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Associate Staff - Test and Experimentation Planning Lead

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Date: Mar 19, 2026

Location: Lexington, MA, US

Company: MIT Lincoln Laboratory

Information Integration and Decision Support Group (Group 93)
The nation’s satellites perform important civil, scientific, and national defense functions such as navigation, communications, weather forecasting, astronomical observations, and surveillance. As space becomes increasingly congested and contested, maintaining awareness of all man‐made objects around the Earth is critical for ensuring the safe and effective operation of U.S. satellites. Our researchers are collecting data from a global network of ground‐based and space‐based sensors to help both military and civil organizations track objects in space, monitor potential threats, and protect critical national assets. We leverage advanced data processing capabilities that rapidly ingest observations from the Space Surveillance Network and integrate that data to generate an accurate picture of the space environment around the Earth and to make predictions about evolving activity in space. We work closely with organizations such as the United States Space Force in order to maintain situational awareness in the space domain and to respond to rapidly changing events in space.

 

Job Description

Group 93 is seeking an experienced Associate Staff member to serve the Test and Exercise planning lead for our support to STARCOM and CFC. 

Group 93 is working to solve challenging technical problems for some of the nation's newest and most dynamic military organizations: US Space Force and US Space Command. The group's overarching goal is to ensure that the US has the most accurate and comprehensive picture of the space domain and a thorough understanding of the capabilities and limitations of US space warfighting capabilities.

Group 93 contributes to this by working with a variety of operations, experimentation and test organizations to assess and improve the survivability and effectiveness of US space systems and cross-domain architectures. The Exercise & Test Planning Lead will work directly with various Operations and Test & Evaluation Squadrons to scope, define, and execute exercise & test activity critical to our nation's development of Space Control capabilities. 

 

Major Responsibilities

 

Technical expertise

  • Knowledge of Space Domain Awareness sensors and capabilities
  • Knowledge of tactics and techniques to use sensors to generate information required to close kill chains
  • Knowledge of orbital dynamics and space flight basics to compute observables for a particular space activity given a sensor laydown
  • Ability to describe technical details of a test or an exercise to technical and non-technical audience

 

Project management

  • Lead the planning and execution of test or tactics development events
  • Help define assessment criteria for events or exercises
  • Coordinate activities of a team with externals, technical staff and sensor operators
  • Build strong relationships with sponsors and users through frequent interactions, briefings and reporting

 

Requirements

  • MS degree in engineering, computer science, mathematics, or related field of study
    • A BS degree with 3+ years of additional related experience will be considered.
  • Technical excellence in an applicable field, as evidenced by written publications, technology and program development, and broad notoriety in a Group mission area.
  • Experience with several of the following: space surveillance sensors and data processing, classified US space activities, foreign threats to US space systems, test planning and execution
  • Strong test coordination / test execution skills and ability to produce high-quality, impactful, polished briefings
  • Experience interacting with Government sponsors
  • Must possess a current in scope Top Secret level DoD security clearance with compartmented program eligibility

Recent Graduate Hiring Range: $116,400-$140,000

Experienced Hiring Range: $116,400-$182,200

 

 

Disclaimer: MIT Lincoln Laboratory provides a typical hiring range as a good faith estimate of what we reasonably expect to offer for this position at the time of posting. The final salary offered to a selected candidate will depend on various factors, including—but not limited to—the scope and responsibilities of the role, the candidate’s experience, skills and education/training, internal equity considerations and applicable legal requirements. This range reflects base salary only and does not include additional forms of compensation or benefits.

 

 

At MIT Lincoln Laboratory, our exceptional career opportunities include many outstanding benefits to help you stay healthy, feel supported, and enjoy a fulfilling work-life balance. Benefits offered to employees include: 

  • Comprehensive health, dental, and vision plans
  • MIT-funded pension
  • Matching 401K
  • Paid leave (including vacation, sick, parental, military, etc.)
  • Tuition reimbursement and continuing education programs
  • Mentorship programs
  • A range of work-life balance options
  • ... and much more!  

 

Please visit our Benefits page for more information. As an employee of MIT, you can also take advantage of other voluntary benefits, discounts and perks.

 

Selected candidate will be subject to a pre-employment background investigation and must possess a current in scope Top Secret level DoD security clearance with compartmented program eligibility.

 

MIT Lincoln Laboratory is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, veteran status, disability status, or genetic information; U.S. citizenship is required.

 

 

Requisition ID: 42832 


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