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Department Summary:

The Transportation Automation Evolution Department within MITRE’s Center for Integrated Transportation is seeking a dynamic and experienced technical and people leader to serve as Department Manager. This department leads a diverse portfolio of work that advances the FAA’s most critical modernization efforts, including automation evolution, system integration, cloud transformation, and operational deployment strategies.

The department supports a wide range of FAA organizations across the Air Traffic Organization (ATO). Our work enables the safe, efficient, and accelerated deployment of cutting-edge automation capabilities into the National Airspace System (NAS), ensuring that operational users are prepared and system transitions are smooth and sustainable. Our team operates at the intersection of strategy, systems engineering, data science, and applied research to improve decision-making, streamline operations, and reduce long-term costs for FAA and NAS stakeholders.

We are looking for a department manager who can shape and lead the technical direction of this high-impact portfolio, grow and develop a world-class team of engineers and analysts, and build enduring partnerships with FAA sponsors, academia, industry, and other FFRDCs.

Roles & Responsibilities:

Technical Leadership

+ Define and implement the technical approach for advancing the FAA’s automation evolution strategy and provide technical leadership to support our sponsors as they deploy the brand new ATC system.

+ Oversee the planning and execution of a diverse work program that spans systems engineering, cloud transformation, DevSecOps, risk mitigation, digital modernization, and automation deployment.

+ Partner with the department's Chief Engineer and Chief Scientist to ensure innovative thinking, technical quality, and cross-project consistency.

+ Translate sponsor priorities into actionable, measurable outcomes that deliver tangible impact to the FAA and broader aviation community.

+ Engage with MITRE Labs and aviation thought leaders to shape new approaches and incorporate research innovations into sponsor-facing efforts.

Sponsor Engagement

+ Serve as a trusted partner to FAA senior leaders, understanding and anticipating strategic needs across operations, programs, and field deployment.

+ Guide the department in aligning project execution with evolving sponsor priorities, such as the automation evolution strategy, AI adoption, and cloud readiness.

+ Lead cross-organizational collaboration with other MITRE departments, divisions, and centers to support integrated, enterprise-level FAA solutions.

People Management

+ Lead a high-performing team of engineers, analysts, and project leaders, fostering a culture of technical excellence, collaboration, and innovation.

+ Recruit, mentor, and retain top talent with capabilities in cloud engineering, automation systems, aviation operations, and human-system integration.

+ Conduct performance reviews, manage career development, and support staff in pursuing meaningful career growth aligned with both technical depth and sponsor impact.

+ Drive workforce planning efforts to ensure staffing agility and readiness for emerging sponsor challenges and opportunities.

Basic Qualifications:

+ Typically requires a minimum of 12 years of related experience with a Bachelor’s degree; or 10 years and a Master’s degree; or a PhD with 7 years’ experience; or equivalent combination of related education and work experience.

+ Degree in systems engineering, computer science, aerospace engineering, or a related field.

+ Demonstrated success managing technical teams and developing talent.

+ Strong background in aviation systems, transportation automation, or large-scale systems engineering.

+ Experience engaging with senior government sponsors to shape impactful work.

+ Familiarity with FAA programs, modernization initiatives, and operational constraints.

+ Excellent communication skills, including the ability to synthesize and present complex technical ideas to executives, engineers, and operational stakeholders.

+ Ability to obtain and maintain FAA Suitability security clearance.

+ This position requires a minimum of 50% hybrid on-site

Preferred Qualifications:

+ Experience with FAA automation programs (e.g., ERAM, TBFM, TFDM, SWIM, TFMS).

+ Background in cloud architecture, DevSecOps, or digital engineering applied to transportation or government systems.

+ Familiarity with MITRE’s role as an FFRDC and experience working across public sector and government partners.

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):

None

Work Location Type:

Hybrid

Commitment to Non-Discrimination

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to disability, status as a protected veteran or any other status protected by applicable federal, state, local or international law.

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