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Intermediate Underwater Sensors Engineer

The MITRE Corporation
McLean, Virginia, US
Posted 7/22/2026
3-5

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Why choose between doing meaningful work and having a fulfilling life? At MITRE, you can have both. That's because MITRE people are committed to tackling our nation's toughest challenges—and we're committed to the long-term well-being of our employees. MITRE is different from most technology companies. We are a not-for-profit corporation chartered to work for the public interest, with no commercial conflicts to influence what we do. The R&D centers we operate for the government create lasting impact in fields as diverse as cybersecurity, healthcare, aviation, defense, and enterprise transformation. We're making a difference every day—working for a safer, healthier, and more secure nation and world. Our workplace reflects our values. We offer competitive benefits, exceptional professional development opportunities for career growth, and a culture of innovation that embraces adaptability, collaboration, technical excellence, and people in partnership. If this sounds like the choice you want to make, then choose MITRE - and make a difference with us. The Maritime and Acoustics Department in MITRE’s Signals and Electronics Division is a cross-domain team of engineers and scientists working at the intersection of underwater acoustics, HF propagation, sonar analysis, acoustic communications, and prototype sensing systems. We work on some of the most technically demanding problems in undersea and maritime defense, designing and testing prototype systems, developing propagation models and sensing algorithms, and advancing acoustic communications for contested environments, all in direct support of government sponsors with real-world mission impact. Our work spans physics-based modeling and algorithm development, hands-on hardware prototyping and evaluation in the BlueTech Lab, and field testing of systems in operational environments. Job Description: We are seeking an Intermediate Underwater Sensors Engineer to contribute across research and development, modeling and simulation, rapid prototyping, and testing and evaluation in support of national maritime defense priorities. Desired backgrounds span acoustic communications, maritime sensing, and oceanography, as well as electrical, computer, mechanical, or ocean engineering disciplines with a foundation in signals, systems, or applied physics. The ideal candidate is an early-career engineer who brings strong technical fundamentals, intellectual curiosity, and a desire to grow their skills across a broad range of undersea and maritime sensing challenges. Roles and Responsibilities: • Design and develop signal processing algorithms for underwater sensing and acoustic communication systems • Conduct physics-based and empirical modeling of acoustic propagation and undersea sensor system performance • Rapidly prototype sensors, communication platforms, and embedded underwater systems, advancing hardware from concept through field-ready integration • Plan and execute field testing and BlueTech Lab evaluations, translating test results into actionable findings for government sponsors • Contribute to the design of transducers and acoustic sensors for small form-factor and autonomous underwater system applications • Analyze complex, multi-dimensional maritime datasets and deliver clear, defensible recommendations that sponsors can act on • Support sponsor engagement by communicating technical findings, shaping research directions, and responding to emerging mission needs • Collaborate across department technical domains including sonar analysis, multi-domain wave propagation, and acoustic communication and sensing Basic Qualifications:  • Typically requires a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Ocean Engineering, Physics, Mathematics, or related field and a minimum of 2 years of related experience; or an advanced degree with relevant experience who can immediately contribute at this job step; or equivalent combination of related educa