Project Leader, Assistant Secretary of the Army Acquisition Logistics and Technology

About the role

MITRE’s Army Concepts to Capabilities Department (N213) is seeking a talented and experienced leader to serve as the Army Acquisition Project Leader. The selected candidate will lead execution of MITRE’s work program in support of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology (ASA(ALT)). The Project Leader will set the technical and strategic direction of the work program; shape and execute high-impact work with the sponsor; develop and grow a diverse team of world-class technical and engineering talent; foster a culture of connection, inclusion, and collaboration; and build trusted relationships across the sponsor community, MITRE, industry, academia, and other mission partners.

The successful candidate will work closely with senior government civilian and military leaders to define, shape, and execute MITRE’s work. Regular sponsor interaction and presence in government spaces will be required, with approximately three days per week of on-site sponsor engagement at locations including Aberdeen Proving Grounds, the Pentagon, Arlington, VA, and Fort Belvoir, Virginia.

The Project Leader will be accountable to the N213 Department Manager for sponsor-facing execution, technical quality, staff integration, financial stewardship, and internal business operations. This role will embody MITRE’s mission by focusing resources on the sponsor’s most consequential problems and maximizing measurable mission value.

What success looks like

The successful Project Leader will establish and strengthen MITRE’s position as a trusted technical and strategic partner to ASA(ALT); shape a portfolio focused on the Army’s most consequential acquisition and modernization challenges; connect technical innovation from across MITRE, industry, and sponsor partners to executable acquisition, transition, and fielding pathways; and build multidisciplinary teams capable of delivering measurable mission impact.

Responsibilities

• Lead and shape MITRE’s support to Army acquisition reform, including implementation of relevant acquisition modernization initiatives, through thought leadership grounded in a strong understanding of ASA(ALT), Army acquisition organizations, and institutional Army missions.
• Build partnerships across MITRE efforts supporting Transformation and Training Command, HQDA G-8, Portfolio Acquisition Executives, Capability Portfolio leads, PEOs/PMs, and other key stakeholders.
• Initiate and lead cross-stakeholder activities addressing national mission priorities, including interoperability and integration challenges involving NGC2, counter-UAS, operational theater needs, fragmented data sharing, incompatible tactical communications networks, redundant sensor/ISR data pipelines, and cross-domain capabilities.
• Advance prototyping, experimentation, transition, and rapid-fielding opportunities by identifying promising dual-use and defense technologies; designing pilot demonstrations; developing effective data and network-integration strategies; and engaging transition partners early to enable adoption at scale by aligned PEOs, PMs, and other acquisition organizations.
• Define and lead fast-paced, high-impact work across systems engineering, concept development, data architecture and design, artificial intelligence, digital engineering, autonomy, and industrial-base security.
• Develop and nurture trusted relationships with senior defense leaders, including General Officers, Senior Executive Service leaders, and their key staff, serving as a bridge across government, MITRE, industry, and the broader innovation ecosystem.
• Identify consequential sponsor problems and grow MITRE support in high-impact areas where MITRE can provide differentiated value, including areas where direct support does not currently exist.
• Collaborate with department managers and project leaders to define a high-impact work program enabling MITRE to bring differentiated value.
• Directly contribute to the work program and ensure delivery of measurable impact against both division objectives and sponsor mission outcomes.
• Align project outcomes with MITRE’s Cross-Cutting Priorities and Build Deep Priorities, collaborating with priority leads as appropriate.
• Identify and secure the technical talent and resources necessary to execute the work; build and lead multidisciplinary teams aligned to sponsor needs.
• Provide regular, useful, timely, and complete feedback to department managers regarding staff performance and development.
• Collaborate across HQDA, other FFRDC/UARC partners, industry, contractors, academia, and other mission partners as appropriate.
• Lead by example and model MITRE’s Cultural/Behavioral Attributes: Speed, Risk Taking, Adaptability, Grace and Respect, and Collaboration.

Requirements

• Typically requires a minimum of 10 years of related experience with a Bachelor’s degree; 7 years with a Master’s degree; a PhD with 4 years of experience; or an equivalent combination of related education and work experience.
• Bachelor’s degree in Systems Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science, Operations Research, or another related technical discipline.
• Demonstrated technical leadership experience across systems engineering and one or more relevant areas such as digital engineering, mission engineering, autonomy, data architecture, modeling and simulation, cyber, or artificial intelligence.
• Demonstrated understanding of Army acquisition, modernization, and transition processes, with experience working with or supporting organizations such as ASA(ALT), PEOs/PMs, HQDA, Army Futures/Transformation organizations, or equivalent defense acquisition organizations.
• Demonstrated understanding of Army data and network modernization initiatives and architectures; familiarity with the Unified Data Reference Architecture (UDRA) or related Army data architectures is desirable.
• Technical background relevant to defense acquisition and modernization, which may include systems engineering, information technology, cyber, autonomy, MBSE, modeling and simulation, requirements, data analytics, experimentation, prototyping, and transition/fielding.
• Proven experience engaging senior sponsors, achieving measurable mission outcomes, and establishing and maintaining strategic partnerships.
• Established track record leading delivery of data-driven technical products or capabilities within the military warfighting or acquisition domain, resulting in positive mission impact.
• Demonstrated experience leading large, multidisciplinary technical teams and integrating diverse technical capabilities toward common mission outcomes.
• Demonstrated ability to shape ambiguous sponsor problems, develop executable technical approaches, and lead work in dynamic environments where objectives may evolve.
• Excellent written, verbal, interpersonal, and presentation skills, including the ability to communicate complex technical concepts persuasively to senior executives, technical audiences, and operational stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to work in an interdisciplinary team environment, establish and leverage a diverse professional network, and integrate contributions from a variety of people, tools, and organizations.
• Ability and willingness to maintain regular sponsor presence at APG, Crystal City, the Pentagon, Fort Belvoir, and other sponsor locations as mission requirements demand. The position is expected to support approximately three days per week of on-site sponsor engagement.
• Ability to support travel to ASA(ALT)-led activities such as Jailbreak, G-TEAD, XTech events, demonstrations, experiments, and other sponsor engagements.
• Must have an active 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.

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced degree in Engineering, Computer Science/Information Technology, Mathematics, Operations Research, natural/applied sciences, cybersecurity, data science, or a related field.
• Current/active TS/SCI clearance.
• Demonstrated MITRE project leadership or equivalent industry, military, government, or academic experience.