Distinguished Engineer

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MITRE Labs' Strategy & Operations organization provides independent, senior technical leadership and executive-level advisory support that strengthens mission impact across federal sponsors. The team serves as a visible technical authority for high ‑impact sponsor engagements and congressional assessments, informs research and capability investment decisions, and reinforces internal governance and board advisory functions. In this part‑time, on call capacity, the Distinguished Engineer surges to critical priorities, bringing objective, systems-level judgment to complex, multi‑domain challenges.

Success is defined by the timely delivery of rigorous, evidence-based technical assessments and red team reports; clear, actionable recommendations that guide sponsor decisions and MITRE investment choices; measurable improvements in proposal competitiveness, investment prioritization, and technical risk reduction; and effective engagement with internal councils and board committees that leads to adoption of recommendations and demonstrably stronger governance outcomes.

Roles & Responsibilities:

• Lead high impact, visible sponsor projects, including independent technical assessments commissioned by MITRE sponsors or Congress; act as the technical lead and principal author for findings and recommendations.
• Support proposal teams and proposal strategy; perform red team assessments of major proposals and FFRDC comprehensive reviews to sharpen technical approaches and reduce program risk.
• Provide independent, objective input into MITRE's technology, capability, and research investment processes, including portfolio prioritization, tradeoff analyses, and assessment of strategic risk and value.
• Engage with MITRE governance infrastructure, internal councils and forums, and support Board functions such as the board's Technology and Operational Risk Committee (TORC) and S&T Advisory Committee (STAC).
• Advise MITRE Labs and enterprise leaders on technical strategy, systems engineering approaches, architecture, mission assurance, and operational risk across multi‑domain systems.
• Represent MITRE in high-level stakeholder forums with federal sponsors, congressional staff, and allied organizations; deliver clear, evidence-based briefings and testimony when required.
• Mentor and advise technical staff and leaders across MITRE Labs; contribute to development of technical roadmaps, capability portfolios, and standards of practice.
• Produce high quality deliverables: assessments, white papers, red team reports, executive briefings, and recommendations that are defensible to sponsors and external stakeholders.
• Contribute to operational optimization efforts across MITRE Labs and sponsor engagements by assessing end-to-end workflows, identifying bottlenecks, establishing performance baselines and KPIs, and aligning strategic planning cycles with mission priorities and investment decisions; deliver actionable recommendations that improve throughput, quality, and risk resilience.

Basic Qualifications:

• Requires a minimum of 15+ years of progressive operational and systems engineering leadership in government, industry, or FFRDC environments, with demonstrated ability to lead large, complex technical efforts.
• Advanced degree (Master's or PhD) in engineering, systems engineering, computer science, or a related STEM discipline, or equivalent experience.
• Experience in FFRDCs, government research labs, or similar not-for-profit research organizations.
• Prior service as a chief engineer, chief technologist, senior strategic technical advisor, or equivalent recognized technical authority.
• Documented experience conducting independent technical assessments and reviews for federal sponsors or congressional inquiries, and conducting red team or independent validation of major proposals and program plans.
• Proven expertise in operational optimization and enterprise strategic planning within mission-critical, multi-domain environments (e.g., FFRDCs, federal R&D, defense), including designing and implementing metrics-driven improvements, portfolio planning, and change management; ability to synthesize technical and business factors into actionable strategies for senior leadership and board governance.
• Deep expertise in systems engineering, system-of-systems architecture, acquisition & operations for mission critical systems, and application of engineering judgment to strategic technical decisions.
• Proven ability to provide independent, non-advocate technical advice to senior leadership and governance bodies; excellent written and oral communication skills for executive and congressional audiences.
• Active Top-Secret SCI Clearance with a current CI Poly.
• This position requires a minimum of 50% hybrid on-site presence.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Prior experience with defense acquisition and Defense Acquisition University programs.
• Track record of advising senior boards or advisory committees and familiarity with board-level technology and risk reviews.
• Executive education in strategy, technology management, or related fields; established relationships with federal sponsors and technical leadership across government agencies.

This requisition requires the candidate to have a minimum of the following clearance(s):
Top Secret/SCI/Polygraph

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/Polygraph

Work Location Type:
Hybrid

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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