Senior SATCOM Engineer

MITRE; Colorado Springs (CO); On-site; USD 118,000 - 177,000; Full time

Job summary

MITRE in Colorado Springs seeks a senior SATCOM/network engineer to contribute to advanced wireless and networked systems for national security. You will research, design, test, and implement networks across diverse environments and collaborate with interdisciplinary teams.

Candidates should have strong TCP/IP, OSI, and security knowledge, with 5+ years of related experience, and be eligible for a Top Secret/SCI clearance. This on-site role requires three days per week in Colorado Springs.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree with 5+ years of related experience; or 3 years with Master’s; or a PhD with relevant experience.
• Strong TCP/IP fundamentals and OSI stack; wireless networking and security.
• Active Top Secret clearance; U.S. citizen; 3 days on-site.

Responsibilities

• Research, design, analyze, test, model, and emulate networks for national security.
• Build and maintain lab testbeds; conduct proof-of-concept experiments.
• Conduct field trials and model performance in tactical environments.
• Work with cyber and infrastructure automation technologies.
• Assist sponsor programs in modernizing network solutions.

Skills

TCP/IP networking fundamentals

OSI model knowledge

Wireless networking

Network security

Written and verbal communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Master’s degree

PhD

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.

Department Summary

As an operator of Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs), 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 which is part of the MITRE Technology and Engineering Infrastructure, Networking, and Communications Division, has as its mission to provide premier communications network engineering services for our customers at all classification levels. Our engineers have expertise in research, design, analysis, modeling and simulation, lab experimentation, field testing, and implementation of networks across a diverse set of networked communication environments including virtual, wired, and wireless. We are adept at combining networking research and innovation with practical hands-on experience to provide risk reduction and deployable solutions for our customers.

We seek to expand our department with staff capable of performing SATCOM communications network engineering tasks. They should have a fundamental understanding of and interest in networking protocols and principles, as well as the desire to learn more and focus in this area.

Roles & Responsibilities

Specific duties will vary by project but will generally include a combination of research, design, analysis, testing, experimentation, modeling & simulation, and emulation of communications networks to solve our nation’s most complex problems. Those activities will include one or more of following:

• Support building & maintaining lab-based testbeds and conducting proof-of-concept experiments
• Conduct field trials
• Model performance and behavior of networks in tactical environments
• Work with cyber and infrastructure automation technologies
• Research emerging technologies
• Assist MITRE staff in analyzing, modernizing, and advancing sponsor work programs

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.
• Strong foundational knowledge of TCP/IP networking fundamentals and OSI stack, including wireless networking and modern network security
• Expertise in one or more emerging edge networking technologies including but not limited to proliferated LEO (pLEO) satellite communications, mesh networking, edge computing platforms, network encryption, etc.
• Expertise in tactical network architecture, including direct understanding of operational deployment processes and challenges; including familiarity with DoW tactical networks
• Possess excellent written and verbal communication and presentation skills
• Work well in a collaborative team environment with inter-disciplinary and geographically dispersed teams
• Willingness to expand into and master network protocol, technology and skill areas listed above with which the candidate may not yet have experience
• Must have an active Top Secret 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 3 days per week on-site.

Preferred Qualifications

• Strong interpersonal and leadership skills to effectively lead collaboration efforts across multiple organizations and engineering disciplines
• Expertise in all or most of the following technology areas: satellite communications systems (including pLEO and MEO/GEO), mesh networking, edge computing platforms, cyber security solutions, network resiliency, and software-defined networking (SDN)
• Experience with systems engineering processes for networking systems, e.g. requirements development/review, V&V, etc.
• Must be eligible 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 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

$118,000 - $147,500 - $177,000 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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