Project Leader

MITRE; El Segundo (CA); On-site; USD 173,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

MITRE's N114 Resilient Warfighter Space Services Department seeks a project leader to act as the technical lead for the SSC PNT program office, overseeing GPS/PNT work across space, ground, and user equipment.

You will guide multidisciplinary teams, manage plans and budgets, build sponsor relationships, and ensure mission relevance while advancing resilient PNT capabilities for national security space. This is an onsite role in El Segundo, CA.

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.

MITRE’s N114 Resilient Warfighter Space Services Department is committed to ensuring resilient space capabilities that enable joint warfighting across all domains. By combining operational understanding, technical excellence, and cross-enterprise collaboration, our team conducts research, systems engineering, analysis, and prototyping to provide senior government leaders with data-driven insights that strengthen national security space capabilities. Our portfolio focuses on resilient Satellite Communications (SATCOM) and Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT), advancing innovative solutions that enhance the effectiveness and resilience of joint warfighters across all domains.

Roles & Responsibilities:

N114 Department is seeking a project leader to serve as the primary interface and technical lead to the Space Systems Command (SSC) Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) program office as part of our Space Capabilities Division team. In this role, you will oversee a portfolio of Global Positioning System (GPS) work programs and broader PNT initiatives aligned with the MITRE’s strategy for advancing resilient and assured PNT capabilities.

• Serve as MITRE's lead project leader and trusted advisor to SSC PNT leadership, overseeing technical direction, execution, staffing, financial management, sponsor engagement, and delivery of a complex GPS/PNT systems engineering portfolio.
• Lead strategic planning and execution across the GPS enterprise, including space, ground, and user equipment, shaping work aligned to resilient PNT, modernization, mission assurance, and emerging operational needs.
• Provide technical and program leadership for multidisciplinary teams, guiding systems engineering, integration, and modeling and simulation to deliver objective recommendations and reduce mission, technical, and acquisition risk.
• Partner with Department and Division leadership to align project work with MITRE strategy, sponsor priorities, and enterprise mission outcomes.
• Build strong sponsor relationships and represent MITRE with senior government leaders, communicating project status, risks, technical insights, and opportunities to expand mission impact.
• Drive successful project execution through disciplined management of plans, budgets, schedules, deliverables, and project tools, while maintaining high standards of technical quality and mission relevance.
• Build and develop high-performing teams by leveraging expertise across MITRE, mentoring task leaders, supporting staff growth, and fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability, inclusion, and technical excellence.
• Evolve the team and grow staff through career training, mentoring, hiring, and onboarding while fostering and demonstrating a strong and positive culture built upon MITRE’s behaviors and cultural attributes

Basic Qualifications:

• Typically requires a minimum of 10 years of related experience with a B.S. degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Math, Physics, or a related STEM field; or 8 years and a Master’s degree; or a PhD with 5 years’ experience; or equivalent combination of related education and work experience.
• Demonstrated experience working in systems engineering discipline across the GPS enterprise, including one or more of the following mission areas: space, ground control, and user equipment as well as GPS modernization, navigation warfare (NAVWAR), or resilient PNT architectures.
• Experience supporting DoD acquisition programs related to GPS, PNT, or space systems, with knowledge of the defense acquisition lifecycle and systems engineering processes.
• Proven leadership in leading multidisciplinary technical teams and delivering complex systems engineering efforts in support of government sponsors.
• Ability to establish, strengthen, and sustain trusted relationships with Government sponsors and mission partners.
• Ability to influence, collaborate across organizational boundaries, and drive technical excellence and mission impact.
• Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills, with the ability to communicate complex technical concepts and strategic recommendations to senior Government and MITRE leadership.
• Working knowledge of systems engineering principles and their application to the development, integration, test, fielding, and sustainment of GPS/PNT capabilities.
• Must have an active Top Secret U.S Government issued Security Clearance with the ability to obtain and maintain a Top Secret/SCI 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:

• M.S. or PhD in Engineering, Computer Science, Math, Physics, or a related STEM field, and a minimum of 10 years of related experience or M.S. degree with a minimum of 8 years of experience.
• Active DoD TS/SCI clearance
• Demonstrated strong technical expertise in systems engineering across the GPS enterprise, including one or more of the following mission areas: space, ground control, and user equipment as well as GPS modernization, navigation warfare (NAVWAR), or resilient PNT architectures.
• Experience serving as a Technical Lead, Project Leader, Program Manager, Systems Engineering Lead, or Integrated Product Team (IPT) Lead supporting complex defense or space programs.
• Demonstrated experience in systems engineering principles and their application to the development, integration, test, fielding, and sustainment of GPS/PNT capabilities.

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

Top Secret

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

Salary compensation range and midpoint:

$173,200 - $216,500 - $259,800 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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