Department Chief Engineer - Research & Advanced Capabilities Development

Why choose between doing meaningful work and having a fulfilling life? At MITRE, you can have both. That''s because MITRE people are committed to tackling our nation''s toughest challenges-and we''re committed to the long-term well-being of our employees. MITRE is different from most technology companies. We are a not-for-profit corporation chartered to work for the public interest, with no commercial conflicts to influence what we do. The R&D centers we operate for the government create lasting impact in fields as diverse as cybersecurity, healthcare, aviation, defense, and enterprise transformation. We''re making a difference every day-working for a safer, healthier, and more secure nation and world. Our workplace reflects our values. We offer competitive benefits, exceptional professional development opportunities for career growth, and a culture of innovation that embraces adaptability, collaboration, technical excellence, and people in partnership. If this sounds like the choice you want to make, then choose MITRE - and make a difference with us.

The MITRE OSW Division is seeking an experienced and visionary leader to serve as Chief Engineer for the N223 Research & Advanced Capabilities Development Department. The N223 department leverages MITRE's broad and deep technical bench to identify, evaluate, and accelerate technology solutions to priority Warfighter mission needs, with a work portfolio spanning the core organizations within the Office of the Undersecretary of War for Research & Engineering: Science & Technology, Critical Technologies, and Mission Capabilities.

N223 brings together technologists, systems engineers, mission engineers, and analysts from diverse backgrounds, all dedicated to advancing solutions for the warfighter. The department's professionals deliver actionable solutions and well-founded recommendations to senior leaders and decision-makers within the national security sector. Through rigorous, evidence-based work, N223 drives meaningful outcomes that address complex challenges. Strong partnerships are built and maintained across government, industry, academia, and research centers, fostering collaboration and shared success. With a focus on objectivity, innovation, policy, and technical excellence, N223 provides the insight and support sponsors need to make informed and impactful decisions.

The Department is based at the MITRE McLean campus, with sponsors predominately in the National Capital Region, and leverages MITRE technical staff located across MITRE campuses and sites. The Department's work program focuses on identifying and accelerating technology solutions to warfighter and mission needs, wherever they come from. This includes both far (15+ years out) and near (<5 years out)-term technology opportunities, those with only military or dual-use markets, and international research & development collaborations.

The ideal candidate will be a recognized technical leader with deep expertise across multiple domains across the Department of War's critical and emerging technology needs. These include the five of the six current Critical Technology Areas: quantum and battlefield information dominance, contested logistics technologies, scaled directed energy, scaled hypersonics, biomanufacturing (note that Applied Artificial Intelligence is dual-hatted with CDAO and so aligned to N227). It also includes efforts aligned to PNT, wireless communications (e.g., FutureG, 5G, 4G) and networking, electronic warfare and electromagnetic spectrum management, cybersecurity, space technologies, assured microelectronics and software systems, research security and U.S. intellectual property protection, mission engineering, counter-unmanned systems technologies, and developmental test & evaluation capabilities.

Roles & Responsibilities:

The N223 Department Chief Engineer (CE) is a senior technical leadership role responsible for driving the technical quality, innovation, and mission impact of the department's work program in partnership with the Department Manager. The CE serves as a member of the N223 Leadership Team and collaborates closely with N220 Division leadership to shape technical strategy, enhance quality, and deliver impactful results aligned to sponsor mission outcomes across the Department of War portfolio.

• Partner with the Department Manager to execute the technical strategy for innovation centers in OSW.
• Lead and mature the N223 Technical Quality Program to ensure delivery of high-quality, high-impact technical solutions and products.
• Collaborate across all N223 projects to sustain consistency, rigor, and innovation in technical deliverables.
• Identify and champion opportunities to expand the department's technical impact and manage the technical components of pipeline development.
• Make significant technical and strategic contributions to department programs, providing thought leadership to project leaders and staff.
• Partner with other MITRE Department Managers, Chief Engineers, and Project Leaders to ensure coordinated, high-impact delivery across MITRE National Security (MNS), MITRE Public Security (MPS), and MTE.
• Advance integration and knowledge sharing across MNS for cross-cutting impact and unified technical outcomes.
• Support strategic alignment with MITRE's Internal Research and Development (IRAD) Program to stimulate mission-focused innovation.
• Define and implement department standards, processes, and procedures that align with sponsor data handling requirements and MITRE business systems while reducing execution barriers.
• Support the Division Chief Engineer in implementing division and enterprise technical initiatives.
• Strengthen partnerships with MTE to align technical strategies, leverage laboratory expertise, and introduce innovative solutions into N223 work programs.
• Foster partnerships across MITRE sectors and with relevant external organizations to maximize mission outcomes and sponsor impact.
• Promote collaboration among department staff across projects, divisions, and sponsors to enhance collective technical excellence and impact

Basic Qualifications:

• Typically requires a minimum of 12 years of related experience with a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering, Science, Computer Science, Mathematics, or equivalent, or 10 years and a Master's Degree, or a PhD with 7 years of experience, or equivalent combination of related education and work experience.
• Deep technical background in one or more disciplines of relevance to our sponsors: cyber, information science, wireless communications and networking, sensors, spectrum management, PNT, microelectronics, space technologies, systems engineering, modeling and simulation, directed energy, hypersonics, data analysis, software architecting, microelectronics, biotechnologies and biomanufacturing.
• Proven experience engaging senior sponsors with successful impacts and outcomes, and establishing and maintaining strategic partnerships
• Possess excellent written and verbal communication and presentation skills.
• Established track record in leading the delivery of data-driven technical products with the military warfighting domain, resulting in positive mission impact.
• Demonstrated ability to take risks and lead work with partial insights, and operate effectively autonomously
• Demonstrated collaboration and communication skills to support individual, team, and customer-related interaction.
• Current/Active TS/SCI Clearance
• U.S. Citizenship required
• This position has an on-site requirement of 5 days a week.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Demonstrated ability to establish trusted relationships with senior Government leaders.
• Recognized leadership within MITRE and with government sponsors in one or more of the following areas: cyber, information science, wireless communications and networking, sensors, spectrum management, PNT, microelectronics, space technologies, systems engineering, modeling and simulation, directed energy, hypersonics, data analysis, software architecting, microelectronics, biotechnologies and biomanufacturing.
• Demonstrated experience leading analytical/assessment efforts and yielding impactful results at high levels of government and/or industry.
• Previous work within dynamic environments fosters innovation in areas that provide leap-ahead capabilities to sponsors that result in significant operational benefit.
• Prior experience developing or assessing DOW systems or operations, reflected by working knowledge of OSW or other DOW organizations, missions, roles/responsibilities, and relationships.
• MS or equivalent and 15 or more years of experience in relevant domain.

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):

Top Secret/SCI

Salary compensation range and midpoint:

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

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.

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.