PAE MS Project Leader

The Project Leader will provide overall direction and accountability for sponsor outcomes across efforts involving end-to-end NC3 modeling and threat analysis, Zero Trust protection of Qualifying NC3 Information (QNI), supply chain risk management, resilient communications for nuclear mission systems, mission effects and requirements analysis, and independent assessment of information exchange requirements. The role requires strong sponsor engagement, integrated project leadership, sound technical judgment, disciplined execution, and the ability to connect work across MITRE to produce decision-quality outcomes.

Roles & Responsibilities

• Provide overall leadership and accountability for project execution and sponsor outcomes, establishing project vision, objectives, priorities, success criteria, and an integrated technical strategy aligned with sponsor needs and MITRE's FFRDC role.
• Lead and integrate Deputy Project Leaders, Task Leaders, and multidisciplinary technical staff across NC3 systems engineering, mission engineering, cybersecurity and Zero Trust, communications, threat analysis, supply chain risk management, requirements analysis, and enterprise systems engineering.
• Build and maintain trusted sponsor relationships, receive and validate formal sponsor tasks, translate emerging mission needs into executable work, and communicate project status, risks, accomplishments, recommendations, and opportunities to senior government and MITRE stakeholders.
• Own project execution across scope, staffing, schedules, budgets, funding, dependencies, and risks, using MITRE processes and tools to maintain situational awareness and deliver high-quality outcomes on schedule and within available resources.
• Ensure technical quality, mission relevance, and integration of analyses and deliverables, including end-to-end models, threat and gap analyses, reference implementations, technical guidance, performance metrics, vendor assessments, test plans, architecture recommendations, and decision products.
• Connect related work across MITRE departments, centers, Navy stakeholders, and mission partners to leverage expertise, reduce duplication, identify cross-project dependencies, and create additional sponsor impact consistent with MITRE's role.
• Develop the project leadership bench by mentoring Deputy Project Leaders, Task Leaders, and technical staff, fostering an inclusive and collaborative team environment.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Systems Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Communications Engineering, Computer Science, Cybersecurity, Mathematics, Data Science, or a related technical field, with experience appropriate for the Principal career step.
• Demonstrated experience leading sponsor-facing technical projects or major workstreams, including establishing objectives, coordinating multidisciplinary teams, managing priorities and dependencies, and delivering results against defined mission outcomes.
• Demonstrated systems engineering or mission engineering experience applied to complex defense, national security, C4I, communications, cyber, or mission systems, including the ability to evaluate technical alternatives and translate analysis into actionable recommendations.
• Demonstrated ability to manage project execution factors such as scope, staffing, schedule, budget or resources, technical risk, and quality while maintaining effective communication with sponsors and organizational leadership.
• Strong written, verbal, presentation, facilitation, and interpersonal communication skills, including experience communicating complex technical and programmatic issues to senior stakeholders.
• 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.
• Ability to work effectively across geographically dispersed teams and support a minimum of 3 days per week on-site.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's or PhD in Systems Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Communications Engineering, Computer Science, Cybersecurity, Mathematics, Data Science, or a related technical field.
• Active TS/SCI clearance.
• Experience with Nuclear Command, Control, and Communications (NC3), nuclear deterrence missions, strategic communications, or Navy nuclear mission systems.
• Experience with one or more of the following: mission engineering, model-based systems engineering, C4ISR/C4I architectures, resilient communications, operational or threat analysis, Zero Trust, information protection, supply chain risk management, requirements analysis, or test and evaluation.
• Experience leading integrated technical portfolios spanning multiple tasks, sponsors, organizations, or technical disciplines, with responsibility for project planning, financial execution, risk management, and delivery quality.
• Experience supporting Navy or joint mission systems and working with senior government sponsors, acquisition organizations, operational stakeholders, or the U.S. Intelligence Community.
• Experience mentoring technical leaders and developing staff through project execution, peer review, sponsor engagement, and increasing levels of leadership responsibility.