Job Information
The MITRE Corporation Principal Aviation System Engineer in McLean, Virginia
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Department Summary:
The Advanced Transportation Operations Network Management department is seeking a seasoned technical leader to oversee a portfolio of research projects aimed at advancing air transportation management to ensure safe, efficient, secure, and resilient end-to-end operations. The ideal candidate will possess a proven track record in technical leadership, multi-disciplinary team management, rapid prototyping and evaluation, business exploration support, critical thinking, and cross-domain collaboration. This role involves leading projects within the department's focus areas, delivering high-quality technical work products that align with sponsor strategic and project-level outcomes. While project leadership responsibilities may be part-time, the selected individual is expected to maintain a significant technical contribution to the department's work areas, whether through direct or indirect MITRE project work.
Roles & Responsibilities:
Project Leadership: Define, scope, plan, and execute research projects involving concept development, requirement definition, rapid prototyping, data capability integration, and end-user evaluation.
Technical Guidance: Provide expert technical guidance to staff members to ensure timely execution of project plans and impactful results.
Strategic Collaboration: Work closely with Department and Division leadership to evolve work programs by anticipating future priorities and applying innovative thinking to maximize impact.
Stakeholder Engagement: Develop strong working relationships with sponsors and industry partners to understand their challenges, strategize solutions, and propose insightful, actionable research ideas.
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.
8+ year experience in leading projects and people, with a focus on motivating and developing others.
8+ years experience with applying innovative solutions across various technical domains to address challenging research problems.
Experience in building, retaining, and growing high-performance project staff and leading teams in a hybrid work environment.
Experience supporting Federal Aviation Administration and/or Department of Transportation organizations or initiatives.
A strong understanding of the mission and capability needs of the Federal Aviation Administration and/or Department of Transportation.
This position requires a minimum of 50% hybrid on-site
Preferred Qualifications:
A minimum of 10 years of related experience with a Bachelor’s degree; or 8 years with a Master’s degree; or a PhD with 5 years’ experience; or an equivalent combination of related education and work experience in areas such as weather impact modeling, air traffic flow management, air traffic operations, or airline operations.
Experience in identifying and developing new work opportunities in alignment with organizational strategy.
Demonstrated experience in research and development related to advanced air mobility, unmanned aircraft systems, or next-generation air traffic management systems.
Familiarity with emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data analytics as applied to transportation systems.
Proven ability to engage with cross-functional teams and stakeholders to drive innovation and achieve strategic goals.
Experience in securing funding for research initiatives and managing budgets effectively.
Demonstrated agility, risk-taking, and responsiveness to high-priority needs.
This position requires the candidate to meet eligibility requirements for FAA Suitability. The work location is hybrid, requiring a blend of on-site and remote work. The successful candidate will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of air transportation management through innovative research and strategic collaboration.
This requisition requires the candidate to have a minimum of the following clearance(s):
Suitability - FAA
This requisition requires the hired candidate to have or obtain, within one year from the date of hire, the following clearance(s):
Suitability - FAA
Work Location Type:
Hybrid
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