Associate Project Leader, Naval Digital Infrastructure & Services

The project comprises three separate but related tasks: Naval Enterprise Networks (NEN), Marine Corps Enterprise Networks (MCEN), and Manpower IT Systems Modernization (MITSM). The Associate Project Leader will support the Project Leader in shaping and executing the work program, integrating outcomes across the three tasks, coordinating major strategic and operational activities, and ensuring disciplined delivery of MITRE's commitments.

Roles & Responsibilities

• Serve as deputy and principal advisor to the Naval Digital Infrastructure & Services Project Leader.
• Support the Project Leader in setting project direction, shaping the work program, managing sponsor relationships, integrating technical outcomes, and executing the project's strategic and operational priorities.
• Function as the Project Leader during the Project Leader's absence or when authority is delegated.
• Maintain continuity of project leadership and exercise appropriate authority for sponsor engagement, project decisions, risk escalation, staffing coordination, financial oversight, technical delivery, and communication with department and division leadership.
• Support strategic, technical, acquisition, and operational leadership for the Digital Infrastructure & Services project, helping integrate NEN, MCEN, and MITSM into a coherent work program aligned with PAE MS priorities and warfighter needs.
• Maintain a deep understanding of PAE MS's mission, portfolio structure, acquisition environment, technical priorities, and customer needs.
• Work alongside the Project Leader and senior Navy and Marine Corps sponsors to identify the right problems, define desired outcomes, shape project tasks, and establish technically sound deliverables.
• Independently lead sponsor engagements and project activities when assigned or delegated by the Project Leader.
• Coordinate execution through the NEN, MCEN, and MITSM Task Leaders.
• Help establish cross-project priorities; synchronize outcomes, staffing, budgets, schedules, and shared technical resources; manage dependencies; track commitments; and ensure timely resolution of issues.
• Lead cross-cutting initiatives, planning activities, technical reviews, project execution reviews, and special assignments.
• Ensure decisions, action items, dependencies, and risks are documented, assigned, and carried through to closure.
• Connect technical products and recommendations to acquisition decisions, investment priorities, portfolio governance, and operational effects.
• Develop and sustain trusted relationships with senior military and civilian sponsors, program managers, technical directors, and other stakeholders.
• Support the Project Leader in building, leading, and shaping a cohesive, geographically distributed, multidisciplinary team of approximately 26 FTEs.
• Coordinate with Task Leaders and people leaders to understand skill demand, define resource requests, assign staff, balance resources, and maintain accurate staffing plans and forecasts.
• Partner with the Department Chief Engineer and other technical leaders to ensure project approaches, technical reviews, and deliverables are objective, data-driven, traceable, technically rigorous, and consistent with MITRE quality standards.
• Leverage MITRE's enterprise-wide projects, technical expertise, laboratories, independent research, and bodies of knowledge.
• Engage industry, academia, government laboratories, other FFRDCs, and external partners when doing so accelerates sponsor outcomes.
• Support delivery of high-quality technical products and actionable recommendations on time and within budget.
• Monitor execution across the three tasks, identify emerging risks and performance concerns, develop mitigation plans, and help ensure the project meets contractual commitments.
• Perform and oversee project administration, contract and task-order management, staffing forecasts, budget development, financial planning, risk management, performance monitoring, and project reporting.
• Provide timely performance observations and feedback to staff and their people leaders.
• Support effective onboarding, staff development, succession planning, and the development of future Task Leaders and project leaders.
• Foster a collaborative, adaptable, respectful, accountable, and high-performing project environment.
• Support the Project Leader in anticipating emerging PAE MS needs, shaping future work, connecting sponsor challenges with MITRE capabilities, and developing enduring FFRDC opportunities.

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 an equivalent combination of related education and work experience.
• Bachelor's degree in systems engineering, engineering, computer science, information systems, cybersecurity, data science, operations research, business or acquisition management, or a related technical field.
• Demonstrated Department of War acquisition experience.
• Demonstrated systems engineering experience across complex programs or enterprises.
• Demonstrated experience leading complex, multifaceted technical projects, major workstreams, or work programs.
• Demonstrated ability to serve as a trusted deputy or delegated leader.
• Experience coordinating execution through Task Leaders, workstream leads, technical leads, or other subordinate or peer leaders.
• Demonstrated ability to integrate activities across organizational boundaries, resolve competing priorities, manage dependencies, and drive commitments to closure.
• Knowledge of enterprise IT and digital infrastructure and services.
• Experience partnering with senior military and civilian leaders.
• Experience supporting project operations, including staffing and resource planning, budget or financial management, schedule and milestone management, risk and issue management, performance monitoring, contract or task-order execution, and leadership reporting.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to build trusted sponsor relationships, lead geographically distributed teams, collaborate across organizational boundaries, handle sensitive or consequential issues with discretion, and represent a senior leader or project organization credibly.
• This position is based in Quantico, Virginia, with McLean, Virginia, as an alternate work location.
• The selected candidate must be able to travel approximately 20% within the National Capital Region and to other Naval sites throughout the continental United States.
• Must possess an active Secret U.S. Government security clearance and be eligible to obtain and maintain a Top Secret clearance with access to Sensitive Compartmented Information.
• 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 4 days a week on-site.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in systems engineering, engineering, computer science, information systems, cybersecurity, data science, operations research, business or acquisition management, or a related field.
• Direct experience supporting PAE MS, the Digital Infrastructure & Services Portfolio, NEN, MCEN, MITSM, or other Navy and Marine Corps acquisition organizations.
• Experience serving as deputy, integration lead, Associate Project Leader, Task Leader, or senior technical leader for a work program comparable in scale to approximately 26 FTEs.
• Experience acting on behalf of a project or program leader, representing the organization with senior sponsors, making decisions within delegated authority, and maintaining leadership continuity.
• Experience applying enterprise Agile practices, Agile acquisition, Lean Portfolio Management, value-stream budgeting, performance measurement, organizational change, or IT service management at portfolio scale.
• Experience with secure data architecture and governance, cyber resilience engineering, risk analysis, enterprise interoperability, or continuity-of-operations planning.
• Experience applying enterprise architecture, Model-Based Systems Engineering, System-of-Systems Engineering, digital engineering, mission engineering, or the Unified Architecture Framework.
• Experience evaluating or adopting artificial intelligence and machine learning capabilities, data analytics, predictive decision support, or responsible AI practices.
• Prior experience as a MITRE Associate Project Leader, Project Leader, Task Leader, Outcome Leader, Chief Engineer, or in a comparable technical program or deputy leadership role.
• Experience shaping and sustaining high-value FFRDC work programs.
• Demonstrated record of mentoring staff, developing future technical and project leaders, providing meaningful performance feedback, and building inclusive, collaborative, and high-performing teams.