Senior AEHF Communications Engineer

MITRE; Colorado Springs (CO); On-site; USD 127,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

MITRE in the United States is seeking an AEHF Communications Systems Engineer to lead specification development, integration, and test strategies for next‑gen AEHF Military Satellite Communications systems. This role emphasizes hands‑on prototyping, trade space analysis, and cross‑domain collaboration.

The ideal candidate has 5+ years in systems engineering, experience with EHF/AEHF SATCOM, and an active Security Clearance.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in a related field.
• Experience across the development lifecycle from concept to verification.
• Active Secret clearance with ability to obtain Top Secret/SCI.

Responsibilities

• Perform systems engineering analysis for requirement trades, design and integration trades, end-to-end performance analysis, and identifying risk mitigation approaches.
• Articulate major uncertainties associated with systems architectures, defining risks and opportunities associated with the uncertainties.
• Communicate work program uncertainties, risks and opportunities with department leadership and Sponsors.
• Support the development, decomposition, and review of system requirements.
• Support requirements management, interface management and architecture change management processes.
• Translate analysis results into actionable recommendations for the US Government agencies.
• Tasks may include leading working groups or studies covering multiple engineering domains while interfacing and collaborating across multiple stakeholders to create timely and actionable recommendations.
• Tasks may also include hands‑on prototyping, integration, and testing activities.

Skills

Military SATCOM

EHF/AEHF SATCOM

Systems engineering

Trade studies

Written & verbal communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Master’s degree

PhD (relevant)

Tools

MBSE

COTS integration

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.

We are seeking a AEHF Communications Systems Engineer with knowledge of Military Satellite Communications, especially familiarity with EHF and AEHF SATCOM and associated Satellite Communications terminals (MILSTAR, FAB-T, FET, SMART-T, GASNT, MMPU, NMT, VPS, SCAMP) to lead the specification development, integration, and test strategies of next generation AEHF Military Satellite Communications systems.

This is an opportunity for a Communications Systems Engineer who is highly motivated, innovative and proactive. This position provides challenging opportunities to apply and expand one’s hands on skills, systems engineering and trade space analysis skills.

Roles & Responsibilities

• Perform systems engineering analysis for requirement trades, design and integration trades, end-to-end performance analysis, and identifying risk mitigation approaches
• Articulate major uncertainties associated with systems architectures, defining risks and opportunities associated with the uncertainties.
• Communicate work program uncertainties, risks and opportunities with department leadership and Sponsors
• Support the development, decomposition, and review of system requirements
• Support requirements management, interface management and architecture change management processes
• Translate analysis results into actionable recommendations for the US Government agencies
• Tasks may include leading working groups or studies covering multiple engineering domains while interfacing and collaborating across multiple stakeholders to create timely and actionable recommendations.
• Tasks may also include hands‑on prototyping, integration, and testing activities.

Basic Qualifications

• Typically requires a minimum of 5 years of related experience with a Bachelor’s degree; or 3 years and a Master’s degree; or a PhD with relevant experience who can immediately contribute at this job step; or equivalent combination of related education and work experience.
• Experience with Military Satellite Communications, especially with EHF, AEHF SATCOM and at least one of the associated Satellite Communications terminals (MILSTAR, FAB-T, FET, SMART-T, GASNT, MMPU, NMT, VPS, SCAMP)
• Proficient at communicating complex technical material in presentations and in writing
• Experience planning, executing, and presenting complex trade studies.
• Experience in systems engineering with expertise across the development lifecycle from concept development, through requirements definition, system development and integration, and verification.
• Experience working with multiple engineering disciplines to provide solutions to complex problems that require unified software, hardware, mechanical and reliability approaches while balancing cost and schedule constraints.
• Strong interpersonal skills to effectively collaborate across multiple organizations and engineering disciplines.
• Must have an active 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

• Experience leading the evaluation and testing of complex systems
• Familiarity with ESS SATCOM
• Experience with capabilities trade analysis, mission analysis, information assurance, systems integration, and understanding of the relationships between operational, technical, and system’s architecture for AEHF SATCOM
• Familiarity with evaluation of RF communications
• Possess a current/active DoD Top Secret/SCI clearance are preferred
• Experience with multi‑disciplinary modeling and simulation (physics-level, engineering-level and/or operational-level). Documented success applying modern systems engineering methods including MBSE
• Experience with system integration and testing (HW/SW) of COTS components for prototyping
• Familiarity with Nuclear Command, Control and Communications (NC3) and the nuclear environment.

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

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

$126,800 - $158,500 - $190,200 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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