Chief Engineer, Survivable Communications and Networking Systems

The Mitre Corporation•New Bedford, MA

8d•$202,000 - $303,000•Onsite

About The Position

MITRE’s N131 Survivable Communications and Networking Systems Department is seeking a technically deep, operationally oriented Department Chief Engineer to provide technical leadership and broad oversight of the technical integrity and quality of its work program, products, deliverables, and technical teams. The Chief Engineer partners with the Department Manager on strategic work-shaping and sponsor relationships and serves on department and division leadership teams, providing technical guidance and thought leadership for work supporting Nuclear Command, Control, and Communications (NC3) and the broader nuclear enterprise mission. The role leads critical technical aspects of the work program and integrates efforts across the department, MITRE’s Nuclear Enterprise work program, other Air and Space Force Center divisions, MITRE Technology & Engineering, and the National Security Engineering Center. Work includes line-of-sight and beyond-line-of-sight communications, digital engineering, and open-standard hardware and software prototypes. The Chief Engineer drives innovation, engages external stakeholders, represents the department and division as a voice for technical excellence and integrity, and partners with the N131 Department Manager and division Chief Engineer team. The position is responsible for technical quality and impact, strategy development, staff development, partnerships, and innovation. It guides technical investments, initiatives, laboratory environments, staff skills, technical standards, and long-term lab strategy; shapes project and work-program content; and supports hiring, mentoring, training, and workforce development. It also develops and executes department technical strategy, helps mature the division communications program and specialty, fosters collaboration across MITRE and external organizations, and leads the N131 innovation program. This is an onsite position requiring five days per week onsite. The candidate must hold an active Top Secret U.S. Government-issued security clearance and be eligible to obtain and maintain Top Secret/SCI and SAP clearances. The hired candidate must have or obtain SAP and Top Secret/SCI within one year of hire. U.S. citizenship is required for security-clearance eligibility. The stated annual salary range is $202,000–$303,000, with a midpoint of $252,500.

Requirements

Typically requires 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.; equivalent combinations of related education and work experience are also considered.
Recognized expertise in at least one area: communications and digital signal processing, including detection and estimation, information theory, spread-spectrum communications, waveform design, modulation theory, error-control coding, channel equalization, interference cancellation, algorithm development, receiver design, embedded software, or advanced wireless protocols.
Systems engineering experience across the development lifecycle, from concept development and requirements definition through system development, integration, and verification.
Experience planning, executing, and presenting complex trade studies while balancing cost and schedule constraints, mission analysis, information assurance, systems integration, and relationships among operational, technical, and system architectures.
Proficiency in implementing technical quality within an organization.
Strong verbal and written communication skills.
Proficiency presenting complex technical issues in virtual and live settings.
Must have an active Top Secret U.S. Government-issued security clearance and be eligible to obtain and maintain a Top Secret/SCI and SAP U.S. Government-issued security clearance.
Must be a U.S. citizen to meet U.S. Government security-clearance eligibility requirements.
Must work onsite five days per week.

Nice To Haves

Experience in nuclear command and control (NC2).
Depth in Military Satellite Communications, including geosynchronous and polar systems; familiarity with EHF and AEHF SATCOM and associated terminals such as MILSTAR, FAB-T, FET, SMART-T, SCAMP, and Global ASNT.
Familiarity with HF and VLF communications systems.
Familiarity with multidisciplinary modeling and simulation at the physics, engineering, and/or operational level.
Understanding of the nuclear environment and NC3.
Experience in prototyping efforts and innovation implementation.
Experience collaborating across diverse sponsors and stakeholders to propose, shape, and lead impactful MITRE work.
Mentoring experience and academic outreach experience.
Active TS/SCI clearance.

Responsibilities

Provide technical leadership and broad oversight of the technical integrity and quality of the department’s work program, products, deliverables, and technical teams.
Partner with the Department Manager on strategic work-shaping and sponsor relationships.
Lead critical technical aspects of the work program and integrate efforts across the department, MITRE’s Nuclear Enterprise work program, other Air and Space Force Center divisions, MITRE Technology & Engineering, and the National Security Engineering Center.
Provide technical guidance and thought leadership for NC3 and nuclear enterprise work, including line-of-sight and beyond-line-of-sight communications, digital engineering, and open-standard hardware and software prototypes.
Drive innovation in the department and division and engage externally with key stakeholders.
Serve as a technical leader and execution partner for the N131 Department Manager and as a member of the division Chief Engineer team.
Contribute directly to high-impact technical solutions and leverage internal research and laboratories to address warfighter gaps aligned with cross-cutting objectives.
Guide departmental technical investments, initiatives, laboratory environments, and staff skills in support of MITRE’s strategy.
Lead technical quality efforts and develop technical quality standards for the Nuclear Enterprise work program, particularly digital communications for satellite, non-satellite BLOS, and LOS systems.
Partner with business and people leadership on hiring, staff technical development, and training initiatives.
Shape work-program content, participate in technical product definition and reviews, and apply knowledge of the domain, technology state of the art and practice, and relevant MITRE and external communities.
Ensure projects drive technical change and partner with project leaders to establish appropriate impact during project inception and onset.
Provide input into department- and division-level Mission Value Chains that trace mission outcomes to MITRE technical work and products.
Build connections across MITRE and with sponsors to identify opportunities to integrate and accelerate nuclear work and achieve larger outcomes.
Develop a strategy to cohere and mature the N130 Division communications program.
Develop and lead execution of department technical strategy and core competency areas, collaborating at department and division levels to focus on impact and growth.
Develop strategy for enhancing MITRE’s communications specialty and its use, including technical reviews, research, initiatives, and partnerships.
Lead a component of division strategy execution and develop long-term laboratory strategy to keep capabilities aligned with technology and the evolving work program.
Anticipate and address technology challenges that could affect departmental work.
Collaborate with department and division leadership to grow core competencies and workforce expertise through training, mentoring, and project opportunities.
Contribute to talent assessment and development planning, including hiring, mentoring, and training needs for staff, including senior staff across Centers.
Develop cultural initiatives with organizational partners to foster and demonstrate a strong, positive culture based on MITRE’s cultural attributes.
Conduct outreach and collaborate across MITRE and with academia, industry, FFRDCs/UARCs, and government to develop and deliver solutions for sponsors.
Build and maintain relationships with technical leaders across MITRE program divisions, MITRE Technology and Engineering, MITRE Capabilities, and external organizations to enable collaboration, skill development, and technical quality.
Support MITRE’s internal R&D program in pursuing work beyond direct sponsor requests.
Partner with Innovation leads, Chief Engineers, and Project Leaders to identify and execute proposals that inject innovation into critical projects and may develop new program areas.
Lead the N131 innovation program.