Systems Engineer, Lead

The MITRE Corporation

McLean (VA)

On-site

USD 146,000 - 220,000

Full time

32 hours ago
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Job summary

The MITRE Corporation, located in McLean, VA, seeks a Lead Systems Engineer to support the Missile Defense Agency's C2BMC program, delivering certified FMS CDS capabilities across multiple programs. The role includes leading system engineering tasks, coordinating with government and industry partners, and producing technical analyses and briefings.

The candidate will work onsite, collaborate across sponsor divisions, and contribute to the development lifecycle from concept exploration to

Qualifications

  • Bachelor’s degree in systems engineering, CS, or related field with 8+ years of experience.
  • Experience collaborating with interagency government, contractors, and vendors on complex system architectures.
  • Experience eliciting requirements, design, development, testing and evaluation of C4I systems.
  • Experience leading FMS cases between US and Foreign Partners.
  • Ability to perform data-driven analyses to inform decisions.
  • Ability to communicate complex findings clearly via briefings, white papers, and reports.
  • Willingness to travel up to 25%, including potential international trips.
  • Active Secret clearance and eligibility for Top Secret/SCI clearance.

Responsibilities

  • Lead technical systems engineering tasks including integration, testing, and V&V for the MDA CDS product team.
  • Inform development, testing, and integration of C4I data distribution, requirements, and concepts of operation.
  • Build partnerships across MITRE, industry, and government programs.
  • Develop technical reports and presentations on analyses, options, and recommendations.
  • Present technical recommendations to government sponsors for acquisition strategy.
  • Brief leadership on FMS CDS technology, architecture, and policy.
  • Lead IER Working Groups with CCMDs and Foreign Partners on data flows and formats.
  • Provide SME engineering support during RFP development and source selection.

Skills

Systems engineering
Requirements elicitation
Data-driven analysis
Interagency collaboration
Briefings/written communication
Cross-functional teamwork

Education

Bachelor’s degree
Master’s degree (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.

Department Summary

MITRE Technology and Engineering (MTE) System Engineering Technical Division is seeking Lead Systems Engineer to support the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) Command, Control, Battle Management, and Communications (C2BMC) Program has responsibility to acquire critical Foreign Military Sales (FMS) Cross Domain Solutions (CDS) for utilization within FMS Command, Control, Communications, Computers (C4) Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) systems, as well as other FMS programmatic efforts. The MDA FMS CDS Systems Engineer will execute the mission strategy to develop and deliver integrated, certified FMS CDS capabilities that will enable the US and Coalition forces to inter-operate at the speed of relevance. This involves the development of next generation warfighter operations in all phases of systems evolution from concept exploration, through integration, experimentation, testing, verification, and fielding. Successful candidate will work at least two country specific FMS CDS work programs that may be at varying stages of programmatic system milestones (from initial requirements development to deployment).

Roles and Responsibilities
  • Lead and oversee technical systems engineering tasks – such as integration, testing, V&V – as a trusted advisor to an integrated MDA FMS CDS product team.

  • Inform technical development, test evaluation, and integration of data distribution enterprises, requirements, and concepts of operations for Command, Control, Communication, and Computer (C4I)

  • Build partnerships and coordinate efforts across MITRE, industry, and government programs

  • Develop technical reports and presentations on analysis results, options, and recommendations

  • Present technical recommendations to government sponsors for the program acquisition strategy

  • Brief Senior US and Foreign Partner leadership regarding FMS CDS technology, capabilities, architecture, and policy to foster potential integration needs

  • Lead Information Exchange Requirements (IER) Working Groups with Combatant Commands (CCMDs) and Foreign Partners to assess legacy and to-be system delivery data flows and formats with potential for FMS CDS integration

  • Provide Subject Matter Expert engineering support on all technical aspects of Request for Proposal (RFP) development and serve as a technical advisor during source selection and acquisition activities

Minimum Qualifications
  • Bachelor’s degree and 8+ years of experience in systems engineering, modeling and simulation, software engineering, computer science, or related disciplines.

  • Experience in collaborating with technical interagency government, contractor, and vendor teams in the development, demonstration, and deployment of complex system of systems architectures.

  • Experience with the elicitation of requirements, design and development, test and evaluation of C4I systems.

  • Experience with leading and managing FMS cases between US and Foreign Partners leadership.

  • Ability to identify and perform technical tasks involving studies, assessments, technical evaluations, and recommendations to inform programmatic and acquisition decisions with data-driven analysis.

  • Ability to clearly communicate and collaborate to influence design and facilitate implementation FMC CDS activities.

  • Experience in leading the growth and development of new project opportunities that expand the technical work portfolio.

  • Ability to work closely across sponsor directorates, leveraging knowledge and resources, ensuring consistency of effort, and fostering teamwork and innovation among the sponsor, SETA staff, FFRDCs/UARCs, other government agencies, vendors, and prime contractor(s)

  • Ability to communicate complex technical and operational findings clearly through briefings, white papers, visualizations, technical reports, and stakeholder discussions.

  • Ability to work with cross-functional teams that may include operators, engineers, software developers, modelers, data scientists, test personnel, subject matter experts, and government customers.

  • Strong written and verbal communication skills.

  • Must have an active Secret U.S Government issued Security Clearance.

  • 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 position requires a minimum of 4 days a week on-site.

  • Must be willing to travel - At most 25%; Includes quarterly OCONUS, International travel plus ad hoc CONUS travel

Preferred Qualifications
  • Master’s degree and 6+ years of experience in systems engineering, modeling and simulation, software engineering, computer science, or related disciplines.

  • Experience leading technical interagency government, contractor, and vendor teams in the development, demonstration, and deployment of FMS solutions. Overseeing the technical planning and execution of the work and developing and presenting results to the government sponsor.

  • Active DoW Top Secret clearance with SCI

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)

Secret

Salary compensation range and midpoint

$146,400 - $183,000 - $219,600 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.

MITRE intends to maintain a website that is fully accessible to all individuals. If you are unable to search or apply for jobs and would like to request a reasonable accommodation for any part of MITRE’s employment process, please email recruitinghelp@mitre.org for general support and collegerecruiting@mitre.org for intern positions. This service is for individuals requiring reasonable accommodation requests. Please note that vendor solicitations will not receive a reply.

Benefits information may be found here (https://careers.mitre.org/us/en/benefits) .

Copyright 1997-2026, The MITRE Corporation. All rights reserved. MITRE is a registered trademark of The MITRE Corporation. Material on this site may be copied and distributed with permission only.

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