Principal Project Leader, National Space Program; Intelligence Center

MITRE National Space Program Principal Project Leader

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MITRE's National Space Program brings together leading technical talent and deep mission expertise to help shape the future of space operations. We partner with organizations across the space enterprise to design, deliver, and advance next-generation capabilities that strengthen national security and support critical civil and defense missions. Through systems engineering, advanced analytics, and mission-focused research, our teams solve complex challenges, reduce risk, and accelerate innovation across the full space life cycle.

Joining the National Space Program means contributing to work of national and global importance. Our people help strengthen the digital and physical foundations that enable resilient, effective, and trusted space operations. Together, we are advancing mission assurance and empowering operators with the confidence and capabilities needed to succeed in an increasingly dynamic space environment.

MITRE is seeking a technically exceptional Principal Project Leader to lead the National Space Program's Ground Engineering Team. In this role, you will help lead the modernization of the ground enterprise digital backbone that enables advanced orbital systems to be operated, sustained, and connected to intelligence users. Your work will directly support the end-to-end ground mission chain, including command and control for intelligence constellations, high-throughput telemetry ingestion and processing, and the secure dissemination of mission data to warfighters and national decision-makers.

This is a unique opportunity to help shape the future of space mission operations. A key focus of the role is advancing the transition to AI-enabled mission automation and orchestration—moving beyond manual, legacy processes toward scalable, intelligent operations designed to support next-generation proliferated constellations of smaller, distributed satellites. In partnership with staff from across MITRE's Intelligence Center, you will help drive the evolution from stovepiped legacy systems to a modern, resilient architecture built on secure cloud platforms, agile delivery, Dev Sec Ops , and AI/ML-enabled automation.

You will also collaborate across MITRE, government, and industry to transform raw orbital data into operational advantage.

The selected candidate will be expected to:

• Provide strategic and technical leadership as a trusted advisor to the sponsor and help shape the full scope of work for the Ground Engineering Team
• Build and sustain strong relationships with NSP senior leadership, division leadership, branch chiefs, and government stakeholders across the mission space
• Define and execute technical objectives based on sponsor priorities and mission outcomes, with an emphasis on areas where MITRE can deliver the greatest value through its technical depth and cross-cutting capabilities
• Translate overall project strategy into clear, actionable outcomes, deliverables, and technical products
• Identify and integrate relevant research and innovation efforts from across MITRE, including internal…