Systems Engineering Methods & Innovation Capability Chief Engineer

MITRE; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 190,000 - 285,000; Full time

Job summary

MITRE is seeking a visionary Systems Engineering Methods & Innovation Capability Chief Engineer (CCE) to define and drive technical strategy across MITRE's FFRDC work programs. You will lead the development of methods, modeling, and AI-enabled engineering while mentoring staff and collaborating with division leaders Requires 12+ years in SE methods, Top Secret clearance, and minimum 4 days on-site.

This senior role shapes engagement with sponsors and internal programs to deliver high-impact,

Qualifications

• 12+ years of systems engineering methods or related technical experience with a bachelor's degree; or 10 years with a master's; or PhD with 7 years.
• Demonstrated ability to influence strategic decisions in complex environments.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills for diverse audiences.
• Active Top Secret U.S. Government clearance; U.S. citizenship required.
• Minimum on-site presence: 4 days per week.

Responsibilities

• Lead technical quality efforts and drive adoption of technical quality standards.
• Develop and evolve the division's capabilities in systems engineering methods and innovation.
• Collaborate with division leadership, peer CCEs, and partners to strengthen the work program with measurable impact.
• Provide technical mentorship and staff development within the division.
• Engage with internal R&D and external partners to influence priorities and sponsor solutions.
• Provide direct sponsor contributions focusing on leadership in systems engineering methods and innovation.

Skills

Systems engineering

Leadership

Communication

Mentoring

Model-based engineering

AI-enabled engineering

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering or related field

PhD (preferred)

Tools

Modeling tools

Simulation tools

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 Technology and Engineering’s Systems Engineering Division delivers innovative, multidisciplinary systems engineering solutions that support MITRE and its diverse sponsor base. The division is a leader across government, industry, and academia in advancing next-generation systems engineering and applying best practices to complex national security and public sector challenges. Its technical expertise includes:

• Mission, Enterprise, and Domain Engineering
• Systems Engineering, Architecting, and Lifecycle Integration
• Digital Engineering, Prototyping, and Modernization
• Architecture, Interfaces, and Open Systems
• Performance Analysis, Test, and Evaluation
• AI-Enabled Systems

The division applies these capabilities across sponsors to address broad national challenges, integrate lessons learned across domains, and continuously strengthen MITRE’s impact and differentiated value in systems engineering.

Roles & Responsibilities

The Systems Engineering Division is seeking a visionary technical leader to serve as Systems Engineering Methods & Innovation Capability Chief Engineer (CCE). The CCE will work with division leadership, department managers, and peer CCEs to define and drive the technical strategy, execution, and application of systems engineering methods and innovation. The role advances how MITRE engineers by developing and applying a coherent portfolio of methods, techniques, tools, model-based and digital approaches, modeling and simulation, experimentation, executable evidence, AI-enabled engineering, automation, and decision support. The successful candidate will ensure that no single method or tool is treated as synonymous with systems engineering and will bring recognized technical expertise, inspirational leadership, creativity, and the flexibility to work across evolving and diverse problem sets.

The CCE will collaborate with the Division Chief Engineer, Department Managers, peer CCEs, and technical leaders across MITRE to bring division capabilities to bear on MITRE's FFRDC work programs. In coordination with the Division CE, the CCE will be accountable for the utility and quality of the capabilities supported by the division, including applicable physical and virtual lab infrastructure, shared frameworks, methods, and technical approaches. While this is not a formal people management role, the CCE will contribute to staff development and provide technical mentorship across the division.

In addition to direct work within the FFRDCs, the CCE will engage with MITRE's internal research and development program to influence research priorities, shape research programs, and mentor staff from early concept development through proposal and project execution.

The CCE will also provide individual, senior principal technical support directly to MITRE's work programs. The CCE's direct sponsor contributions will focus on technical leadership in systems engineering methods and innovation.

Key Roles & Responsibilities

• Technical Quality and Impact
• Lead technical quality efforts and contribute to the development and adoption of technical quality standards within key work programs and labs or capabilities.
• Drive technical quality across systems engineering methods and innovation by leading capability development, recommending strategic investments, stewarding applicable physical and virtual infrastructure, and curating technical development and mentorship opportunities.
• Collaborate with the Division CE, peer CCEs, and partners in MNS and MPS to strengthen the technical work program by:
  • shaping content through participation in technical product definition and reviews
  • setting expectations for current work and the future work program
  • bringing a perspective grounded in systems engineering foundations, evidence-based practice, and the state of the art
  • Strategy Development & Innovation
  • Execute and evolve division technical strategy aligned with MITRE's S&T strategy. Identify opportunities to advance the portfolio of methods, techniques, tools, model-based and digital approaches, modeling and simulation, experimentation, AI-enabled engineering, automation, and decision support.
  • Identify innovation opportunities for work programs and internal research and development. Propose or lead cross-cutting initiatives that convert promising research and technology into usable systems engineering practice.
  • Develop and maintain relationships with key technical leaders across MITRE program divisions, internal research and development, and external partners.
  • Coordinate technical outreach to industry, academia, government communities, and other stakeholders so relevant research, standards, tools, and practices inform technical products.
  • Lead cross-department or cross-division technical initiatives, as needed, with measurable impact, coordinating with enterprise technical leadership when scope or decisions extend beyond the division.
  • Capability Stewardship & Governance
  • Conduct ongoing health and quality evaluations of systems engineering methods and innovation capabilities, including staff skills, reusable methods, modeling and simulation environments, digital infrastructure, toolchains, reference implementations, and evidence of sponsor utility.
  • Provide timely recommendations to division leadership on the establishment, sustainment, integration, or retirement of methods, tools, infrastructure, platforms, and frameworks that support effective systems engineering delivery.
  • Staff Development (non-supervisory, but accountable for technical mentorship)
  • Mentor and develop technical staff and cultivate career paths that combine systems engineering judgment with depth in methods, modeling, experimentation, software, data, or AI.
  • Provide input to talent assessment and staff development planning.
  • Direct Sponsor / Program Contributions
  • Provide individual, differentiated technical contributions directly to sponsors and internal customers, focusing on technical leadership with measurable impact in systems engineering methods and innovation.

Basic Qualifications

• Minimum of 12 years of systems engineering methods or related technical experience with a bachelor's degree; or 10 years and a master's degree; or a PhD with 7 years of experience; or an equivalent combination of related systems engineering education and work experience.
• Deep technical expertise and recognition in systems engineering methods, analysis, and evidence-driven engineering practice.
• Demonstrated ability to exert meaningful influence over strategic decisions in complex, multi-stakeholder, collaborative environments.
• Demonstrated track record of learning about and rapidly responding to new problems across a variety of domains.
• Experience selecting, adapting, integrating, and evaluating systems engineering methods based on the mission problem, available evidence, lifecycle context, and decision need.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain challenging technical concepts to expert and non-expert audiences.
• Mentoring experience in formal or informal roles across a range of staff experience levels and team sizes.
• Demonstrated proficiency in virtual and live presentations of complex technical issues.
• Technical expertise and influence to improve mission outcomes in alignment with division and department strategies and in coordination with the Systems Engineering Chief Engineer.
• 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 4 days a week on-site

Preferred Qualifications

• A graduate degree in systems engineering, operations research, computer science, applied mathematics, engineering, or a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience.
• Active Top Secret/SCI clearance.
• Experience developing, validating, or scaling systems engineering methods and translating research into repeatable sponsor practice.
• Experience with model-based systems engineering, digital engineering, digital threads, systems engineering software, or relevant modeling languages.
• Experience using modeling and simulation, executable models, prototypes, experimentation, or test evidence to evaluate alternatives and support decisions.
• Experience applying AI-enabled engineering, data-driven techniques, automation, software, or computational workflows to systems engineering problems.
• Demonstrated track record of building strong internal and external partnerships and contributing to professional communities through publications, conferences, open-source work, or standards activities.
• Experience designing decision support approaches that connect technical evidence, uncertainty, risk, cost, schedule, and mission outcomes.

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

Salary compensation range and midpoint

$190,000 - $237,500 - $285,000 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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