Lead Systems Engineer (GL)

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 Architecture Analysis Department researches, develops, and applies advanced technologies in the following Systems Engineering areas:

• Model-Based System Architecting
• Architecture Analysis
• Digital Engineering Transformation

Architecture Analysis enables digital transformation by linking stakeholder needs, operational concepts, and engineering data into an integrated digital thread. The department applies model-based system architecting to define and evolve system structures, interfaces, behaviors, and dependencies for complex systems. The department also delivers architecture analysis through trade studies and assessments of performance, risk, and system interactions to support sound design and investment decisions.

Roles & Responsibilities:

The Architecture Analysis Department is seeking a Lead Systems Engineer (Group Lead) to support government sponsors in architecting, analyzing, and advancing complex mission and enterprise systems across evolving national security environments. The selected candidate will lead the application of Model-Based System Architecting (MBSA), Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE), Architecture Analysis, and Digital Engineering methods to develop, evaluate, and evolve system architectures that enable informed engineering, acquisition, and investment decisions. Working collaboratively across technical, operational, acquisition, and programmatic stakeholders, the candidate will translate mission needs into integrated architectural solutions, engineering analyses, digital engineering artifacts, and actionable recommendations that improve mission outcomes and enable digital transformation through an authoritative digital thread.

• Lead and develop a high-performing group of systems engineers, architects, and analysts by providing coaching, performance feedback, career development, and mentoring while fostering an inclusive, collaborative, and technically excellent work environment.
• Provide technical leadership across the group's portfolio by guiding the application of Architecture Analysis, Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE), Model-Based System Architecting (MBSA), Mission Engineering, and Digital Engineering practices, ensuring the delivery of high-quality solutions that address sponsor needs.
• Build and maintain trusted relationships with government sponsors, MITRE leadership, and cross-organizational partners to identify strategic opportunities, expand sponsor impact, and shape future technical work aligned with organizational priorities.
• Grow and manage the group's portfolio by identifying new work, supporting business development, shaping technical approaches, contributing to proposals and acquisition activities, and aligning staff capabilities with emerging sponsor needs.
• Recruit, hire, develop, and retain exceptional technical talent while building a diverse workforce with expertise in systems engineering, architecture analysis, digital engineering, and related disciplines.
• Champion the advancement of Architecture Analysis capabilities by promoting innovation, establishing technical best practices, encouraging collaboration across departments, and driving the adoption of emerging methods, tools, and technologies that strengthen MITRE's impact.
• Balance people leadership with sponsor engagement by ensuring staff have meaningful development opportunities, maintaining technical excellence across projects, removing organizational barriers, and enabling successful execution of high-impact mission work.

Basic Qualifications:

• Typically requires a minimum of 8 years of related experience with a bachelor's degree; or 6 years and a master's degree; or a PhD with 3 years' experience; or equivalent combination of related education and work experience.
• Experience applying systems engineering practices to complex technical, operational, or mission-focused systems
• Experience with system design, system architecture modeling, requirements development, interface analysis, integration planning, verification and validation, and technical documentation
• Familiarity with both MBSE and traditional systems engineering approaches, including requirements analysis, functional decomposition, interface control, trade studies, risk analysis, technical reviews, and engineering decision support
• Ability to develop or review architecture products, requirements specifications, trade studies, technical plans, acquisition artifacts, and engineering recommendations
• Ability to work directly with government sponsors, program managers, technical teams, acquisition stakeholders, and mission users
• Strong analytical, verbal, and written communication skills, including the ability to define ambiguous problems, structure technical options, and brief technical concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences
• Ability to work both collaboratively and independently in a dynamic sponsor environment.
• This position requires a Top-Secret/SCI Clearance
• Per the U.S. Government's eligibility requirements for a clearance, U.S.
• This position has an on-site requirement of 4 days a week on-site

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience applying Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE), Model-Based System Architecting (MBSA), and Digital Engineering methods using SysML and modeling tools such as Cameo, MagicDraw, Rhapsody, Sparx EA, or similar platforms.
• Experience developing and maintaining SysML models and architecture artifacts, including block definition diagrams, internal block diagrams, activity diagrams, sequence diagrams, state machine diagrams, requirements diagrams, parametric models, and allocation relationships.
• Experience developing, evaluating, or applying system, enterprise, and mission architectures using architecture frameworks and methodologies (e.g., DoDAF, UAF, TOGAF, or similar), including operational, functional, logical, physical, interface, and data architecture views.
• Experience performing architecture analyses, trade studies, mission thread analyses, capability assessments, or technology evaluations to assess system performance, interoperability, resilience, technical risk, affordability, and mission effectiveness.
• Experience establishing and maintaining digital engineering environments and digital threads that integrate stakeholder needs, operational concepts, architectures, requirements, analyses, verification artifacts, and engineering data across the system lifecycle.
• Experience supporting requirements management, architecture governance, interface management, and architecture change management to ensure consistency, traceability, and technical integrity across complex engineering efforts.
• Experience advising federal government sponsors on architecture strategies, Digital Engineering transformation, system modernization, technology roadmaps, acquisition planning, or engineering approaches that support mission capability development.
• Experience supporting acquisition lifecycle activities through development of architecture-driven technical requirements, Statements of Work (SOWs), Statements of Objectives (SOOs), technical evaluation criteria, market research, source selections, or vendor assessments.
• Experience applying architecture analysis and systems engineering to software-intensive systems, cloud-native architectures, data-centric systems, artificial intelligence and machine learning, cybersecurity, digital ecosystems, or command-and-control systems.
• Experience leading technical teams, facilitating architecture workshops, conducting architecture reviews, and collaborating across multidisciplinary organizations to develop engineering recommendations and inform technical and investment decisions.
• Experience researching, developing, prototyping, or transitioning innovative architecture analysis methods, model-based architecting techniques, Digital Engineering capabilities, or emerging technologies that improve mission outcomes and engineering decision-making.

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:
$146,400 - $183,000 - $219,600 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.

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.