spanned the lifecycle of technical work,” said Matt. “From doing highly technical work and research in areas like artificial intelligence myself, to now managing technical projects and programs, I’ve kept close to the technical project lifecycle.”  

What is your favorite part about your job and about working at Noblis?

When considering the organization as a whole, Matt admits that his favorite part about working here is the level of inclusivity and opportunities for development. “You have so many different individuals working at Noblis and there is always a way to get involved,” Matt states. He credits the professional development opportunities as to why he’s built a career at Noblis. 

“Developing people is engrained in what makes us special,” Matt shares.  

You’ve been a part of many NSR projects at Noblis. How has the NSR program enriched your career at Noblis, and what has been your biggest accomplishment?  

Matt shared that the NSR program gave him a chance to diversify himself and receive real recognition. “The NSR program gave me the chance to be recognized by the company and by the larger technical community,” Matt shares. “It also gave me first-time project management experience.” 

As a patent-issued, published researcher, many of Matt’s projects have been translated into long-term government programs. “Creating opportunities for others is among my biggest accomplishments,” Matt explains. “Seeing jobs and projects being created from NSRs is great. People get to do the things they love and find their passion.”  

Lately, you’ve been supporting aeronautics and aviation missions. What do you enjoy about these missions? 

Recently, the accelerated growth of new technologies has driven Matt’s passion for space and aeronautics missions. “The industry has been static for 50 years and there’s been a recent surge of new technologies that are changing the National Airspace. These new, disruptive changes are creating cutting edge solutions for the future and it’s an exciting time to be a part of the mission,” Matt asserts.  

“I’m passionate about all the new, developing technology being created in the aeronautics and aviation area, and am looking forward to seeing future expansion.” 

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Matt currently serves as a program manager and lead for Noblis’ Aerospace Mission Solutions Division, responsible for providing strategic advisory services and managing project lifecycles, working alongside team leads and clients. He holds a B.S. and M.S. in Electrical Engineering from West Virginia University, as well as an MBA from Northwestern University.