KOP Insiders: Jennifer Smith, Director of Engineering & Operations, KBR

KOP Insiders delves into the stories of the people who make King of Prussia one of Pennsylvania’s most dynamic live-work-play-stay destinations.
In depth interviews provide insight into the companies that make up our diverse business community and put a face to the individuals behind the business. In this edition, we are joined by Jennifer Smith, Director of Engineering & Operations at KBR.
Can you start off by telling me a bit about your experience working in King of Prussia?
Yes, I started my career in King of Prussia and have worked here ever since! Right out of college in 2003, I joined Lockheed Martin and stayed there for some time. I was part of the divestiture when the SI organization split from Lockheed to Arcfield, which is still here in King of Prussia. After that, I left but returned to Lockheed in 2015. However, I soon realized it was time for a change, and that’s when I found KBR, then known as Integrity Applications Incorporated (IAI). In 2019, IAI became Centauri as part of a strategy to grow, and in October 2020, KBR acquired us, making us part of a 38,000-person global company operating in over 30 countries.
In King of Prussia, we’ve moved offices three times since we first moved in around 2010. We started in a small office in the Woodland Center on 8th Avenue, which held just 8-10 people. As we grew, we moved to the first floor of that same building around 2018, doubling our space to accommodate 25-30 people, but quickly outgrew it. We decided to keep our base in King of Prussia and moved to 9th Avenue. It was really important for us to stay in King of Prussia. The area has a strong legacy in the Intelligence Community, rooted back to the General Electric days.
Why did KBR decide to open an office here in King of Prussia?
This is an area that has a lot of what we like to call “super smart people”—individuals who bring a wealth of knowledge and innovation. We are away from the DC area, but close enough that it is only about a three-hour drive. The team in DC are the ones that tackle the quick-action problems that need solving for our government customers. The problems that need a lot of thinking, rooted in deep expertise, those problems always went to Valley Forge. With our rich technological background and strong foundation rooted in the King of Prussia area, it was only natural for KBR to continue to build upon that legacy.
Valley Forge has long attracted some of the smartest professionals in the Intelligence Community, many of whom have spent 50 or more years in the industry with the same employer. At KBR, while we don’t have quite that tenure yet, we have a lot of great senior expertise. We’ve recruited senior talent with around 40 years of experience. We have a really great reach into the local talent pool here. Our roots run deep with local institutions like Temple University, Drexel, and others, and we are always trying to deepen our base here. We have a lot of early career professionals who are fresh out of college and the military, and that goes back to our strong intern program and our reach back to the local military bases in and around the NJ/PA area. This mix has helped us grow quickly over the past five years. Even during COVID, when many companies were losing employees, we actually tripled our size.
That’s amazing! What is it about the KOP, or Valley Forge, area that benefits KBR?
Staying in King of Prussia is strategic for us because it’s where the action is and where our partners are—Arcfield, Lockheed Martin, and Peraton, among others. Peraton, for instance, is building a new facility across the way over by Topgolf. Despite some of these companies moving around locally, we’ve maintained a strong knowledge base here, which I think has been a focus for all the companies here.
DC tends to see a lot of job-hopping, whereas here in King of Prussia, it’s common to find employees with decades of tenure, which brings stability and deep knowledge, and you don’t have as many people jumping around from one company to another. While job changes may happen more frequently in some industries here it happens at a slower pace. Many of my team members have been with us for 5 – 10 years now, which is impressive considering today’s workforce trends.
It is interesting you brought up your internship program. I was wondering, how does KBR’s close proximity to so many local universities factor into your overall recruiting process?
Actually, it’s interesting— our local internship program was so successful that it became the model for other programs across KBR. Now, I oversee and lead the National Security Solutions intern program, building on our strong connections with local universities. We’ve had interns from Penn State, Temple, Drexel, and Lebanon Valley College, among others. We don’t just limit ourselves to major universities; we try to find talent wherever we can and from all schools. We’re also able to use those individuals for other internships that have been in Ohio, Michigan, and also in Virginia. So, we’re not just using the local universities here for our own gain, but across our other locations too.
I noticed from my research that KBR puts a lot of emphasis on company culture, making employees feel welcome. Can you tell me more about how King of Prussia plays into that?
Our values really come down to valuing our people. We want our employees to feel like family and be able to build relationships. This has been key to our growth here in King of Prussia. We always find reasons to celebrate; for example, we just celebrated Oktoberfest and had potlucks, a chili cook-off, and a big holiday party planned at Maggiano’s this year. Many of our team live on this side of Philly, and some of our more senior team members are in the suburbs of King of Prussia, so it’s centrally located.
Culture is huge for us. We do a lot outside of work, and we joke that any excuse for an all-hands meeting is just another chance to order food. We want people to build relationships, so I walk around daily to greet everyone and check in. I’ve been in places where senior leadership wasn’t accessible, so we also do quarterly check-ins—not as performance reviews but as a way to ask employees how KBR can support their career growth. That really resonates with people. We’ve even started a rotational program to give employees experience on different contracts after their first year on contract. It helps them explore what they like and don’t like, providing opportunities for career growth within KBR, which makes for a more well-rounded career and individual.
Our employee resource groups are active here too. We have “ASPIRE,” which I serve as Co-Chair for the US Chapter, that supports development of women and the promotion of gender diversity, and “IMPACT Valley Forge,” which supports early-career professionals in the first 7-10 years of their profession with mentorship and networking. Last year, we had an event at Topgolf, that gave our early career professionals the opportunity to network and learn more about KBR and the opportunities here.
I always say I don’t want our office to grow so big that people don’t know each other. We intentionally have minimal rooms, just one large room with a few offices, so people have to interact. The layout supports the inclusive, open culture we want, where everyone can connect and there’s no place to hide away. Culture really is the backbone of any great organization, so it’s crucial to cultivate and retain it as we grow.
Well, what are some of your favorite things to do in KOP?
I personally love Valley Forge Park. I used to run there a lot. Other places I’d like to try would be the escape rooms and axe throwing, which I haven’t done yet. They sound like fun—perfect for team building. That’s on my to-do list for planning next year—tapping into more local spots. I love supporting small businesses whenever we can, and it gets people out of the office. And after 20 years of going to the mall, I can finally just run in, find the store I need, and get out. I used to get lost there so easily. And of course, you can’t forget about all the great eateries and fun places to grab a drink with co-workers and friends around the King of Prussia area. There are endless opportunities to find amazing food, which is always a bonus!
If someone was thinking of moving their business to King of Prussia, what would you say to encourage them?
I’d say that all roads lead to King of Prussia. The accessibility is great, especially for people in the suburbs. Plus, there’s always something happening here—new businesses, festivals like the food truck festival. KOP is always investing in businesses and in making it more business friendly. It’s a great place to work and live.
I don’t live here, but several of my employees do, especially in the Town Center area. They absolutely love it. It’s four minutes from work, which is ideal for young professionals who can work during the day and have things to do at night. They can walk around and enjoy the area without the burdens of home ownership. It’s a great reminder that it’s not just about where you work—it’s about where you live and finding that work-life balance. Keeping your employees happy in both aspects will grow your business exponentially.
Fantastic! Is there anything else you would like to share about KBR? The floor is yours!
We’re exploring ways to expand our presence in Valley Forge and King of Prussia, beyond just Intel work. We’re looking at opportunities with the Navy in Philadelphia, collaborating with our office in Warminster, and even working with counterparts in Wilmington, Delaware, who focus on Sustainable Technology Solutions-their major customer is Dupont. We continue to just look for ways to expand, and we’re even considering if other divisions could take additional square footage in this building, so we can grow our presence here even more.
About KBR, King of Prussia
At KBR, our focus is on making a real impact. Every day, our teams collaborate to deliver solutions that address the pressing challenges of our era: from climate resilience and energy transformation to national security, cybersecurity, and the frontiers of space exploration. Through innovative science, technology, and engineering, we provide mission-critical services that empower governments and organizations worldwide to achieve their most essential goals and advance their sustainability initiatives.
KBR, King of Prussia
1016 West 9th Ave, Suite 300
King of Prussia, PA 19406, USA
www.kbr.com