MDA Division Chief Engineer

The MITRE Corporation; McLean (VA); On-site; USD 226,000 - 340,000; Full time

Job summary

The MITRE Corporation in McLean, VA is seeking a Division Chief Engineer to lead the MDA and GDA Integration Division, ensuring technical excellence and mission impact. The role demands credibility, influence, and a track record of directing large multidisciplinary teams.

You will work closely with MITRE leadership, sponsors, and external partners to align capabilities with evolving national security priorities, while mentoring senior leaders and shaping strategic investments.

Qualifications

• 15+ years of progressively responsible technical leadership experience.
• Demonstrated success leading large, multidisciplinary engineering or scientific organizations.
• Recognized technical leader with deep systems engineering expertise.
• Experience integrating capabilities across multiple organizations and stakeholder environments.
• Active Top Secret/SCI security clearance and U.S. citizenship per requirements.
• Minimum four days on-site required.

Responsibilities

• Lead technical quality and peer review across the division to deliver products on schedule and budget.
• Establish and monitor the Division’s Technical Quality Plan (TQP) and ensure compliance with corporate processes.
• Lead engineering councils and coordination with senior technical staff and centers.
• Represent the division to center/sector councils and sponsor engagements.
• Steward laboratory facilities, software tools, and resources essential to the program.

Skills

Technical leadership

Systems engineering

Defense domain expertise

Cross-organizational collaboration

Executive communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree + 15+ years

Master’s degree + 12 years

PhD + 10 years

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.

The M issile Defense Agency (MDA) & G olden Dome for America (GDA) division within MITRE's National Security Sector partners with senior leadership to address the nation's most complex missile defense modernization challenges. The division provides objective, system -level technical solutions across command-and-control and fire control, sensors, resilient digital infrastructure and cyber assurance, modeling and simulation, architecture design, open systems modularity and interoperability, and novel acquisition and sustainment .

Job Description: The MDA and GDA Integration Division Chief Engineer serves as the senior technical leader for the division and is accountable for technical excellence, and mission impact across the portfolio. As a member of the division leadership team, the Chief Engineer provides technical leadership by shaping technical quality and execution, stewarding technical capabilities and laboratories, and guid ing technical workforce development. The role requires exceptional technical credibility, the ability to influence across organizational boundaries, and a demonstrated record of leading large, multidisciplinary technical organizations. The Chief Engineer works closely with Division and Center leadership, Chief Engineers across MITRE, MITRE Technology and Engineering (MTE), sponsors, and external mission partners to align and leverag e corporate capabilities w ith evol ving national security priorities.

Roles & Responsibilities:

Technical Quality & Execution

• Lead technical quality and peer review across the division to include appropriate scoping to deliver technical products within schedule and budget.

• Establish processes for planning, executing, and monitoring the work, defined in the Division’s Technical Quality Plan (TQP) and ensure compliance and usage with corporate, sector, and center process es to include Mission Value Chain (MVC) .

• Lead the peer review of key technical products .

  Chief Engineering Council

• Lead the division chief engineer council with the department chief engineers and other senior technical staff .

• Represent the division to center/sector councils and participate in as-requested corporate councils, boards, and other special assignments aligning to CE responsibilities .

  Laboratory and Capability Stewardship

• Steward the develop ment of laboratory facilities , software tools, and other resources critical to execute the work program.

• Lead the stewardship and development of the Integrated Air and Missile Defense corporate capability through the alignment of MDA division specific capability areas and related work programs across the Army , Department of the Air Force, OUSW, Intelligence Community, and civil partners such as the FAA

• Develop and execute the division’s IR&D strategy.

  Talent & Organizational Development

• Provide direct mentorship of senior technical leaders .

• Assess organizational capabilities and inform workforce planning, hiring, and development decisions.

• Foster a collaborative and innovative technical culture.

  Sponsor Engagement & External Leadership

• Serve as a trusted technical advisor to senior MDA leaders.

• Represent MITRE in executive forums, technical communities, and strategic sponsor engagements.

Basic Qualifications:

• 15+ years of progressively responsible technical leadership experience with a bachelor's degree; or 12 years and a master’s degree; or a PhD with 10 years’ experience; or equivalent combination of related education and work experience.

• Demonstrated success leading large, multidisciplinary engineering or scientific organizations delivering mission impact.

• Recognized technical leader with deep expertise in systems engineering and one or more defense mission domains.

• Experience integrating capabilities across multiple organizations and complex stakeholder environments.

• Established reputation as a thought leader within the national security community.

• Demonstrated ability to engage with and serve as a trusted advisor to government sponsors.

• Experience shaping organizational strategy, technical investment, and high-value work programs.

• Exceptional collaboration skills with the ability to lead through influence across organizational boundaries.

• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills are appropriate for executive and sponsor audiences.

• Must have an active Top Secret/SCI U.S Government issued Security Clearance with the ability to obtain and maintain a Top Secret/SCI w/SAP U.S. Government 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 4 days a week on-site.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Active Top-Secret/SCI + Special Program Access

• Broad understanding of acquisition, research and engineering, digital modernization, operational analysis, test and evaluation, and emerging technologies.

• Deep understanding of FFRDC responsibilities, sponsor relationships, and independent technical advising.

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

Top Secret/SCI

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

SAP, Top Secret/SCI

Salary compensation range and midpoint:

$226,400 - $283,000 - $339,600 Annual

Work Location Type:

Onsite

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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