Principal PNT Engineer / Task Leader

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.

MITRE is seeking a Principal level Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) Engineer to join MITRE Technology and Engineering (L652). This individual will serve as a technical leader, task leader, and trusted advisor across a portfolio of national security and public sector sponsors. The successful candidate will lead and manage complex technical efforts, engage directly with warfighting and defense sponsors, and help identify and cultivate new business opportunities aligned with emerging mission needs.

This role requires deep technical understanding of PNT systems and technologies, combined with strong sponsor engagement, program development, and cross-organizational collaboration skills. The candidate will work within L652 while partnering closely with leaders across MITRE National Security (MNS) and MITRE Public Sector (MPS) to shape, execute, and grow impactful work.

Roles & Responsibilities:

• Lead and manage technical projects focused on PNT, resilient navigation, and timing for defense and government sponsors.
• Serve as a senior technical advisor to sponsors, helping them assess operational needs, technology options, system tradeoffs, and transition pathways.
• Apply expertise in PNT technologies, including GPS/GNSS, alternative and complementary RF navigation systems, inertial navigation, precision timing, atomic clocks, and emerging resilient PNT approaches.
• Evaluate the suitability of existing and emerging technologies for specific agency missions, operational environments, platforms, and threat conditions.
• Engage directly with national security sponsors to understand mission challenges, shape technical strategies, and deliver high-value mission outcomes.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with sponsors, government stakeholders, and MITRE collaborators across departments and centers.
• Identify, develop, and help capture new work opportunities by aligning MITRE capabilities with evolving sponsor priorities and mission gaps.
• Lead multidisciplinary teams and coordinate technical contributions across systems engineering, modeling and simulation, prototyping, experimentation, and operational analysis.
• Contribute to strategic planning for PNT-related work across MITRE, helping grow MITRE's impact in navigation warfare, assured PNT, and platform/system modernization.
• Communicate complex technical concepts clearly to technical, operational, and executive audiences through briefings, white papers, technical reviews, and sponsor engagements.

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in engineering, physics, mathematics, computer science, or a related technical field with 10+ years of relevant professional experience; or a Master's degree with 8+ years of experience; or a PhD with 5+ years of experience.
• Significant professional experience in positioning, navigation, and timing, navigation systems, timing systems, or closely related mission/system domains.
• Demonstrated experience leading and managing complex technical projects, programs, or task portfolios.
• Experience interacting directly with government sponsors and stakeholders, particularly within the defense, national security, or warfighting community.
• Demonstrated ability to evaluate technical solutions in the context of sponsor missions, operational concepts, platforms, constraints, and threats.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to brief senior government and technical leadership.
• Ability to work collaboratively across organizational boundaries and lead multidisciplinary teams.
• Active security clearance or ability to obtain and maintain one.
• 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 50% hybrid on-site

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master's degree or PhD in electrical engineering, aerospace engineering, systems engineering, physics, applied mathematics, or a related field.
• Deep familiarity with one or more of the following: GPS/GNSS, RF navigation, signals of opportunity, inertial navigation systems, timing distribution, atomic clocks, assured/resilient PNT, EW impacts on PNT, navigation warfare, or contested/degraded environments.
• Domain experience supporting multiple Department of Defense agencies, military services, combatant commands, or related mission organizations.
• Understanding of defense missions, concepts of operation, and platform domains such as air, land, maritime, space, missile, or dismounted systems.
• Experience helping shape strategy, develop new business, and grow sponsor portfolios.
• Experience with technology assessment, system architecture, mission engineering, experimentation, modeling and simulation, requirements analysis, or transition planning.

This requisition requires the candidate to have a minimum of the following clearance(s):
None

This requisition requires the hired candidate to have or obtain, within one year from the date of hire, the following clearance(s):
Secret

Salary compensation range and midpoint:
$173,200 - $216,500 - $259,800 Annual

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.

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.