Principal Systems Engineer

MITRE; Chantilly (VA); On-site; USD 162,000 - 244,000; Full time

Job summary

MITRE is seeking a Principal Systems Engineer to provide technical and strategic leadership for international intelligence partnerships. You will guide cross-functional teams to translate sponsor priorities into integrated, secure, and interoperable capabilities across the U.S.

and allied systems. You will lead governance, roadmap development, and program opportunities while mentoring junior engineers and representing MITRE in partner forums.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 10 years of related experience with a Bachelor’s degree; or 8 years and a Master’s; or a PhD with 5 years’ experience; or equivalent
• Active Top Secret/SCI clearance with polygraph and U.S. citizenship required
• Experience leading coordination among multiple government organizations, sponsors, technical teams, and mission partners
• Ability to translate complex technical, operational, policy, and acquisition issues into clear recommendations for technical and nontechnical audiences
• Experience working on-site in the Northern Virginia area and willingness to travel internationally as needed
• This position has an on-site requirement of 5 days a week on-site

Responsibilities

• Lead systems engineering efforts focused on interoperability, data sharing, and mission integration across U.S. and allied/partner nation systems
• Apply systems engineering methods across the capability lifecycle from analysis to deployment readiness
• Translate sponsor priorities into capability roadmaps, engagement plans, and work program opportunities
• Mentor junior engineers and cross-functional teams on coalition engineering practices
• Represent MITRE at bilateral and multilateral forums and partner engagements to capture requirements and trends
• Plan regular sponsor engagements to support international strategy and investment roadmaps
• Identify gaps and seams in architectures and drive cross-functional solutions

Skills

Communication skills

Leadership

Executive briefing

Cross-agency collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree preferred

PhD preferred

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.

Roles & Responsibilities:

The Systems and Operations Department is seeking a Principal Systems Engineer to support government sponsor mission needs across complex and evolving national security environments. The selected candidate will provide principal-level technical and strategic leadership for international intelligence partnerships, leading cross-functional MITRE teams to translate sponsor and partner priorities into integrated, secure, and interoperable capabilities.

The selected candidate will be expected to:

• Lead systems engineering efforts focused on interoperability, data sharing, and mission integration across U.S. and allied/partner nation systems, with a deep understanding of coalition operational concept
• Apply systems engineering methods across the capability lifecycle, including mission analysis, concept development, architecture definition, requirements development, integration, verification planning, deployment readiness, and technical transition
• Translate sponsor priorities and partner mission needs into mutually beneficial capability roadmaps, engagement plans, and work program opportunities, including scoped concepts, sequenced activities, measurable outcomes, and transition paths.
• Develop and maintain in-depth understanding of the NRO Systems Engineering Division international partnership portfolios, including strategy, organization, leadership, investments, authorities, and issues; identify partner-specific challenges that can be addressed by MITRE; and provide informational updates to the broader N970: Global Intelligence leadership team.
• Identify and address “gaps and seams” in architectures, interfaces, and processes between U.S. and allied capabilities, driving solutions that improve combined operational effectiveness and resilience
• Develop and manage complex system-of-systems architectures that account for differing doctrine, policy, security constraints, and technical standards among U.S. and coalition partners
• Maintain awareness of MITRE's current and planned work supporting international intelligence partners and identify opportunities to connect related efforts, reuse proven methods, and reduce duplication.
• Lead coordinated assessment efforts with cross-functional MITRE contributors to evaluate partner capability maturity, mission readiness, interoperability, and institutional capacity, and translate findings into prioritized recommendations and investment roadmaps.
• Plan and carry out a regular tempo of sponsor and authorized partner engagements in support of Division international strategy, partner network expansion, capability development priorities, and work program goals.
• Represent MITRE at relevant bilateral and multilateral forums, partner engagements, and technical conferences through MITRE-sponsored channels to maintain awareness of emerging requirements, capabilities, mission applications, and partnership trends.
• Engage sponsor and authorized partner technical, operational, acquisition, and policy stakeholders to understand mission requirements and operating constraints, including classification and disclosure, releasability, sovereignty, data sharing, interoperability, workforce, procurement, and policy-driven boundaries.
• Serve as a technical advisor to senior U.S. and allied leadership on risks, trade-offs, and opportunities associated with coalition system integration and combined mission threads
• Mentor junior engineers and cross-functional teams on best practices for engineering in a coalition environment, including stakeholder engagement, technical diplomacy, and working within multinational governance structures.

Basic Qualifications

• Minimum of 10 years of related experience with a Bachelor’s degree; or 8 years and a Master’s degree; or a PhD with 5 years’ experience; or equivalent combination of related education and work experience
• Experience supporting complex national security, intelligence, defense, or civil space missions and applying systems engineering or closely related engineering practices to mission and capability challenges.
• Demonstrated experience leading coordination among multiple government organizations, sponsors, technical teams, and mission partners.
• Experience developing executive-ready briefings, decision papers, meeting materials, correspondence, and action tracking for senior leaders.
• Ability to translate complex technical, operational, policy, and acquisition issues into clear recommendations for technical and nontechnical audiences.
• Demonstrated ability to manage competing priorities, identify risks and dependencies, and drive cross-functional teams toward measurable outcomes.
• Strong written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Ability to work on-site at MITRE and/or sponsor locations in the Northern Virginia area and travel occasionally, including internationally, as mission needs require.
• Must have an active Top Secret/SCI with CI polygraph 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 has an on-site requirement of 5 days a week on-site.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in international relations, national security studies, space policy, engineering, systems engineering, business administration, or a related field.
• Experience supporting international space cooperation, coalition operations, allied engagements, or multinational planning forums.
• Knowledge of U.S. national security space, commercial space, intelligence, GEOINT, space domain awareness, satellite communications, or related mission areas.
• Experience coordinating with organizations such as the DoD, Intelligence Community, National Reconnaissance Office, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, U.S. Space Force, NASA, Department of State, or allied space organizations.
• Experience with systems engineering, enterprise architecture, capability development, requirements analysis, or acquisition planning for space or intelligence systems.
• Experience developing and facilitating governance bodies, working groups, tabletop exercises, or senior-level stakeholder engagements.

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

Top Secret/SCI/Polygraph

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

Top Secret/SCI/Polygraph

Salary compensation range and midpoint:

$162,400 - $203,000 - $243,600 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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