DoW & Services Center Chief Engineer

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The Department of War and Services (D&S) Center delivers mission-critical capabilities across the full defense lifecycle-from advancing transformational science and technology, to leading systems engineering for major acquisition programs, to integrating interoperable capabilities into complex operational environments. The Center partners with sponsors to solve the nation's most pressing defense challenges through technical excellence, innovation, and enterprise collaboration.

The D&S Center Chief Engineer (CE) is the Center's senior technical leader, responsible for help shaping MITRE's Technical Strategy and managing MITRE's strategic capabilities as well as stewarding the Center's technical vision, strengthening technical quality, and ensuring the successful delivery of innovative, mission-driven solutions. Working across MITRE and with government sponsors, the Center Chief Engineer fosters cross-cutting collaboration, develops technical capabilities, and advances solutions that maximize mission impact.

Job Description:

The D&S Center CE partners with the Vice President, Operations Manager, Division Directors, and Division Chief Engineers to establish the Center's technical strategy and ensure technical excellence across the portfolio. The Center CE provides enterprise technical leadership by shaping strategic investments, shaping MITRE's technical strategy, stewarding MITRE's technical capabilities, strengthening engineering practices, guiding technical workforce development, managing MITRE's external facing mission impact messagin, and promoting collaboration across MITRE's Business Organizations, Resource Organizations, and Independent Research and Development program.

This role serves as the senior technical authority for the Center, ensuring that investments, programs, and technical capabilities align with MITRE, Sector, and Center priorities while delivering measurable mission outcomes for sponsors.

Roles & Responsibilities:

Technical Strategy & Innovation

• Define and execute the Center's technical strategy in alignment with Center, Sector, and corporate priorities.
• Shape the technical portfolio by identifying emerging mission needs, developing new capabilities, and guiding strategic investments.
• Partner with MITRE Independent Research and Development (IR&D) program leadership, research leads, and enterprise technical leaders to mature and transition high-impact research into sponsor solutions.
• Promote enterprise collaboration to leverage MITRE platforms, reusable capabilities, and cross-cutting technical expertise.
• Contribute to MITRE's technical strategy
• Ensure proper delivery of CPARs, Comprehensive Reviews, and other official documentation and contractual obligations associated with technical quality and mission impact

Technical Leadership & Quality

• Establish and continuously improve the Center's technical quality framework, engineering practices, and technical standards via management of the Continuous Baseline Review Process.
• Lead the D&S Engineering Council and foster a culture of technical excellence, learning, and continuous improvement. Represent D&S and MNS interests in the Capability and Engineering Council to ensure alignment and representation of corporate integrated capabilities across MNS work programs.
• Provide independent technical oversight of critical programs, products, and investments, including technical assessments and reviews.
• Partner with Division Chief Engineers to strengthen technical execution and ensure consistent engineering rigor across the portfolio.
• Contribute to MITRE's technical strategy

Mission Impact & Sponsor Value

• Ensure the Center's technical portfolio delivers measurable mission outcomes and advances sponsor priorities, including the collection and management of Center-wide impact stories.
• Guide technical planning and Mission Value Chain development to maximize strategic impact across programs.
• Serve as a trusted technical advisor to senior government sponsors and MITRE leadership.
• Represent MITRE in technical communities, strengthening the organization's external reputation and influence.

Workforce & Organizational Development

• Mentor and develop senior technical staff, Chief Engineers, and emerging technical leaders.
• Contribute to workforce planning, succession planning, hiring, and professional development across the Center.
• Foster a collaborative engineering culture that supports innovation, technical growth, and knowledge sharing.

Enterprise Leadership & Partnerships

• Lead strategic technical initiatives that span Divisions, Centers, Sectors, and external partners. Responsible for managing, enabling, and accelerating industry partnerships aligned to our direct work program to enhance overall mission outcomes.
• Build and maintain collaborative relationships across government, industry, FFRDCs, UARCs, national laboratories, and academia.
• Partner with the D&S Center Operations Manager to assess organizational performance, technical health, and progress toward strategic objectives.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree with 15 years of related experience, Master's degree with 12 years of related experience, or PhD with 10 years of related experience in engineering, computer science, or another STEM discipline.
• Demonstrated success leading large technical organizations or engineering teams in support of complex national security missions.
• Proven technical leadership with experience defining strategy, shaping technical portfolios, and delivering innovative engineering solutions.
• Experience building collaborative technical work programs across organizations and integrating expertise from multiple technical disciplines.
• Strong systems engineering background, including enterprise or model-based systems engineering and systems integration.
• Demonstrated ability to establish engineering standards, assess technical quality, and lead independent technical reviews.
• Exceptional leadership, communication, collaboration, and influencing skills with the ability to mentor senior technical staff and build high-performing technical organizations.
• Demonstrated success developing new sponsor relationships, expanding technical portfolios, and growing organizational impact.
• Must have an active Top Secret U.S Government issued Security Clearance with the ability 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.

Preferred Qualifications

• Nationally recognized technical expertise in one or more areas such as command and control, architecture, modeling and simulation, strategic cyber, ISR, sensing, radar, communications, networking, autonomy, artificial intelligence, or systems engineering.
• Experience serving on technical advisory boards, scientific advisory committees, or equivalent national-level technical organizations.
• Demonstrated success leading independent technical assessments, red teams, or enterprise-level engineering reviews.
• Experience guiding research investments and transitioning advanced technologies into operational capability.
• Experience leading technical strategy within an FFRDC, Department of Defense organization, or similarly complex mission-driven enterprise.

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/SCI

Salary compensation range and midpoint:

$226,400 - $283,000 - $339,600 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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