Chief Engineer, Defensive Cyber Operations

The Mitre Corporation•Colorado Springs, CO

1d•$205,500 - $308,500•Onsite

About The Position

MITRE’s Cyber Operations Division is seeking a Capability Chief Engineer for Defensive Cyber Operations, housed in a relevant department within the Division. The role works with Department Managers to define and drive technical strategy, execution, and development across Security Operations Centers (SOCs), threat hunting, detection engineering and analytics, malware analysis, cyber deception, adversary engagement, and autonomous solutions for these capabilities. The Chief Engineer collaborates with the Division Chief Engineer, Department Managers, other Chief Engineers, and partners across MITRE’s National Security and Public Sector sectors to bring capabilities to FFRDC work programs. The role is accountable for the utility and quality of department capabilities, including physical and virtual lab infrastructure, shared frameworks, and technical approaches. It is not a formal people-management position, but includes staff development and technical mentorship. The Chief Engineer also shapes internal research and development priorities, mentors staff from ideation through proposal and project execution, and provides senior principal-level technical support directly to MITRE work programs. Direct sponsor contributions should focus on technical leadership within the department’s capabilities. The position requires a minimum of four days per week onsite.

Requirements

At least 12 years of related experience with a bachelor’s degree, 10 years with a master’s degree, or 7 years with a Ph.D.; an equivalent combination of related education and work experience is also accepted.
Deep technical expertise and recognition in Defensive Cyber Operations, with hands-on expertise in one or more of SOCs, threat hunting, detection engineering and analytics, malware analysis, cyber deception, or adversary engagement.
Demonstrated ability to influence strategic decisions in complex, multi-stakeholder collaborative environments.
Track record of learning about and rapidly responding to new problems across a variety of domains.
Experience planning, executing, and presenting complex trade studies while balancing cost and schedule constraints.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain challenging technical concepts to expert and non-expert audiences.
Mentoring experience in formal or informal roles across staff experience levels.
Proficiency in presenting complex technical issues both virtually and in person.
Active U.S. Government-issued Top Secret security clearance and eligibility to obtain and maintain a Top Secret/SCI/Polygraph U.S. Government-issued clearance.
Must be a U.S. citizen to be considered for a security clearance.
Available to work onsite at least four days per week.

Nice To Haves

Graduate degree in Computer Science, Cybersecurity, Data Science, Mathematics, or a related field, or equivalent related education and work experience.
Experience creating, articulating, and motivating transformative technical concepts that deliver practical outcomes in complex operational environments.
Demonstrated track record of building strong internal and external partnerships.
Experience leveraging solutions from leading academic and commercial research groups.
Active Top Secret/SCI clearance with polygraph.

Responsibilities

Lead technical quality efforts and contribute to technical quality standards for department work programs and managed labs and capabilities.
Drive capability development, make strategic investment recommendations, steward physical and virtual infrastructure, and curate technical development and mentorship opportunities.
Collaborate with Division and peer Chief Engineers and partners in MITRE’s National Security and Public Sector sectors to strengthen technical work programs, including product definition and reviews, setting expectations, and applying domain and state-of-the-art expertise.
Build and maintain awareness of technical work, capabilities, processes, and expertise across sponsor missions to identify reuse and collaboration opportunities.
Connect related work programs, project teams, and subject-matter experts to reduce duplication and accelerate delivery of proven approaches.
Identify opportunities to adapt and transition capabilities, methods, and lessons across sponsor environments while respecting sponsor equities, sensitivities, authorities, and information-sharing constraints.
Facilitate cross-mission technical exchanges to share learning, surface common challenges, and identify shared investment or coordinated capability development opportunities.
Bridge department technical leadership and work program leadership so sponsor needs inform department strategy, capability development, and internal research priorities.
Execute and evolve department technical strategy in alignment with MITRE science and technology and Division strategies; identify new areas and assess departmental technical strengths and weaknesses.
Identify innovation opportunities in department work programs and internal research and development, and propose or lead cross-cutting initiatives as needed.
Develop and maintain relationships with technical leaders across MITRE program divisions, internal research and development, and external partners.
Coordinate technical outreach to industry, academia, and other stakeholders to incorporate best practices and relevant technologies into technical products.
Lead cross-department or cross-division technical initiatives as needed, with measurable impact.
Evaluate the health and quality of department capabilities, including staff technical skills, facilities and infrastructure, mission-ready technology, platforms, and frameworks.
Recommend to Division leadership whether department labs, infrastructure, tools, and frameworks should be established, sustained, or retired.
Mentor and develop technical staff, cultivate technical career paths, and provide input to talent assessment and staff development planning.
Provide differentiated technical contributions directly to sponsors and internal customers, with measurable impact in the department’s Defensive Cyber Operations capability areas.