Lead Systems Engineer

The MITRE Corporation

$146K — $219K *
Aerospace & Defense
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in engineering, physics, mathematics, systems engineering, computer engineering, computer science, or related field.
  • 5+ years of experience in systems engineering or related technical fields.
  • Proven experience leading technical tasks or small multidisciplinary teams.
  • Expertise in systems architecture, mission engineering, or digital engineering.
  • Strong communication skills for conveying technical findings to diverse audiences.
  • Ability to obtain and maintain a DoD security clearance.
  • Proven experience in C2 and communications architectures.

Responsibilities

  • Partner with Army sponsors to execute mission engineering and capability assessment activities.
  • Lead architecture development and evaluate mission needs to deliver data-driven recommendations.
  • Develop mission architectures and system-of-systems solutions using advanced engineering techniques.
  • Evaluate capability gaps and operational risks to support government decision-making.
  • Apply modern engineering methods like AI/ML and digital engineering in architecture development efforts.
  • Conduct evaluations of architectures and technologies to inform investment options.
  • Communicate technical findings to government stakeholders and MITRE leadership.

Benefits

  • Opportunity to work on complex national security challenges.
  • Collaborative environment with experts from various fields including government, industry, and academia.
  • Access to advanced engineering tools and methodologies.
  • Involvement in research and innovation activities.
  • Potential for career advancement within a prestigious organization.
Full Job Description
MITRE Technology and Engineering's Systems Engineering Division delivers innovative, multidisciplinary systems engineering solutions that address complex national security challenges and advance mission outcomes for sponsors across the federal government. The division serves as a center of excellence in systems engineering, bringing together expertise from across MITRE and collaborating with government, industry, and academia to develop and apply next-generation engineering approaches.

Core technical capabilities include:
  • 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 Engineering

The division applies these capabilities across sponsors and mission domains to accelerate innovation, integrate lessons learned, and strengthen MITRE's ability to deliver objective, mission-focused engineering solutions.

Roles & Responsibilities:

As a Lead Mission Engineer, you will support Army sponsors in the development of mission architectures, operational concepts, and system-of-systems solutions that address critical warfighting challenges. You will collaborate across the Systems Engineering Division and broader MITRE enterprise to apply multidisciplinary engineering approaches, evaluate mission needs, and deliver data-driven recommendations that improve Army mission effectiveness. As a technical leader, you will lead engineering analyses, architecture development efforts, and small multidisciplinary teams while helping shape technical approaches that support Army modernization and operational priorities.

Key responsibilities include:
  • Partner with Army sponsors to execute mission engineering, architecture development, and capability assessment activities aligned to operational priorities.
  • Collaborate across the Systems Engineering Division and MITRE technical community to integrate expertise in systems engineering, digital engineering, communications, modeling and simulation, data analytics, and operational analysis.
  • Develop and assess mission architectures, operational concepts, and system-of-systems solutions using mission engineering, MBSE, digital engineering, and quantitative analysis techniques.
  • Evaluate capability gaps, mission effectiveness, operational risks, and technical tradeoffs to support government decision-making.
  • Apply modern engineering methods and tools, including Digital Engineering, MBSE, AI/ML, data analytics, and modeling and simulation, to support architecture development, requirements analysis, and modernization efforts.
  • Conduct qualitative and quantitative evaluations of alternative architectures, technologies, and investment options.
  • Identify technical risks and uncertainties and support experimentation, prototyping, and risk-reduction activities.
  • Support requirements management, architecture development, interface management, integration planning, and test and evaluation efforts.
  • Lead small multidisciplinary teams of engineers and analysts to develop mission-focused technical products and recommendations.
  • Communicate technical findings and recommendations to government stakeholders, operational users, and MITRE leadership.
  • Contribute to research, innovation, and capability development activities that advance MITRE's systems engineering practice.


Basic Qualifications:
  • Minimum of 5 years of related experience with a Bachelor's degree; 3 years with a Master's degree; or a PhD with relevant experience.
  • Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Physics, Mathematics, Systems Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or related technical field, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
  • Experience leading technical tasks or small multidisciplinary engineering teams.
  • Expertise in Systems Architecture, Mission Engineering, Digital Engineering, Systems-of-Systems Engineering, Modeling & Simulation, or Operational Planning.
  • Experience with C2 and communications architectures and mission-level analysis.
  • Ability to assess mission effectiveness, cost-performance tradeoffs, and technical risk.
  • Experience collaborating with operational users, government stakeholders, industry, and technical teams.
  • Strong communication skills and ability to convey technical findings to diverse audiences.
  • Ability to obtain and maintain a DoD 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:
  • Active SECRET or TS/SCI clearance.
  • Advanced degree in a relevant technical discipline.
  • Experience in mission, systems, or enterprise architecture.
  • Experience supporting Army modernization, mission engineering, operational analysis, C2, or communications systems.
  • Proficiency with MBSE and Digital Engineering tools (e.g., Cameo, SysML, DOORS, Rhapsody).
  • Experience with quantitative analysis, modeling and simulation, and data analytics tools (e.g., MATLAB, Python, R, AFSIM, STK, Command PE).
  • Experience leading systems engineering analyses in complex systems-of-systems environments.
  • Demonstrated innovation, research, publications, or prototype development in systems, mission, or digital engineering.
  • Strong interpersonal skills and ability to build effective working relationships with government and technical stakeholders.


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):
Secret

Salary compensation range and midpoint:
$146,400 - $183,000 - $219,600 Annual

Work Location Type:
Onsite

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