Senior Principal Embedded Software Engineer

At MITRE, your passion fuels work that impacts our nation and improves lives. This is where your skills strengthen national security, cybersecurity, health, transportation, and citizen services. We’re a nonprofit engineering, applied research, and advanced technology organization working in the public interest. With objectivity and integrity at our core, we lead federally funded research and development centers for U.S. government agencies – collaborating with industry and academia to deliver integrated, high-impact solutions that advance our nation’s health, security, and prosperity. Our people tackle the toughest technical challenges, supported by competitive benefits, meaningful career development, and a culture of innovation, collaboration, and technical excellence. Choose MITRE for a career with purpose — and help shape the future.MITRE’s Electronic Systems Development department seeks a senior technical leader in embedded and high-performance software to support its existing government sponsor portfolio, providing technical leadership and hands-on development for advanced research and development projects of national significance.Our team rapidly prototypes advanced sensor, communications, and navigation systems using commercial and custom hardware platforms and leading-edge semiconductor technologies. We work with government sponsors to turn complex mission needs into technical capabilities through architecture, hands-on development, integration, and demonstration. Our laboratories support applied research and testing that help sponsors evaluate engineering tradeoffs and advance capabilities for national defense. Roles and Responsibilities:Serve as a senior technical leader for embedded and high-performance software supporting the department’s existing government sponsors and cleared programs. Provide continuity of technical expertise for ongoing development and sustainment. Shape technical strategy across the supported sponsor portfolio, advise sponsors and MITRE technical leaders, and lead multidisciplinary teams from concept through prototype demonstration. Remain directly involved in software development, integration, and verification.Shape embedded software strategy for the supported sponsor portfolio, working with existing sponsor teams to prioritize mission needs, address capability gaps, and apply solutions across related projects.Architect, implement, test, document, and debug embedded and high-performance software, primarily in C++, from initial prototypes through integration and sustainment.Lead multidisciplinary teams in defining requirements, selecting architectures, and resolving technical tradeoffs involving performance, latency, reliability, security, and size, weight, and power.Establish and promote software design, implementation, integration, and verification practices across projects; lead technical reviews and transfer knowledge to other teams.Lead hands-on integration and troubleshooting of hardware/software interfaces across embedded platforms and sensor, communications, navigation, or software-defined radio systems during laboratory and field testing.Advise sponsors and technical leaders on technical risks, investment priorities, and execution strategies for complex efforts with impact across multiple projects and stakeholders.Mentor engineers at multiple experience levels through hands-on collaboration, technical guidance, and design and code reviews.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 Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Systems Architecture, or a related field, or equivalent related education and work experience.Expert proficiency in C++ for embedded or high-performance software, with experience using Python or comparable tools for analysis, automation, or testing.Demonstrated technical leadership of multidisciplinary teams developing complex mission systems in classified environments, including setting technical direction and leading hands-on software development, integration, and verification across related projects.Strong understanding of processor architectures, concurrency, memory management, and hardware/software interfaces, with experience diagnosing system-level performance or integration problems.Hands-on development experience with Linux/BSD, POSIX-based environments, or real-time operating systems, including the operating-system services and interfaces used by the application.Experience working directly with government sponsors to translate operational needs into technical requirements, explain architecture and engineering tradeoffs, and build agreement on technical direction.Experience developing or integrating software for one or more of the following: position, navigation, and timing (PNT); RF communications or software-defined radio; radar or other sensor systems.Demonstrated ability to communicate complex technical concepts clearly, mentor engineers, and establish effective engineering practices.Ability to work on site at MITRE or government locations to perform cleared work in support of the assigned sponsors, with Bedford, MA as the primary work location.Must have an active 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.This position requires a minimum of 4 days a week on-sitePreferred Qualifications:Experience shaping software, systems, or system-of-systems architectures and technical roadmaps across multiple projects or organizations.Existing accesses relevant to the supported programs.Advanced degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Systems Architecture, or a related field.Experience with real-time signal or sensor data processing, low-latency communications, or software optimized for platforms with constrained size, weight, power, or computing resources.Demonstrated success diagnosing and resolving time-sensitive software and system integration problems in demanding operational or field environments, while communicating technical implications and recommended actions to senior government sponsors.Familiarity with MITRE’s work program.Experience with embedded Linux, device drivers, kernel development, real-time scheduling, or performance profiling and optimization.Experience with Rust or other languages used to develop reliable systems software.This requisition requires the candidate to have a minimum of the following clearance(s):Top Secret/SCIThis requisition requires the hired candidate to have or obtain, within one year from the date of hire, the following clearance(s):Top Secret/SCISalary compensation range and midpoint:$202,000 - $252,500 - $303,000 AnnualWork Location Type:OnsiteIt is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.Commitment to Non-DiscriminationAll 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.MITRE intends to maintain a website that is fully accessible to all individuals. If you are unable to search or apply for jobs and would like to request a reasonable accommodation for any part of MITRE’s employment process, please email View email address on click.appcast.io for general support and View email address on click.appcast.io for intern positions. This service is for individuals requiring reasonable accommodation requests. Please note that vendor solicitations will not receive a reply.Benefits information may be found here.Copyright 1997-2026, The MITRE Corporation. All rights reserved. MITRE is a registered trademark of The MITRE Corporation. Material on this site may be copied and distributed with permission only.Job SummaryJob number: R117956Profession: Engineering