Lead GPS Space Systems Engineer

About the role

MITRE’s N114 Resilient Warfighter Space Services Department is committed to ensuring resilient space capabilities that enable joint warfighting across all domains. By combining operational understanding, technical excellence, and cross-enterprise collaboration, our team conducts research, systems engineering, analysis, and prototyping to provide senior government leaders with data-driven insights that strengthen national security space capabilities. Our portfolio focuses on resilient Satellite Communications (SATCOM) and Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT), advancing innovative solutions that enhance the effectiveness and resilience of joint warfighters across all domains.

This position is located at Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado Springs, CO, where you’ll play a crucial part in shaping the future of GPS by supporting various aspects of its development. Your work directly contributes to mission continuity, operational effectiveness, and the long-term evolution of the GPS enterprise.

Responsibilities

• Engage directly with government sponsors and mission stakeholders to understand operational needs, technical priorities, constraints, and modernization objectives.
• Perform independent technical assessments and provide recommendations on GPS operational performance, navigation message implementation, and signal-in-space (SIS) performance to support mission success.
• Work directly on-site with government and contractor engineering teams to identify capability gaps, technical risks, integration challenges, and opportunities for incremental delivery.
• Assess and advise on GPS Space Vehicle (SV) operations, sustainment, modernization, and integration efforts across the control segment and operational enterprise while ensuring mission continuity and operational readiness.
• Evaluate the operational impacts of satellite configuration changes, software and hardware upgrades, navigation message implementations, requirements changes, and sustainment activities on enterprise performance.
• Evaluate technical approaches for spacecraft command and control, telemetry, tracking and commanding (TT&C), cybersecurity, cryptographic key management, configuration management, and spacecraft sustainment to identify risks and recommend improvements.
• Provide technical guidance to government stakeholders on GPS constellation management, orbital analysis and slot management, spacecraft health and status monitoring, requirements development, and operational risk mitigation.
• Communicate engineering tradeoffs, risks, and recommendations clearly to both technical teams and mission stakeholders.

Qualifications

Basic Qualifications

• Typically requires a minimum of 8 years of related experience with a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Math, Physics, or related technical discipline; or 6 years and a Master’s degree; or a PhD with 3 years’ experience; or equivalent combination of related education and work experience.
• Demonstrated understanding of GPS space vehicles (SVs), including experience supporting on-orbit spacecraft operations, satellite development, or spacecraft acquisition and sustainment programs.
• Experience supporting space system operations, acquisition, systems engineering, integration, test, or sustainment activities.
• Understanding of systems engineering principles, lifecycle management, and transition-to-operations activities for space systems.
• Ability to work on-site at Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado Springs, CO and collaborate directly with government sponsor and contractor technical teams.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with government, contractors, and Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC) stakeholders to deliver objective technical assessments and recommendations.
• Must be eligible to obtain and maintain a Secret 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 4 days a week on-site.

Preferred Qualifications

• Active Secret clearance with the ability to obtain TS/SCI.
• Experience engaging with government sponsors to shape technical direction, define requirements, prioritize work, and develop actionable solution paths.
• Knowledge of spacecraft cybersecurity, cyber risk management and cyber-resilient operational practices for space systems, along with established working relationships across the GPS operational, sustainment, acquisition, and user communities.
• Experience supporting GPS operational activities, including assignment to or direct support of the 2nd Navigation Warfare Squadron (2 NWS) or comparable operational organizations.
• Working knowledge of GPS operational concepts, including space vehicle operations, control segment operations, mission planning, navigation message implementation (MNAV/CNAV), signal-in-space (SIS) performance, constellation management, orbital analysis, slot management, and launch integration.
• Experience supporting GPS spacecraft sustainment, including telemetry, tracking and commanding (TT&C), cryptographic key management, configuration management, software and hardware upgrades, anomaly resolution, and fleet-wide implementation planning.
• Experience supporting GPS test and evaluation activities, including test planning, execution, verification and validation, and the use of GPS test infrastructure such as the Modernized Receiver Test Asset (MRTA) and Modernized Signal Test Asset (MSTA).

Pay

Salary compensation range and midpoint: $146,400 - $183,000 - $219,600 annual.

Schedule

This position requires a minimum of 4 days a week on-site at Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado Springs, CO.

About MITRE

MITRE is a not-for-profit corporation chartered to work for the public interest, with no commercial conflicts to influence what we do. The R&D centers we operate for the government create lasting impact in fields as diverse as cybersecurity, healthcare, aviation, defense, and enterprise transformation. We offer competitive benefits, exceptional professional development opportunities for career growth, and a culture of innovation that embraces adaptability, collaboration, technical excellence, and people in partnership.