Careers & The DisABLED
Aug 19, 2024
Rex Maghan has found his military skills gleaned in the U.S. Army are a fine fit at Peraton where he’s a senior recruiting manager.
“Peraton understands the strengths and value that veterans bring to the workforce, especially when supporting missions of consequence, and I feel like I can be myself. You won’t see this level of acceptance and diversity in other companies,” he points out.
Because Peraton understands the value in veterans and professionals with disabilities, they’re welcomed and supported. “Veterans often carry a stigma that we’re ‘broken.’ As a disabled veteran, I’m never made to feel this way at Peraton, quite the opposite. My military experience and discipline is seen as an asset in this company,” he shares.
As a senior manager of recruiting, Maghan leads talent acquisition operations for Peraton’s cyber intelligence systems and national aerospace cybersecurity in Annapolis Junction, MD and San Antonio, TX. It’s challenging work, but also familiar.
“Working in national security comes with immense pressure and responsibility, and, at times, seems impossible. However, Peraton operates much like the military. The company is highly mission-oriented and provides a number of resources to accomplish our goals,” he explains.
And if Maghan ever gets mired, then he looks backward to move forward. “During the tough times, I often pull on my military background, which trained me to accomplish anything I set my mind to do.”
Peraton’s collaborative culture also helps. “Every employee is fully supported by their leadership, and we’re all inspired to bring innovative ideas to the table regardless of our level in the company or the job we perform.”
Maghan also appreciates Peraton’s purpose. “Peraton’s first value is to honor those we serve. One of the reasons I chose Peraton was because of the strong connection to mission and country,” he relates.
If Peraton sounds like a great place to work, then Maghan shares who gets hired: “We seek people who are agile and curious, and who aren’t afraid to do the ‘can’t be done.’”
If hired, then you’ll be supported. “As a company with locations across the globe and more than 18,000 employees, Peraton offers a wide range of resources, benefits, and internal communities to connect employees. We’re the sum of the best parts of our heritage organizations, and, as a result, our workforce reflects our collective strengths,” he continues.
Peraton has six different employee resource groups (ERGs) to create a sense of culture and belonging, more than 20 communities of practice where employees can dive deep into topics like artificial intelligence (AI) and cyber threat detection, and a robust benefits package including 10 free mental health sessions to employees and their families.
“Peraton understands the challenges that disabled veterans can face. We provide a support structure that enables employees to do their very best at work and at home. We recently launched a Caregivers Community to provide resources and support for employees who have the additional responsibility of caregiving,” he details.
All of this support are some of the reasons why Peraton was ranked as one of the Best Places to Work for Disability Inclusion by the Disability Equality Index. Peraton’s culture clearly works, according to Maghan.
“Peraton has been on an upward trajectory since it grew from $1 billion to $7 billion in 2021. This growth culture gives me the opportunities to innovate, to apply my skills, and to use the vast amount of industry knowledge in our people to bring next-level solutions to our customers.”
Esprit de corps is also pushing the growth. “The teams, many of them comprised of veterans, are experts in their fields, and we come together as One Peraton. There are no silos, egos or walls to breakdown because we’re all focused on serving the mission.”
Mission is paramount for Maghan. “At Peraton, we support the highest levels of national security to keep our people safe and secure.”
If you’re hired by Peraton, then Maghan shares some parting advice: “Don’t shy away from difficult situations, but rather have confidence in your abilities and know leadership has your six. Be professional and vocal, and drive innovation to make a difference.”
