Department Manager, Earth, Oceans, Atmosphere and Space Systems

The MITRE Corporation•McLean, VA

2d•$190,000 - $285,000•Onsite

About The Position

MITRE is a not-for-profit corporation chartered to work for the public interest, with no commercial conflicts to influence what we do. The R&D centers we operate for the government create lasting impact in fields as diverse as cybersecurity, healthcare, aviation, defense, and enterprise transformation. We're making a difference every day—working for a safer, healthier, and more secure nation and world. Our workplace reflects our values. We offer competitive benefits, exceptional professional development opportunities for career growth, and a culture of innovation that embraces adaptability, collaboration, technical excellence, and people in partnership. MITRE is dedicated to solving problems that provide safety, security, and economic prosperity for American businesses and all individuals. The Center for Government Effectiveness and Modernization (GGEM) is focused on increasing impactful engagements with federal public agencies that drive U.S. economic growth. CGEM operates the Center for Enterprise Modernization (CEM) FFRDC that provides pivotal technical expertise to the U.S. Department of Commerce. MITRE’s Commerce division leads the work program for the Department of Commerce. MITRE is working with our sponsors at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to provide deep technical solutions that drives U.S. leadership in managing ocean and coastal resources, improving weather forecasting, and advancing human knowledge through space exploration. The Department Manager for the Earth, Oceans, Atmosphere and Space Systems Department will be responsible for leading and managing MITRE’s portfolio of projects with NOAA and related interagency partners, including NASA, across mission areas responsible for understanding and predicting changes in climate, weather, oceans, coasts, and the broader Earth system, including extreme weather events, and sharing that knowledge and information with others while conserving and managing coastal and marine ecosystems and resources; providing secure and timely access to global environmental data and information from satellites and other sources to promote and protect the nation’s security, environment, economy, and quality of life; providing weather, water, climate, and environmental intelligence data, forecasts, warnings, and impact-based decision support services for the protection of life and property and enhancement of the national economy; managing and operating research, survey, and autonomous platforms, including ships, aircraft, and other environmental data-collecting systems; providing the research foundation for understanding the complex Earth, ocean, atmosphere, and space systems that support our planet; delivering science-based solutions through collaborative partnerships to address evolving economic, environmental, and social pressures on the U.S. Great Lakes, ocean, coasts, and space-enabled environmental mission areas; providing vital services for stewardship of the nation’s ocean resources, environmental data infrastructure, and related observation and sensing systems; and advancing cross-agency technical collaboration with NASA, including direct work with NASA’s Space Flight Centers and Science Mission Directorate, in support of Earth observation, environmental intelligence, space-based sensing, modeling, and mission-enabling technologies. As an operator of FFRDCs, we help the government build a better tomorrow, for all.

Requirements

Typically requires a minimum of 12 years of related experience with a Bachelor’s degree; or 10 years and a Master’s degree; or a PhD for 7 years’ experience; or equivalent combination of related education and work experience. Focus: engineering, physical sciences, atmospheric science, oceanography, Earth systems science, data science, or a related field
Technical experience leading science and engineering projects in areas including sensing, AI, cloud migration, spectrum, autonomous vehicles, acquisition, analyses of alternatives and more for technical applications including weather forecasting systems, spectrum, satellite and space communications, ground systems, monitoring in ocean environments and autonomous vehicles.
Demonstrated building, shaping, and executing work programs aligned to NOAA mission areas including the National Ocean Service; National Weather Service; National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service; and Oceans and Atmospheric Research
Must have direct experience collaborating with senior leaders at NOAA and/or NASA, including GS-15, SES, or equivalent executives
Demonstrated ability to develop trusted relationships and work collaboratively across MITRE and across sponsors
Experience in developing cross-enterprise outcomes and coordinating their implementation within government
Demonstrated technical and business leadership
Demonstrated ability to shape and drive high-impact, high-quality work programs
Demonstrated commitment to the Department of Commerce’s mission and to advancing cross-agency outcomes with NOAA, NASA or comparable science based agency
Ability to obtain a US government security clearance
experience at NOAA, NASA, or comparable science based agency, including service in technical, program, or mission leadership roles
Experience working across federal agencies to shape strategy, technical programs, and investments

Nice To Haves

Significant mission knowledge and 10+ years hands-on experience engineering solutions for NOAA and NASA, with the ability to operate credibly with senior technical and mission leadership
5+ years hands-on experience working with three or more NOAA line offices and two or more NASA centers
4+ years prior experience managing an delivery of at least 40 FTE annually
4+ years of prior experience translating sponsor (customer) needs into new work programs, through direct tasking and/or transition of Research and Development transition.
5+ years experience developing and executing a strategic vision for an organization and/or complex work program
4+ years prior experience and a proven successful track record of delivering large and diverse work programs with simultaneous projects
Direct working relationships with NASA Space Flight Center and Science Mission Directorate
Experience leading programs involving satellite systems, environmental sensing, Earth observation, weather and climate systems, or integrated ocean-atmosphere-space mission capabilities
Advanced degree in engineering, physical sciences, atmospheric science, oceanography, Earth systems science, data science, or a related field
Active Top Secret clearance
Strong understanding of NOAA line office missions, operations, and interdependencies
Strong understanding of NASA center-based execution models, especially at Goddard Space Flight Center and Marshall Space Flight Center
Experience with systems engineering for earth observation, weather, ocean, atmospheric, or space-enabled mission systems
Technical depth in one or more of the following areas: AI/ML, environmental data architectures, remote sensing, spectrum, autonomous systems, modeling and simulation, cloud-based data platforms, or digital engineering
Ability to connect mission needs to practical technical solutions and executable work programs

Responsibilities

Leading and managing MITRE’s portfolio of projects with NOAA and related interagency partners, including NASA, across mission areas responsible for understanding and predicting changes in climate, weather, oceans, coasts, and the broader Earth system, including extreme weather events, and sharing that knowledge and information with others while conserving and managing coastal and marine ecosystems and resources.
Providing secure and timely access to global environmental data and information from satellites and other sources to promote and protect the nation’s security, environment, economy, and quality of life.
Providing weather, water, climate, and environmental intelligence data, forecasts, warnings, and impact-based decision support services for the protection of life and property and enhancement of the national economy.
Managing and operating research, survey, and autonomous platforms, including ships, aircraft, and other environmental data-collecting systems.
Providing the research foundation for understanding the complex Earth, ocean, atmosphere, and space systems that support our planet.
Delivering science-based solutions through collaborative partnerships to address evolving economic, environmental, and social pressures on the U.S. Great Lakes, ocean, coasts, and space-enabled environmental mission areas.
Providing vital services for stewardship of the nation’s ocean resources, environmental data infrastructure, and related observation and sensing systems.
Advancing cross-agency technical collaboration with NASA, including direct work with NASA’s Space Flight Centers and Science Mission Directorate, in support of Earth observation, environmental intelligence, space-based sensing, modeling, and mission-enabling technologies.
Responsible for the successful planning, development, and execution of MITRE’s NOAA and NASA’s work program, strategic outcomes, and associated deliverables.
Ensuring products delivered to sponsors from the department are of high technical quality and in line with national priorities for oceans, atmosphere and space.
Partnering with NOAA and NASA sponsors, and related federal, state and commercial entities by demonstrating credible technical expertise and deep mission knowledge, while building strong MITRE capabilities and brand recognition to assist the government in addressing critical national challenges across earth, oceans, atmosphere, weather, environmental intelligence, and space-enabled systems and mission areas.
Focusing on building and executing work programs at NOAA and NASA in disciplines related to the National Ocean Service, the National Weather Service, the National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service, and Oceans and Atmospheric Research, and must include direct work with NASA’s Space Flight Centers and Science Mission Directorate.
Leading the hiring, development, and support of their workforce, and ensuring that technical expertise of the team aligns with NOAA and NASA mission priorities.
Plans, develops, and oversees a portion of the Division’s sponsor strategic outcomes focused and safeguarding and growing the U.S. economy.
Supports the Director by providing deep sponsor/program knowledge and technical expertise across NOAA and NASA mission spaces.
In partnership with the Director and Project Leads, develop close working relationships with sponsor counterparts, serving as a trusted advisor.
In partnership with Director, Chief Engineers, and Project Leads develops and shapes a work program to achieve specific sponsor strategic outcomes. Closely monitors deliverables for quality, timeliness, and budget. Staff projects with best-in-class team.
Builds and executes a technically credible work program spanning NOAA line offices and relevant NASA centers, with emphasis on Earth, ocean, atmosphere, weather, environmental data, and space systems.
Accountable for strategic work-shaping opportunities consistent with work program strategy.
Collaborates with Divisions and Centers to leverage related activities, use of shared resources, and re-use of existing products.
Ensures the hiring, development, and shaping of the required skills, capabilities, technical depth, and diversity of the department’s workforce through effective hiring, ongoing coaching and staff development, and monitoring of staff engagement.
Effectively engages staff who fall short of expectations and initiates appropriate and timely actions to address poor performance.
Ensures product technical quality for all work assigned to their department as identified in the work plan.
Works with project leaders to ensure that all staff are appropriately assigned to projects and fully planned.
Represents the needs and perspectives of staff and sponsors to Division leadership.
Advocates for department competencies and establishes new work within the Division.
Provides technical domain-specific knowledge, leadership, and influence internally and externally across multiple stakeholders to move mission outcomes forward.
Represents department to internal and external stakeholders by exhibiting technical expertise and deep knowledge of NOAA and NASA structure and mission priorities.
Shapes and leads science and engineering efforts in areas such as technology development, AI, spectrum, autonomous vehicles, data management, remote sensing, and integrated environmental information systems.
Serves as a conduit from MITRE’s Internal Research and Development program to NOAA and NASA sponsors.