AL.com Article – July 2018 – Eglin Air Force Base predates the Air Force. When rapid expansion of the airfield became part of the Works Projects Administrations infrastructure overhaul, it was a dense forest on the outskirts of civilization. The position in the Gulf and relative to major railroads and highways made Eglin an ideal location to expand the Air Force. It’s likely young airmen/women today have a much different conception of the region, which has since “uncovered” and commercialized some of the most beautiful beaches in the world—“The Emerald Coast.”
From the Doolittle raids on Japan in 1942 onward, Eglin has been renowned for testing and developing Air Force projects—large bombers, jets, missile systems, etc. Eglin is home to the 96th Test Wing, the test and evaluation wing for air-delivered weapons, navigation and guidance systems, Command and Control systems, etc. The Eglin Gulf Test Range includes around 130,000 square miles of over-water airspace. And it’s really close to the beach (14 miles of beaches, several of which have been in top 10 beaches of America lists). This is great news for Air Force soldiers but also for the civilian contractors that support the massive base.
INTUITIVE Research and Technology Corporation (INTUITIVE®), headquartered in Huntsville, has recently established a field location at Fort Walton Beach, Florida. It’s one of eleven field locations, mostly in the Southeast. They were awarded two large Air Force contracts, which prompted investigation into a more permanent presence. Senior Vice President of Operations in Florida, Tim Mango said, “The area is rich with diverse talent including prestigious colleges and universities, as well as military persons transitioning into the workforce. This affords us the opportunity to further expand our team and broaden our capabilities to better support our Government customers, particularly in the areas of software engineering, design and integration, and testing.”
STEM employees and graduates have probably prepared themselves well for the office life—deadlines, specifications, meetings, and re-calculations are all part of it. At engineering firms who win defense contracts, there is an added layer of seriousness, the business of national safety. But what if you could substitute a commute through a desert or crowded urban area to a 15-minute ride through a former national forest back home to the beach? Many of us would appreciate the yin and yang of that scenario.
Northwest Florida is a tourist destination for which 4.5 million Americans visit each year. The irony of such a well-known area is that during tourist season, the traffic to get there can stress you out as much as the job you left.
Once you live at the destination, however, you’ll find that there is much more than just the strip mall beach scene. There are over 50,000 acres of state parks along the Emerald Coast that let you unwind, kayak, and fish in unique marsh and dune lakes. For a more offshore experience, you can charter a boat to catch snapper or grouper. Vergenia Shelton, President of INTUITIVE, believes that quality of life and meaningful, engaging work is the key to successfully growing his team. She says, “Our new facility in Fort Walton Beach takes the work, live, play concept to a whole new level. If you are looking for a collaborative environment where opportunities are offered both personally and professionally, then we might be exactly want you are looking for.”
Your career can flourish in the same place as your hobbies. It just so happens INTUITIVE has been recognized as a Best Place to Work in its Huntsville home for 11 years in a row. The culture focuses on cultivating flexible “Swiss army knife” employees who maintain a passion for the ever-changing work. They are one of the few aerospace and defense firms that hires on long-term fit, never just for a one-off contract.
Young engineers who value work-life balance and stability should look for employment situations that can facilitate a well-lived life. If you consider a career in defense in the right location, the consequential work product and serene environment creates the perfect balance. Weigh that real possibility against a more utopian-sounding choice, such as becoming a game developer in southern California. Sure, those folks are working on particular projects that may be fun, but they’re spending hours a day in transit to and from their jobs and years renting vs. owning property.
If you could see yourself living at the beach, meanwhile advancing aerospace and defense innovation, the Emerald Coast might be your best bet in the entire country. Engineers and other technical employees can contact INTUITIVE about their new opportunities here .