Strategic Intelligence & Domestic Security Chief Engineer

The MITRE Corporation•McLean, VA

1d•Onsite

About The Position

Why choose between doing meaningful work and having a fulfilling life? At MITRE, you can have both. That's because MITRE people are committed to tackling our nation's toughest challenges—and we're committed to the long-term well-being of our employees. MITRE is different from most technology companies. We are 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. If this sounds like the choice you want to make, then choose MITRE - and make a difference with us. Department Summary: The MITRE Intelligence Center is seeking a Division Chief Engineer (CE) for its Division focused on Strategic Intelligence and Domestic Security (N980). The CE is based at MITRE’s McLean campus, reports to the N980 Division Director, and serves as the Division’s senior technical leader and primary technical partner to the Division Director. The CE also works closely with the Intelligence Center Chief Engineer and is a member of the Center’s senior technical leadership community. As the Division’s highest-level technical authority, the CE is accountable for advancing N980’s technical strategy and ensuring analytic, engineering, and test and evaluation excellence across all Division work programs. N980’s work spans cyber security; collection, exploitation and analysis; multi-domain operations; modeling and simulation; computer and analytic sciences; reverse engineering; automation; artificial intelligence, and machine learning in support of sponsors across the Intelligence Community and the Department of Justice. The CE ensures that MITRE delivers technically rigorous, high-impact solutions that address the most critical and emerging needs of N980’s government sponsors, and that the Division’s work program is differentiated, innovative, and aligned to MITRE’s broader capabilities and strategy. The primary responsibilities of the position must be carried out in person in McLean, Virginia, with a regular presence at Strategic Intelligence and Department of Justice sponsor locations and MITRE locations with staff supporting those organizations, as well as availability to travel to those locations on short notice. This may entail frequent, flexible, and/or extended travel as mission and organizational needs dictate.

Requirements

Minimum of 15 years of related experience with a Bachelor’s degree; 12 years with a Master’s degree; 10 years with a PhD; or an equivalent combination of education and related work experience.
Broad knowledge and familiarity with the U.S. intelligence community, national security enterprise.
Deep working knowledge of N980’s government sponsors and their missions, including experience directly supporting organizations within the Intelligence Community and across the Department of Justice.
Demonstrated experience providing senior-level technical leadership for complex mission needs in relevant domains such as: Cyber security Intelligence collection, exploitation, and analysis Multi-domain operations Modeling and simulation Computer and analytic sciences Reverse engineering Automation, artificial intelligence, and machine learning
Proven ability to deliver high-consequence technical outcomes and to oversee large-scale analytic, engineering, or T&E efforts for national security sponsors.
Experience managing or technically leading large, complex endeavors from strategic, operational, and financial perspectives.
Successful record of engagement, relationship-building, and collaboration with senior government leaders in a complex national security environment.
Significant exposure to and experience solving mission-oriented challenges of Intelligence Community and/or Department of Justice sponsors.
Demonstrated ability to shape, develop, and capture high-technology work pipelines, and to manage technology research, development, and transition activities through the program life cycle.
Demonstrated ability to integrate efforts across diverse teams, organizations, and mission areas to achieve more impactful outcomes.
Excellent communication skills, including the ability to convey complex technical concepts clearly and compellingly to senior leaders and non-technical stakeholders.
Active TS/SCI clearance and sponsor high-side systems access (or the ability to obtain and maintain such access).
Per the U.S. Government’s eligibility requirements, you must be a U.S Citizen to be considered for a security clearance
Ability to work on-site at MITRE’s McLean campus 4 days per week, with regular presence at sponsor locations and ability to travel on short notice as required.

Nice To Haves

Advanced graduate degree (Master’s or PhD) in engineering, computer science, physical sciences, mathematics, intelligence studies, national security, or related fields.
Demonstrated leadership of technical programs delivering innovative or game-changing capabilities in areas such as cyber security, advanced analytics, AI/ML, or automation for Intelligence Community and/or Department of Justice sponsors.
Recognized thought leadership within the intelligence, law enforcement, or broader national security communities.
Experience shaping modernization initiatives, enterprise architectures, or cross-agency technical frameworks that span Intelligence Community and Department of Justice stakeholders.
Demonstrated leadership or partnership with intelligence, law enforcement, and national security industry providers and/or related high-technology sectors.
Current MITRE Project or Task Leader experience delivering technical development, systems engineering, or requirements management for active programs.
TS/SCI with FS poly.

Responsibilities

Serve as the senior technical authority for all N980 work, ensuring technical rigor, analytic excellence, and mission relevance in support of strategic intelligence and Department of Justice sponsors.
Develop and drive the Division’s technical strategy, ensuring alignment with sponsor priorities, broader U.S. intelligence and national security needs, and MITRE’s enterprise capabilities.
Shape technical roadmaps across key mission and technology areas, including: Cyber security Collection, exploitation, and analysis Multi-domain operations Modeling and simulation Computer and analytic sciences Reverse engineering Automation, artificial intelligence, and machine learning
Partner with the Division Director to shape the Division’s P&L work program, ensuring technical feasibility, innovation, and mission impact.
Shape and align internal MITRE research and development efforts with validated, critical strategic intelligence and Department of Justice capability needs, including strategy for commercial capability acceleration and integration into future architectures and capabilities.
Identify emerging mission and technology trends affecting N980’s sponsors and ensure the Division is positioned with credible, forward-leaning technical approaches.
Lead Division-wide technical quality efforts, including technical reviews, sponsor deliverable assessments, and risk management for sensitive projects.
Ensure the division is doing the right work, shapes out of work that no longer meets MITRE-appropriate standards, and transitions products to commercial industry.
Ensure the work is done right, at the appropriate level of risk to match sponsor expectations for speed and cost, with sponsor transparency on assumptions and risk trade-offs.
Ensure consistent application of tradecraft, engineering standards, T&E methodologies, analytic best practices, and modern data/AI/ML practices across the Division’s portfolio.
Deeply engage in the technical aspects of N980 work programs, guiding technical approach, architecture choices, and technology selections.
Regularly evaluate current work and new opportunities for alignment with corporate, sector, and center strategies, ensuring differentiation, effective use of MITRE’s depth in critical areas, and contribution to the most consequential national security challenges.
Guide complex, high-consequence work to ensure N980 efforts contribute meaningfully to sponsor enterprise missions and national-level decision-making.
Drive technical integration across Intelligence Center divisions, the MITRE National Security Sector, labs, FFRDC capabilities, and other innovation organizations to strengthen solutions for N980 sponsors.
Facilitate cross-sponsor architectures, pilots, and prototypes that span Intelligence Community and Department of Justice missions and enable adoption of emerging technologies.
Build relationships, networks, and cross-sponsor approaches that increase the value of the FFRDC platform, including cross-agency solutions that address national security challenges.
Collaborate with other divisions and mission centers to advance support to broader defense and national security missions (in partnership with Mission Centers and other Divisions), including cross-cutting capabilities and priorities, tactical intelligence, integrated air and missile defense, and integrated space warfighting where relevant to N980’s work.
Engage MATRIX leaders to bring new technology to sponsor mission applications, partner in strategy and work program development, and connect to sponsors and their needs to shape MATRIX strategies and roadmaps.
Engage frequently with senior leaders across N980’s Intelligence Community and Department of Justice sponsors as a trusted technical advisor on modernization, emerging technologies, and strategic priorities.
Represent MITRE as a distinguished technical leader in interagency forums, working groups, and communities of interest relevant to strategic intelligence, cyber, analytics, and AI/ML.
Shape problem spaces and influence sponsor strategic direction through high-credibility, high-impact technical advice and thought leadership.
Support the Division Director in shaping, developing, and capturing high-technology business pipelines for diverse national security sponsors, including follow-on and new work and the transition of R&D outcomes into sponsor environments.
Lead engagements, as appropriate, with other FFRDCs, UARCs, and industry partners to maximize sponsor access to impactful capabilities and accelerate adoption/transition.
Develop and maintain a network of industry and academic partnerships.
Cultivate a strong, positive technical culture and sense of belonging, supporting recruiting, retaining, and developing a highly skilled, diverse team.
Mentor and develop technical staff across the Division, with particular focus on staff pursuing deep technical career paths in N980’s core mission areas.
Shape the Division’s talent pipelines, skill development plans, and succession planning for critical technical areas.
Promote collaborative, inclusive practices that model MITRE’s values—commitment to the public interest mission, technical excellence that counts, people in partnership, and integrity above all else.
Provide technical leadership for proposals, program plans, statements of work, and sponsor engagements to ensure technical feasibility, quality, and mission value.
Partner with the Division Director to shape the Division’s work program, inform investment decisions (e.g., IR&D, market analysis, B&P), and meet revenue, delivery, and performance objectives.
Contribute technical insight to strategic, operational, and financial planning for large, complex endeavors across the Division’s portfolio, to include a focus on the technical quality of the work program pipeline development, proposals and investment portfolios.
Partner with the Division Director to shape the Division’s work program and ensure technical feasibility, quality, and mission value.
Advise on and support the development and sustainment of the facilities, labs, and infrastructure necessary to execute N980’s work program, including secure and compartmented environments and high-side computing environments as required.
Partner with government sponsors to increase the agility and flexibility of FFRDC resource allocation processes that enable rapid response to emerging technical needs.