Technical Staff 5/6 - Lead Systems Engineer - Advanced Space Technologies

Job Overview

MIT Lincoln Laboratory Technical Staff provide critical multi-domain and new domain innovative research supporting the Laboratory’s national security mission. They prototype state-of-the-art technology solutions and engage across the program lifecycle, leading projects or major/multiple technical workstreams in partnership with project, program and team/Group leaders. As a Technical Staff member, you will lead complex technical efforts requiring deep expertise, sound judgment, with the ability to successfully navigate technical complexity. Depending on the level, you will lead projects, major workstreams, complex programs, multi-program initiatives, or technical portfolios on extraordinary technology prototype efforts and creative new ideas and approaches that support critical mission needs. Depending on the level, you will translate broad Group strategy into clearly defined research or executional deliverables. Through integrating your deep technical expertise across disciplines, you consistently drive high-quality mission outcomes. 

As a successful candidate, you will connect deep and diverse technical expertise with broader Laboratory objectives, perform independent research, develop creative approaches, and translate broad strategy into executable plans. You will work across or guide multidisciplinary teams through ambiguous trade-offs; helping develop and execute programs, creating briefings and reports, and often interfacing with sponsors. You effectively support sponsor, mission-partner, and Laboratory leadership’s needs through daily or weekly technical briefings, program documentation, proposals, and may conduct advanced capability road mapping and development. You will also guide and mentor Associate Technical Staff, Assistant Technical Staff, and other technical support personnel. 

Additional Job Overview Details

Group 91 – Advanced Capabilities and Technologies – is seeking an experienced professional with a background in mechanical/aerospace engineering, electrical engineering, physics or a closely related field to support systems analysis and hardware prototyping activities. A successful candidate should have demonstrated experience leading small-to-medium-sized interdisciplinary teams of engineers and scientists. This individual is expected to support multiple aspects of technology development including modeling and analysis, laboratory testing, system integration, and field data collection. Specific knowledge of or expertise in hypersonics, propulsion and spacecraft systems and sensors are also highly desirable in a successful job candidate. 

Job Duties & Responsibilities

• Lead projects, complex programs, major technical workstreams, multi-program initiatives, or technical portfolios involving multidisciplinary development, analysis, prototyping, integration, testing, evaluation, and technology transition. 
• Apply deep technical expertise and systems-level judgment to highly complex and ambiguous problems, evaluating alternatives, trade-offs, risks, stakeholder needs, and mission implications. 
• Translate broad or unclear objectives into actionable technical plans and influence program direction, architectures, systems, priorities, and roadmaps across teams, Groups, or mission areas. 
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams, sponsors, mission partners, and internal leaders to align priorities, resolve dependencies, and guide decisions and deliverables. 
• Assess and improve technical tools, processes, methods, documentation, execution practices, and organizational capability. 
• Serve as a technical resource and mentor by reviewing work, framing trade-offs and risks, and developing staff and emerging leaders. 
• Contribute substantially to papers, reports, presentations, proposals, grants, roadmaps, and other materials that advance mission outcomes and technical direction. 

Minimum Qualifications

Candidates will be considered for the appropriate level based on their education, experience, demonstrated technical expertise and breadth, leadership responsibilities, and the scale and complexity of programs or technical efforts they have led. 

Level 5 – Technical Staff 

• Bachelor’s degree in a STEM discipline or other relevant technical field and typically 6+ years of relevant experience; or Master’s degree and typically 4+ years of relevant experience; or PhD and typically 0+ years of relevant experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience. 
• Diverse technical expertise with demonstrated ability to adapt that expertise to unfamiliar or emerging disciplines, systems, mission areas, or methods. 
• Established education, skills, and experience demonstrating the ability to apply significant technical judgment to broad challenges requiring integration across related systems or methods. 
• Demonstrated ability to lead projects or major workstreams and deliver complex technical outcomes. 
• Experience evaluating trade-offs, recommending paths forward, and adapting technical approaches to evolving project needs. 
• Demonstrated mentorship, collaboration, and ability to communicate recommendations, risks, and technical findings to varied audiences. 
• Experience contributing to technical reports, papers, presentations, proposals, or other formal technical deliverables. 

Level 6 – Technical Staff 

• Bachelor’s degree in a STEM discipline or other relevant technical field and typically 8+ years of relevant experience; or Master’s degree and typically 6+ years of relevant experience; or PhD and typically 2+ years of relevant experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience. 
• Deep and diverse technical expertise with demonstrated ability to integrate knowledge across domains and establish direction in evolving systems or mission areas. 
• Established education, skills, and experience demonstrating the ability to incorporate technical judgment, program context, and stakeholder input to solve broad technical challenges. 
• Proven experience leading complex programs, significant program elements, or multi-team technical efforts. 
• Demonstrated ability to evaluate alternatives, manage technical ambiguity, and influence decisions across teams or stakeholder groups. 
• Strong record of mentorship, collaboration, technical communication, and contribution to team or Group capability development. 
• Experience contributing to proposals, publications, technical reports, presentations, or other materials that shape program direction or technical initiatives. 

Preferred Qualifications

• Active Top Secret or higher clearance
• Experience developing technology for national security applications
• Specific knowledge of or expertise in hypersonics, propulsion and spacecraft systems and sensors
• Excellent oral and written communications skills, including ability to communicate experimental results tosponsors or audiences who may not be technical experts