USSOUTHCOM Project Leader

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The MITRE NORAD/NORTHCOM, SOUTHCOM, and STRATCOM Department (N558) is seeking a strategic, technically accomplished, and operationally focused USSOUTHCOM Project Leader. The selected candidate will lead and grow a diverse work program supporting Headquarters U.S. Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM) and related mission partners, including Joint Interagency Task Force South (JIATF-S), Joint Task Force-Western Hemisphere (JTF-WHM), and the SOUTHCOM Autonomous Warfare Command (SAWC).

The Project Leader will play a critical role in strengthening MITRE's position as a trusted partner in Western Hemisphere security, integrated deterrence, countering transnational criminal organizations, counter-illicit trafficking, regional security cooperation, crisis response, domain awareness, cyber and network resiliency, data-driven decision support, and operational integration of autonomous and uncrewed capabilities.

As a member of the N558 leadership team, the Project Leader will collaborate with geographically distributed MITRE staff and leaders across the corporation to address complex defense, interagency, and partner-nation challenges. Working in partnership with the U.S. Department of War, USSOUTHCOM, subordinate and joint task forces, interagency organizations, and international partners, the Project Leader will bring together systems engineering, mission engineering, modeling and simulation, operational analysis, data analytics, command and control expertise, and other technical disciplines to deliver sponsor outcomes.

Roles and Responsibilities

• Provide strategic, technical, and operational leadership across a USSOUTHCOM-focused work program supporting Headquarters USSOUTHCOM, JIATF-S, JTF-WHM, SAWC, and other regional mission partners.
• Apply knowledge of systems engineering, mission engineering, command and control, joint and combined operations, intelligence capabilities and processes, operational analysis, data analytics, cyber resilience, logistics, capability development, experimentation, autonomy, and air, maritime, land, space, cyber, and information-domain mission challenges.
• Maintain a deep understanding of USSOUTHCOM missions, authorities, organizational structures, headquarters functions, subordinate commands, joint task forces, interagency relationships, and partner-nation mission priorities.
• Partner with senior military, civilian, interagency, and international sponsors to identify mission needs, define desired outcomes, shape project tasks, and establish technically sound deliverables that enable sponsor success.
• Collaborate across the Combatant Commands and MITRE work programs to identify common mission challenges, share lessons learned, leverage existing investments, and adapt proven approaches for USSOUTHCOM, JIATF-S, JTF-WHM, SAWC, and Western Hemisphere mission needs.
• Strengthen partnerships with industry, academia, government laboratories, federally funded research and development centers, and other innovation partners to rapidly identify, mature, and transition emerging technologies and operational capabilities that accelerate sponsor outcomes.
• Lead and support rapid prototyping, experimentation, demonstrations, exercises, operational assessments, and mission-analysis activities to validate concepts, inform requirements, reduce technical and operational risk, and accelerate the transition of innovative capabilities into operational use.
• Lead and integrate multiple project tasks in accordance with MITRE technical quality processes while meeting scope, schedule, staffing, financial, and contractual commitments.
• Develop and sustain trusted relationships with senior sponsors, including SES and GO/FO leaders, Government Project Leads, department and division leadership, peer MITRE Project Leaders, Department Managers, Chief Engineers, and other internal and external stakeholders.
• Serve as the primary MITRE interface for assigned sponsors, ensuring clear communication of project status, technical findings, risks, recommendations, and emerging opportunities.
• Build, grow, and lead a cohesive, geographically distributed, multidisciplinary, and high-performing MITRE team. Establish clear expectations for staff, including roles, sponsor engagement, technical quality, deliverable content, schedules, and professional development.
• Coordinate across MITRE to identify, assign, and deploy personnel with the technical, operational, and leadership expertise needed to meet sponsor requirements. Leverage corporate reach-back to bring the full depth and breadth of MITRE capabilities to sponsor challenges.
• Leverage MITRE's enterprise-wide investments, technical expertise, and operational experience across Combatant Commands to adapt proven solutions for USSOUTHCOM missions while identifying opportunities to transition successful capabilities, methodologies, and analytic approaches across the sponsor portfolio.
• Partner with the Department Chief Engineer and other technical leaders to ensure project activities and deliverables are technically rigorous, objective, traceable, and consistent with MITRE quality standards.
• Support leadership in developing department and division strategies, identifying emerging sponsor needs, shaping new work opportunities, and positioning MITRE to address future Western Hemisphere security, integrated deterrence, counter-illicit trafficking, crisis response, and autonomy-enabled mission challenges.
• Perform project administration, contract management, staffing forecasts, budget development, financial planning, risk management, and performance monitoring. Support Program Execution Reviews and provide MITRE leadership with accurate insight into project health, outcomes, and risks.

Basic Qualifications

• Typically requires a minimum of 10 years of related experience with a Bachelor's degree; or 8 years and a Master's degree; or a PhD with 5 years' experience; or equivalent combination of related education and work experience.
• Demonstrated experience leading technical projects, multidisciplinary teams, or complex work programs in support of a Combatant Command, joint organization, military service, defense agency, interagency organization, or related national security mission.
• Demonstrated knowledge of Combatant Command roles, missions, authorities, planning processes, and organizational relationships, with familiarity with USSOUTHCOM missions, Western Hemisphere security challenges, and interagency or partner-nation coordination.
• Experience partnering with senior military and civilian leaders to define mission needs, develop project outcomes, and deliver technical products or recommendations that support operational and strategic decisions.
• Demonstrated ability to manage project scope, schedule, staffing, technical quality, risk, budget, and sponsor expectations across multiple concurrent tasks.
• Experience developing requirements, concepts, experimentation activities, or integration approaches for new capabilities that address operational needs, including efforts such as Joint Capability Technology Demonstrations, Joint Urgent Operational Needs, Initial Capabilities Documents, or comparable capability-development processes.
• Understanding of the roles and relationships among Combatant Commands, subordinate and component commands, military services, acquisition organizations, defense agencies, intelligence organizations, interagency partners, and international mission partners.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain complex technical and operational issues to senior leaders and stakeholders with varying levels of technical expertise.
• Demonstrated ability to build trusted sponsor relationships, lead geographically distributed teams, and collaborate effectively across organizational boundaries.
• Travel as required to support sponsors and geographically distributed project activities.
• 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 has an on-site requirement of 5 days a week on-site.

Preferred Qualifications

• Direct experience supporting Headquarters USSOUTHCOM, JIATF-S, JTF-WHM, SAWC, U.S. military service components, interagency partners, or partner-nation organizations in the Western Hemisphere.
• Experience supporting counter-transnational criminal organization, counterdrug, counter-illicit trafficking, maritime interdiction, air and maritime domain awareness, border security, crisis response, security cooperation, humanitarian assistance and disaster response, or partner-nation capacity-building missions.
• Experience with autonomous or uncrewed systems, human-machine teaming, artificial intelligence-enabled operations, experimentation, rapid prototyping, or operational concept development relevant to SAWC or similar initiatives.
• Experience applying systems engineering, mission engineering, model-based systems engineering, modeling and simulation, operational analysis, campaign analysis, data analytics, or analysis of alternatives at the joint or Combatant Command level.
• Master's degree in a technical or operational discipline such as engineering, computer science, operations research, mathematics, data analytics, physical science, national security studies, international relations, regional studies, or a related field.
• Prior experience as a MITRE Project Leader, Outcome Leader, Task Leader, Chief Engineer, Technical Integrator, Group Leader, or in a comparable technical program leadership role.
• Prior Combatant Command experience supporting intelligence, operations, logistics, plans and policy, command and control, communications, resource advocacy, capability development, assessment, experimentation, or security cooperation functions.
• Experience developing and growing sponsor work programs, shaping new project opportunities, or establishing partnerships that connect sponsor challenges with MITRE capabilities.
• Experience leading teams that use modeling and simulation, data analytics, mission engineering, digital engineering, artificial intelligence, autonomy, or other advanced technical methods to support sponsor decision-making.
• Demonstrated record of mentoring staff, developing future technical and project leaders, and building inclusive, collaborative, and high-performing teams.

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:
$162,400 - $203,000 - $243,600 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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