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Department Summary:

The Space Warfighting Division of MITRE’s Air and Space Forces Center is well positioned to help the US Space Force and the national security enterprise provide a combat ready space enterprise to defeat peer threats, provide freedom of action in and dominate the space domain, and deliver world-class capabilities from space to support national security operations. To do this, the Division needs a proven technical thought leader with space deep technical expertise. The selected individual is a division asset who provides thought leadership, innovation, technical guidance, and hands on assistance to enable the projects within and adjacent the Division to successfully deliver high impact solutions in support of our sponsors to include Space Command and Control (C2), PNT and Military Satellite Communications, Space Domain Awareness, space enterprise architecture, space systems integration, and first-of-their-kind operational space capabilities that protect space assets and defend joint forces from space-enabled attack. The Division team is primarily located in our Los Angeles, Colorado Springs, and Bedford sites. The leader should have also shown the ability to integrate across a Division, partner Program Divisions, MITRE Labs, MNS Cross-Cutting Priorities and externally with key stakeholders to lead critical technical aspects of the work program.

Job Description:

Technical Quality

• Lead technical quality efforts to include deeply engaging in the technical work, including challenging analyses, results and recommendations.

• Partner with other MITRE Air Force divisions, other divisions within MITRE’s National Security Engineering Center, and MITRE Labs leadership to strengthen the division technical workforce - this includes quality of staff hired, development of staff, and training initiatives to ensure appropriate technical quality is achieved.

• Define and drive technical quality initiatives across the Space Warfighting mission and outcome areas.

Technical Impact

• Ensure the technical strength of the division work program by shaping its content, participating in technical product definition and reviews, and bringing a perspective that reflects knowledge of the domain, understanding of the state of the art and practice in technology, and comprehension of MITRE and key external communities.

• Ensure division projects are driving change at a technical level, while partnering with project leaders to ensure the project itself is the right level of impact for MITRE from its inception.

• Provide input and direction into the Mission Value Chains (“MVCs”) used to cultivate and ensure mission outcomes to MITRE technical work and products at both the department and division levels.

• Identify critical topics needed to drive and shape the work program for greater impact for sponsors. Working with the Department Chief Engineers, chief engineers across the Division, Center and stakeholders in support of MITRE research efforts such as the MITRE Innovation Program (MIP), which is MITRE’s internal R&D program to fund and pursue projects beyond our direct sponsor requests to generate impact with Innovation leads, Outcome Leads, and Project Leaders by identifying and executing research proposals aimed at injecting innovation across department projects and potentially developing new program areas.

• Regularly publish material as a subject matter expertise to further enhance external MITRE collaborations and partnerships to broaden impact.

• Drive MITRE and the sponsor to new technical heights and innovation.

• Be a technical role model and exemplar for team members to emulate behaviorally and drive the technical DNA of the organization.

Strategy Development

• Develop and lead execution of the mission and technical strategy in core competency areas and collaborate at the business unit/division levels to focus on impact and growth of the Space Warfighting division competencies.

• Drive the division’s development of technical capabilities, including identifying new opportunities to develop, areas to transition out of, and maximizing the division’s technical strengths.

• Identify and develop strategic investment approaches that include MIP, NSEC Capstone, A&SFC Firefly and other resources to advance differentiated Space capabilities.

• Develop and manage a division lab strategy, which includes investments of lab resources, enablement of new research capabilities and the sustainment core capabilities.

Staff Development

• Cultivating a strong and positive culture and sense of belonging, supporting the recruiting, retaining and developing a highly skilled team.

• Mentor and develop technical staff across the Division, specifically Chief Engineers and staff on a technical career track to maximize potential.

• Lead efforts in growing the division’s core competency areas and ensuring deliberate early career workforce talent acquisition. Shape the work force by growing expertise based on training, mentoring, and project work opportunities.

• Provide development input into talent assessments and development planning (hiring, mentoring, rotations and training needs) for senior staff. Develop and define cultural initiatives in partnership with others to meet desired culture.

• Participate in creating a culture within the Division that embraces diversity, belonging, and the MITRE values of speed, risk-taking, collaboration, agility, grace, and respect.

Partnerships and Initiatives

• Develop and maintain relationships with key technical leaders across MITRE, MITRE National Sector, MITRE Public Sector, MITRE Labs, MITRE Platforms, and externally for new project collaboration opportunities, technical skillset development, and technical quality.

• Collaborate with other MITRE Chief Engineers to support MITRE’s Innovation Program (MIP), which is MITRE’s internal R&D program to fund and pursue opportunities beyond direct sponsor projects.

• Partner with Outcome Leads and Project Leaders to identify and execute work proposals aimed at injecting innovation across critical Division projects, and potentially develop new program areas.

• Coordinate technical outreach to industry, academia, and other stakeholders, ensuring that best practices and technologies are brought to bear on technical products.

• Lead Air and Space Force Center-wide initiatives, with MITRE wide impact, potentially involving visibility with MITRE’s Board of Trustees.

Culture

• Develop a team-centric culture that aligns to the identity of the organization.

• Create a more inclusive environment where everyone feels empowered to contribute ideas and shape the direction of the organization.

• Promote risk taking, challenge team to seek opportunities for partnerships and collaboration, and expand opportunities for technical and leadership growth and development.

Basic Qualifications:

The candidate needs to have deep space domain technical expertise and ability to drive innovation into the work program and needs a demonstrated track record of collaboration to partner with organizations (e.g., internal, academia, industry) and ensure capabilities and platforms are strategically leveraged in the execution of programs. Must have experience serving as a trusted technical advisor to the sponsors aligned with the division portfolio of work programs. The candidate must have experience collaborating across a large engineering company on cross cutting strategies and initiatives, leveraging related activities, use of shared resources, and re‐use of existing products.

• Requires a minimum of 15 years of related experience in relevant domain or identified technology area with a Bachelor’s degree; or 12 years and a Master’s degree; or a PhD with 10 years’ experience; or equivalent combination of related education and work experience.

• Depth in United States Space Force Command and Control (C2), Position, Navigation, and Timing (PNT), Military Satellite Communications (MILCOM), Space Domain Awareness (SDA) and an ability to creatively inject innovation into projects. The candidate must also be a recognized expert in at least one.

• Proven track record in making deep, substantive technical contributions including work shaping to meet sponsor needs. Technical domain-specific knowledge, leadership, and influence internally and externally across multiple stakeholders to move mission outcomes forward consistent with division, center, sector, and corporate strategies.

• Experience creating and leading technical strategies to increase the impact of outcomes.

• Experience driving innovation into the work program by leveraging R&D, facilitating engagement between researchers and relevant sponsors, and overseeing the transition of research results to sponsors to address mission outcomes.

• Proven Track record of partnering with organizations (e.g., internal, academia, industry) to ensure capabilities and platforms are strategically leveraged in the execution of programs.

• Experience in shaping the workforce and skill mix to develop the technical capabilities of the staff to include high quality hires capable of technical impact and growth.

• Experience hiring, developing, and shaping of the required skills, capabilities, and diversity of the department’s workforce through effective hiring, ongoing mentoring, coaching and staff development.

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in articulating complex topics to sponsors and staff.

• Applicants selected for this position will be subject to a government security investigation and must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information or applicants who are eligible for security clearances.

• A strong leadership presence and demonstrated thought leadership.

• Active Top Secret/SCI Clearance required.

Preferred Qualifications:

The candidate should have sufficient knowledge of the following areas: modeling and simulation, signals and RF propagation, communications, electronic warfare/protection, signal processing, and space weather/plasma physics, communication systems, networking, sensors, and systems engineering. The candidate should have mentoring experience as well as academic outreach experience. To successfully propose and execute technical initiatives, the candidate needs cursory knowledge of MITRE’s project leader business processes. The candidate should have demonstrated experience working collaboratively across diverse sponsors/stakeholders to propose, shape, and lead impactful MITRE work.

• Ph.D or equivalent and 15 or more years of experience in relevant domain.

• Relevant Special Access Programs (SAP)

Our culture is a tangible asset that endures through our people and leaders. At MITRE, our leaders must also demonstrate and continually develop a consistent set of shared Leadership Competencies:

• Lead with a Strategic Mindset: Drives alignment across MITRE to achieve our mission by engaging across and beyond the enterprise, making and executing decisions, and activating the Good Growth Strategy.

• Create Value: Takes a broad approach to solving complex problems using a national and global lens. Unleashes the full capabilities of our people in a relentless pursuit of innovative solutions that are scalable, equitable, transferable, and sustainable.

• Cultivate Inclusion: Creates an environment and opportunities, built on trust, where people can be their whole authentic self, feeling welcomed, supported, engaged, and respected for who they are and what they contribute to the organization. Embraces and engages all dimensions of diversity to exponentially expand MITRE’s impact in solving problems for a safer world.

• Communicate for Impact: Conveys powerful messages tailored to the unique needs of stakeholders—and desired outcomes—in a style that engages and inspires action. Exemplifies active listening to foster collaboration, understanding, and alignment.

• Commit to Action and Outcomes: Holds self and others accountable for acting on and achieving established objectives. Exemplifies cultural attributes while executing and delivering impactful outcomes.

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):

SAP

Salary compensation range and midpoint:

$220,000 - $275,000 - $330,000 Annual

Work Location Type:

Onsite

MITRE is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. MITRE recruits, employs, trains, compensates, and promotes regardless of age; ancestry; color; family medical or genetic information; gender identity and expression; marital, military, or veteran status; national and ethnic origin; physical or mental disability; political affiliation; pregnancy; race; religion; sex; sexual orientation; and any other protected characteristics. For further information please visit the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission website EEO is the Law Poster (https://www.eeoc.gov/sites/default/files/2022-10/22-088_EEOC_KnowYourRights_10_20.pdf) and Pay Transparency (https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/OFCCP/pdf/pay-transp_%20English_formattedESQA508c.pdf) .

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