Lead Spectrum Policy & Harmonization Engineer

MITRE; McLean (VA); On-site; USD 147,000 - 221,000; Full time

Job summary

MITRE seeks a technical leader to guide wireless communications engineering and standards-related analysis in support of national security missions. You will conduct spectrum analysis, contribute to regulatory activities, and represent positions in high-visibility, consensus-driven environments.

The role focuses on research, design, analysis, and decision support, with on-site work and collaboration with government sponsors and senior stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Minimum 8 years of related experience with a Bachelor’s; or 6 years with a Master’s; or 3 years with a PhD.
• Experience analyzing spectrum policy and regulations; develop strategies for spectrum management.
• Familiarity with ITU-R study groups and global regulatory processes.
• Strong RF engineering fundamentals: propagation and interference analysis.
• Ability to produce defensible written contributions and executive briefings.
• Eligible for Secret clearance; U.S. citizen.

Responsibilities

• Lead wireless engineering and spectrum analysis for national security missions.
• Support ITU-R study groups and spectrum harmonization activities.
• Plan and execute interference, propagation, and link-budget studies.
• Model potential interference and mitigation options for spectrum-dependent systems.
• Develop and defend technical contributions and sponsor positions.
• Create concise leadership-level summaries and briefings for sponsors.
• Produce technical analyses for senior stakeholders.

Skills

RF engineering

Spectrum analysis

Regulatory experience

Written briefs

Executive communication

Security clearance

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or related field

Master’s degree preferred

PhD with experience

Tools

MATLAB

Visualyse

SEAMCAT

Atoll

iQ-link

HTZ

Job description

At MITRE, your passion fuels work that impacts our nation and improves lives. This is where your skills strengthen national security, cybersecurity, health, transportation, and citizen services. We're a nonprofit engineering, applied research, and advanced technology organization working in the public interest. With objectivity and integrity at our core, we lead federally funded research and development centers for U.S. government agencies - collaborating with industry and academia to deliver integrated, high-impact solutions that advance our nation’s health, security, and prosperity. Our people tackle the toughest technical challenges, supported by competitive benefits, meaningful career development, and a culture of innovation, collaboration, and technical excellence. Choose MITRE for a career with purpose - and help shape the future.

As an operator of Federally Funded Research and Development Centers, MITRE staff are tasked with applying their skills to impact programmatic and technical decisions of highest importance to the nation. The Advanced Wireless & SATCOM Department, part of MITRE's Technology and Engineering Infrastructure, Networking, and Communications Division, provides premier communications engineering, wireless networking, SATCOM, spectrum, and technical analysis expertise for our customers at all classification levels.

We seek to expand our department with a technical leader capable of leading wireless communications engineering and standards-related analysis in support of national security missions. The successful candidate will bring deep technical expertise in wireless communications systems, spectrum-dependent systems, and emerging network technologies, along with the judgment and composure needed to represent technical positions in high-visibility, consensus-driven international standards environments.

This position is focused on research, design, analysis, evaluation, technical leadership, and sponsor decision support. It does not involve administering, operating, troubleshooting, or maintaining a production communications network.

Roles & Responsibilities

Specific duties will vary by project but will generally include leading and performing wireless communications engineering, spectrum analysis, standards support, and technical assessment activities. Responsibilities may include:

• Lead technical analysis and sponsor support for international spectrum harmonization and regulatory activities, including preparation for and participation in ITU-R study groups, working parties, WRC/CPM preparatory work, and domestic forums (NTIA/IRAC, FCC, FAA).
• Develop, review, and defend technically rigorous contributions, comments, and national/sponsor positions, and analyze contributions submitted by other administrations and stakeholders.
• Plan and execute compatibility, coexistence, interference, propagation, link-budget, and aggregate-interference studies as contributions to harmonization and regulatory activities.
• Model potential interference from external systems into incumbent spectrum-dependent systems, quantifying operational impact and identifying recommended protection criteria and mitigation options.
• Build and validate study models using tools such as MATLAB, Visualyse, SEAMCAT, Atoll, iQ-link, and HTZ, and document assumptions for transparency and reproducibility.
• Navigate complex, consensus-driven multi-stakeholder settings where technical, regulatory, economic, and national interests may be in tension, while maintaining an evidence-based engineering position.
• Produce concise leadership-level summaries, technical recommendations, and decision-quality briefings for government sponsors and senior stakeholders.

Basic Qualifications

• Typically requires a minimum of 8 years of related experience with a Bachelor's degree; or 6 years and a Master's degree; or a PhD with 3 years' experience; or equivalent combination of related education and work experience.
• Demonstrated experience analyzing spectrum policy and regulations and developing strategies related to spectrum management and emerging wireless technologies.
• Working understanding of how spectrum harmonization and the regulatory process develop both domestically and globally, including ITU-R working party / study group activities.
• Strong RF engineering fundamentals, including propagation and interference analysis.
• Demonstrated ability to model spectrum compatibility/coexistence studies using one or more tools such as MATLAB, Visualyse, SEAMCAT, Atoll, iQ-link, or HTZ. Experience developing technically defensible written products such as ITU-R or regulatory contributions, technical reports, analysis memoranda, or executive-level briefings.
• Ability to operate effectively in sensitive, high-visibility, consensus-based environments and communicate complex technical concepts to technical and non-technical leadership audiences.
• Must be eligible to obtain and maintain a Secret U.S Government's issued Security Clearance. Per the U.S. Government's eligibility requirements, you must be a U.S Citizen to be considered for a security clearance.
• This position requires a minimum of 3 days a week on-site.

Preferred Qualifications

• MS or PhD in Electrical Engineering, Communications Engineering, Physics, Applied Physics, or related discipline with 7+ years relevant experience.
• Direct experience participating in ITU-R study groups, working parties, WRC/CPM preparatory activities, or regional bodies such as CITEL, and drafting/defending contributions and liaison statements.
• Demonstrated experience modeling interference from IMT (5G/6G) into federal systems, including aggregate interference, adjacent-band analysis, emission characteristics, receiver susceptibility, and protection criteria.
• Knowledge of federal spectrum-dependent systems-communications, navigation, surveillance (CNS), radar altimeters, and other aeronautical safety-of-life systems.
• Familiarity with spectrum sharing frameworks and techniques (e.g., DSS, CBRS) and the interplay between regulation/policy and technology development.
• Experience supporting DoD, NTIA, FCC, FAA, NASA, or DHS work involving spectrum, aviation, or international standards and regulation.
• Experience with RF test, measurement, and field assessment methods supporting study validation.
• Must have an active Secret U.S Government's issued Security Clearance. Per the U.S. Government's eligibility requirements, you must be a U.S Citizen to be considered for a security clearance.

This requisition requires the candidate to have a minimum of the following clearance(s):

None

This requisition requires the hired candidate to have or obtain, within one year from the date of hire, the following clearance(s):

Secret

Salary compensation range and midpoint

$147,200 - $184,000 - $220,800 Annual

Work Location Type

Onsite

It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Commitment to Non-Discrimination

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to disability, status as a protected veteran or any other status protected by applicable federal, state, local or international law.

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