SOF Department Chief Engineer

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The MITRE Special Operations Department (N552) seeks a strategic-minded, technically skilled, and operationally focused Department Chief Engineer (CE) The selected candidate will play a lead role in shaping an expanding work program that reinforces MITRE's position as a trusted partner in advancing SOF success and aligns MITRE's technical expertise with mission-critical technologies and solutions that enable SOF operations.

The N552 Department operates across a globally integrated team to provide support to the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) Headquarters, Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), the Service Component Special Operations Commands (SOCs), and the Theatre Special Operations Commands (TSOCs). We work with the SOF Community to reduce risk; impact mission success; and help ensure the safe return of operators.

Responsibilities include:

The N552 Department CE is a Senior Principal Engineering position. The CE will work in partnership with the Department Manager and Project Leaders to ensure the execution of a high quality, high impact technical work program that achieves the sponsor's mission critical outcomes. The selected candidate will serve as an integral member of the SOF Leadership Team and will be expected to work in partnership with N550 division leadership to guide the technical direction, quality, and impact of current direct work; shape future work; and support the growth of our workforce. The CE will work with all SOF Project Leaders, making significant technical contributions, providing thought leadership, and developing and executing technical strategies that inform and drive capability development and innovation across the SOF work program. The CE is accountable for leading the Department's technical quality program, participating in deliverable reviews, and collaborating across MITRE National Security (MNS), MITRE Public Security (MPS), and MITRE Labs to increase the quality, efficiency, and effectiveness of N552 delivery to the sponsor. The CE is responsible for establishing technical partnerships internal and external to MITRE to further develop the N552 workforce, enhance N552 technical quality, and strategically leverage MITRE capabilities - all in furtherance of high impact solutions to our sponsor's hardest problems.

Highly competitive candidates will bring an exceptionally strong and broad technical background, including demonstrated expertise and technical leadership experience including:

Strategic Planning, Technical Quality, and Technical Impact

• Collaborate with Department leadership on development of the Department strategy, which guides technical workforce shaping, investments, and initiatives and aligns project execution with sponsor strategic objectives.
• Identify and champion opportunities to grow our work program.
• Identify and implement best practices to improve impact while achieving key sponsor outcomes.
• Lead the use of rapid prototyping, experimentation, and technical demonstrations (including in relevant SOF operational environments when appropriate) to de-risk emerging concepts, validate approaches, and accelerate transition of capabilities to the sponsor.
• Identify and leverage opportunities for integration and cross cutting opportunities across N552 projects, N550 projects, and other MITRE work programs to increase MITRE's impact across sponsor organizational boundaries and facilitate, as appropriate, knowledge sharing.
• Develop, lead, and drive the N552 technical quality program to deliver high-quality, high-impact technical solutions, prototypes, and products, informed by experimentation and operational feedback.
• Work across all N552 projects to enhance technical quality and ensure consistency of technical deliverables.
• Partner with other MITRE DMs, CEs, and PLs to achieve high impact technical delivery.
• Coordinate with MITRE Mission Centers-particularly the Strategic Non-Kinetic Effects (SNKE) Mission Center-to align the N552 technical strategy with enterprise mission objectives and to integrate non-kinetic cyber, economic, and influence capabilities into SOF-relevant concepts, prototypes, and solutions.
• Represent MITRE's capabilities, impacts, and strategic direction to senior sponsors to improve the impact of our work.
• Make significant strategic and technical contributions to the Department's work program and provide thought leadership to the department and project staff.

Staff Development and Workforce Shaping

• Support the DM and Group Leaders in defining core capability areas, recruiting and retaining a diverse and inclusive staff in those areas, and applying those staff to high impact work programs.
• Identify training and education opportunities for N552 staff and other members of our work program.
• Support the DM and the Division Chief Engineer in developing and implementing a strategy to make N552 staff more involved and aware of work in MITRE's Internal Research and Development (IRAD) Program, with an emphasis on hands-on experimentation, prototyping, and transitioning successful IRAD efforts into the SOF work program.

Engagement Internal and External to MITRE

• Support the DM in setting and accomplishing N552 organizational objectives in support of the broader N550, Intel Center, MNS, and MITRE Good Growth strategy.
• Define and implement standards, processes, and procedures for N552 core functions that account for sponsor data handling restrictions, MITRE business system capabilities, and reducing barriers to execution.
• Mentor N552 staff and enhance their technical development and career growth.
• Support the Division Chief Engineer in their efforts to implement and respond to division and/or center- level initiatives.
• Maintain and strengthen effective staffing and capability development with MITRE Labs to enhance alignment with their technical strategies and to introduce innovative solution into the SOF work program. Ensure that MITRE Labs subject matter experts are properly leveraged in the Department's work program and technical quality program.
• Collaborate with MITRE Labs and external partners to design and execute experiments, pilots, and field evaluations that inform sponsor decisions, mature prototypes, and demonstrate mission utility in SOF-relevant environments.
• Maintain and strengthen collaboration with MITRE Mission Centers-especially the Strategic Non-Kinetic Effects (SNKE) Mission Center-to bring integrated cyber, economic, and influence expertise, wargaming, and mission engineering capabilities into the SOF work program and associated prototypes, pilots, and demonstrations.
• Maintain and strengthen existing partnerships across MITRE and develop new relationships within MITRE and, as appropriate, outside of MITRE.

Basic Qualifications:

• Must have held a Project Leader or Group Leader position (or equivalent experience)
• Bachelor's degree in a technical discipline, such as Engineering (Mechanical, Electrical, Aerospace, Manufacturing, Computer), Computer Science, or related fields and 10 years of related experience; or 8 years and a Master's degree; or a PhD with 5 years' experience; or equivalent combination of related education and work experience.
• Extensive experience with SOF and demonstrated technical leadership and technical depth supporting the special operations, defense, and intelligence communities
• Demonstrated ability to lead and develop technical talent and multidisciplinary teams to achieve solutions to complex technical challenges.

• Demonstrated ability to exemplify cultural drivers - operates with speed, urgency, and decisiveness; takes appropriate risks and bold actions; demonstrates adaptability and seeks out the hardest challenges; demonstrates collaboration, grace, and respect

• Demonstrated ability to proactively identify and successfully solve complex technical challenges across business lines and stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to apply conceptual and innovative thinking to develop multidisciplinary solutions.
• Success developing strategic relationships with senior leaders and sponsors - and converting those into impactful outcomes on critical national security initiatives, technical challenges, and priorities.
• Demonstrated ability to lead complex programs and synthesize how disparate activities support a strategic mission objective or outcome.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate highly complex technical challenges effectively.
• Demonstrated ability to work across stakeholders and resolve complex issues.
• Understanding of national security priorities and intelligence community organizational policies, priorities, and missions.
• Applicants MUST hold an active TS/SCI clearance with Polygraph to be considered.
• U.S. Citizenship required.
• This position requires a minimum of 4 days a week on-site.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Advanced degree (MS/MEng) in engineering, science, mathematics, computer science, or other related fields.
• Familiarity with national security operational environments, threats, and complexities.
• Successful participation in end-to-end system development activities from CONOPS to operations.
• Understanding of organizational policies, priorities, and missions for US Government organizations in the work program.

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: Drive 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: Take a broad approach to solving complex problems using a national and global lens. Unleash the full capabilities of our people through innovative solutions that are scalable, equitable, transferable, and sustainable.
• Cultivate Inclusion: Create 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.
• Communicate for Impact: Convey powerful messages tailored to the unique needs of stakeholders-and desired outcomes-in a style that engages and inspires action. Exemplify active listening to foster collaboration, understanding, and alignment.
• Commit to Action and Outcomes: Hold self and others accountable for acting on and achieving established objectives. Exemplify 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/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

Salary compensation range and midpoint:
$205,500 - $257,000 - $308,500 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.

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