Purpose

As a nonprofit engineering innovation company, Draper serves our nation’s interests and security needs; advances technologies at the intersection of government, academia, and industry; cultivates the next generation of innovators; and solves the most complex challenges. Multidisciplinary teams drawn from a broad and deep talent pool of 1,200 engineers and scientists collaborate to develop first-of-a-kind solutions. Our unbiased approach enables us to focus on our customers’ needs and to deliver new capabilities to them.

Our Core Values

Our core values are fundamental to earning and keeping the trust of the people who rely on our work. They guide how we treat our customers, partners, community and coworkers as we work with them and for them. They are the expectations to which we hold ourselves accountable. Draper is committed to maintaining high ethical standards at all times.
 

• People First: Our outstanding accomplishments and innovation would not happen without our highly skilled and motivated workforce. Draper supports continuous learning and a work environment where people respect and value other viewpoints.

• Teamwork: We value the knowledge and expertise not only of Draper staff, but of our customers and collaborators. Leveraging that rich spectrum of insights we hear from them, we collaborate with stakeholders to develop enhanced solutions.

• Innovation: Our multidisciplinary teams strive to develop solutions inventive enough to deliver superior performance for our customers and partners. Team members’ different perspectives enable multifaceted approaches to exploring a challenge—and solving it effectively.

• Excellence: Our focus is on developing creative solutions that make a meaningful impact on the performance of our customers. We monitor the evolving challenges our customers face, using that understanding as we solve their problems with advanced technology.

• Integrity: Building trusting relationships is rooted in doing the right thing every day—holding ourselves accountable for how we work, not just results. Being responsible, keeping our commitments and communicating clearly and candidly are part of how we work.

Life at Draper

Innovation Through Interdisciplinary Collaboration
Draper’s ability to deliver high-performing, reliable solutions stems from our systems approach, interdisciplinary teams and state-of-the-art facilities. Because Draper is a not-for-profit, our staff members are free to pursue the best solution for customers without the biases of a profit motive. We work knowing that our contributions to mission-critical technology can be vital to an end user’s success, whether aboard a Navy submarine or the International Space Station.

We believe collaboration among people with varied expertise and experience leads to new ideas and fresh thinking that generates innovation.

Draper’s work is challenging, meaningful and exciting, and our staff are passionate about making an impact. On an individual level, engineers can enjoy turning their ideas into technology, from prototyping to development to use in the field.

Celebrating Employee Achievements
Draper recognizes staff who go beyond expectations and make a positive impact on Draper. This happens throughout the year, but Draper celebrates an annual program of formal awards. These honor accomplishments in technical work, including project engineering, technical publications and patents; project leadership; mentoring colleagues or students and exceptional customer service.

Internal Research and Development (IRaD) Opportunities
Employees are encouraged to conceptualize new technologies and approaches to industry challenges and to propose them to the company for research funding. All proposals are evaluated annually by committee and ones identified as potentially having high impact for Draper and its customers receive multiyear funding. These projects are rich opportunities for their teams to learn and grow.

Supporting Employees with Continuing Education
Employees receive tuition assistance for degree-producing programs that develop their career skills. Other professional development opportunities also are available.

Collaborative Lab and Office Facilities
Draper’s Cambridge headquarters is being transformed into open-floor plan workspaces in support of our team work style. Draper’s Atrium opened in September 2017, and includes a coffee shop, cafeteria and both formal and informal working space. Draper upgrades it laboratory facilities on a cycle to keep them state-of-the-art to support advanced technology development.