Principal Project Leader – National Space Program – Advanced Systems & Technology

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Department Summary:

MITRE’s National Space Program brings together leading technical talent and deep mission expertise to help shape the future of space operations. We partner with organizations across the space enterprise to design, deliver, and advance next-generation capabilities that strengthen national security and support critical civil and defense missions. Through systems engineering, advanced analytics, and mission-focused research, our teams solve complex challenges, reduce risk, and accelerate innovation across the full space life cycle.

Joining the National Space Program means contributing to work of national and global importance. Our people help strengthen the digital and physical foundations that enable resilient, effective, and trusted space operations. Together, we are advancing mission assurance and empowering operators with the confidence and capabilities needed to succeed in an increasingly dynamic space environment.

Roles & Responsibilities:

MITRE is seeking a technically exceptional Principal Project Leader to support the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) Advanced Systems & Technology Directorate (AS&T). AS&T serves as a key engine for the NRO’s future capabilities, advancing the research, prototyping, experimentation, and transition of breakthrough technologies that shape the next generation of overhead reconnaissance and intelligence systems. A leader supporting AS&T execution will help guide the technical vision, development strategy, and integration of advanced space, ground, and data capabilities that strengthen the NRO’s long-term mission advantage. This includes driving innovation across future architectures, accelerating the maturation of emerging technologies, and aligning technical investments to meet evolving national security and intelligence needs.

The successful candidate will support enterprise-level technical direction across a diverse portfolio of advanced concepts and mission-enabling technologies. This includes helping evaluate system trades, refining architectural baselines, and shaping the transition of promising capabilities from concept development and demonstration into operational use. The role requires deep engagement in technology areas that are often associated with AS&T’s publicly described mission space, including advanced sensors, resilient space architectures, next-generation communications, autonomy, artificial intelligence and machine learning applications, data exploitation, enabling ground technologies, cybersecurity, microelectronics, and quantum. The candidate will help ensure that these investments are technically sound, mission-relevant, and positioned to deliver measurable impact across the full lifecycle of future NRO capabilities.

In addition to technical strategy and innovation planning, the candidate will play a critical role in synchronizing experimentation, risk reduction, and mission transition activities across NRO, government, industry, and laboratory partners. This requires leading cross-functional teams in AS&T and other NRO directorates to assess technical readiness, resolve complex integration challenges, and establish disciplined pathways for scaling advanced capabilities into high-confidence mission solutions. The leader will help oversee technical reviews, concept validation, demonstration planning, and operational transition frameworks that enable AS&T to rapidly adapt to changing threats, emerging opportunities, and demanding mission timelines.

Crucially, this leadership position requires seamless coordination across the broader Intelligence Community, the Department of War, and other U.S. Government research, acquisition, and operational organizations. The candidate will serve as a trusted technical integrator, helping connect NRO innovation efforts with joint mission needs, partner architectures, and national-level science and technology priorities. By aligning advanced technology development with mission outcomes and fostering collaboration across the national security space enterprise, the leader will help ensure that the NRO’s Advanced Systems & Technology Directorate remains at the forefront of delivering innovative, resilient, and strategically decisive intelligence capabilities.

The selected candidate will be expected to:

• Provide strategic and technical leadership as a trusted advisor to the sponsor and help shape the full scope of work for a systems engineering team supporting AS&T’s mission of advancing next-generation overhead intelligence capabilities through research, prototyping, experimentation, and technology transition
• Build and sustain strong relationships with AS&T senior leadership, division leadership, branch chiefs, and government stakeholders across the NRO, Intelligence Community, Department of War, and broader national security space and technology enterprise
• Define and execute technical objectives based on sponsor priorities and mission outcomes, with emphasis on areas where MITRE can provide high-value support to future architecture development, advanced concept evaluation, risk reduction, and the maturation of emerging technologies for operational transition
• Translate overall project strategy into clear, actionable outcomes, deliverables, technical assessments, architecture products, and engineering recommendations that support AS&T’s role in shaping future space, ground, communications, and data capabilities
• Identify and integrate relevant research, innovation, and experimentation efforts from across MITRE, including internal research and development programs, to strengthen sponsor decision-making in areas such as advanced sensors, resilient architectures, autonomy, AI/ML-enabled mission applications, data exploitation, and other mission-enabling technologies associated with AS&T’s innovation portfolio
• Support the assessment of emerging technologies and mission concepts by leading studies, trade analyses, technical evaluations, and prototype-informed recommendations that help determine feasibility, mission utility, architectural fit, and transition potential
• Ensure the technical quality of products and recommendations by establishing clear team expectations aligned with division quality practices, conducting in-progress reviews, incorporating peer review, implementing effective knowledge management, and participating in regular program execution reviews
• Partner with MITRE staff resourcing organizations to develop and execute a mission-focused staffing strategy that aligns the right technical talent to AS&T priorities spanning systems engineering, space systems, ground systems, advanced analytics, communications, software, and emerging technology domains
• Collaborate across MITRE and with sponsors to identify, assess, and inform mission, architecture, and technology trade space decisions related to future NRO capabilities, including options for prototyping, experimentation, integration, and transition into acquisition or operational programs
• Help connect MITRE expertise to AS&T’s engagement with external research, development, and industrial partners by supporting collaboration across government laboratories, federally funded research and development centers, industry, and other mission stakeholders involved in advancing innovative national security technologies
• Lead project administration activities, including financial tracking, project documentation, meeting coordination, status reporting, facility management, task tracking, and contributor expectation setting
• Oversee staff management activities, including onboarding and access coordination for required systems, networks, collaboration environments, and classified facilities
• Collaborate across the AS&T work program with other Project Leaders to ensure cohesive, well-aligned delivery across research, advanced studies, prototyping, experimentation, mission engineering, and transition support efforts

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
• Background or experience with the National Reconnaissance Office, its strategy, missions, priorities, and role within the broader national security space and Intelligence Community enterprise
• Typically requires a degree in systems engineering, aerospace engineering, electrical engineering, computer science, software engineering, physics, applied mathematics, data science, mechanical engineering, cybersecurity, or a related technical discipline, along with a strong technical background relevant to advanced mission systems
• Understanding of space-related physics, engineering, and mission concepts, such as orbital mechanics, satellite systems, space-based ISR, satellite communications, resilient space architectures, space domain awareness, or related topics relevant to future NRO mission capabilities
• Knowledge of systems engineering principles and the ability to support advanced concept development, technical trade studies, architecture analysis, requirements development, and technology maturation activities
• Knowledge of enterprise and mission data architectures, including how data, analytics, and digital capabilities support mission performance, integration, and decision-making
• Ability to proactively formulate key analytical questions to drive modeling, simulation, experimentation, prototyping, and technical risk reduction for emerging mission capabilities
• Proficiency in the roles of DoW, IC, and national security space stakeholders in the research, development, acquisition, transition, and operational lifecycle of advanced systems, and the ability to work across organizational boundaries to achieve strategic objectives
• Experience conducting, interpreting, and presenting technical studies, engineering analyses, or architectural assessments to senior decision-makers to inform action and mission outcomes
• Ability to operate effectively in a highly collaborative, multidisciplinary environment spanning advanced technology, systems engineering, acquisition, and mission operations communities
• Must have an active Top Secret/SCI with CI Polygraph 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 requires a minimum of 5 days a week on-site

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s or PhD with research experience in one or more of the technical fields referenced above
• Experience with advanced research, prototyping, experimentation, technology demonstration, or transition of emerging capabilities into acquisition or operational environments
• Experience with artificial intelligence and machine learning, including AI strategy, engineering applications, autonomy, advanced analytics, or data-driven mission decision support
• Experience with cybersecurity and secure architectures for space, ground, software, communications, or enterprise systems
• Knowledge of intelligence operations, the intelligence lifecycle, and intelligence systems, especially as they relate to overhead reconnaissance, mission integration, and future intelligence capabilities
• Experience supporting mission engineering, future architecture development, concept of operations development, or cross-domain integration for space, ground, communications, and data-intensive systems
• Experience working with government laboratories, FFRDCs, industry, or other mission partners in support of research, development, and transition of innovative national security technologies
• Experience assessing emerging technologies for mission utility, technical readiness, architectural fit, operational relevance, and transition potential

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):

Not Applicable

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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