2025-08-20
Leidos
Other
/yr
full-time
part-time
employee
contract
Huntsville
Alabama
35806
United States
Description
At Leidos, we deliver innovative solutions through the efforts of our diverse and talented people who are dedicated to our customers’ success. We empower our teams, contribute to our communities, and operate sustainable. Everything we do is built on a commitment to do the right thing for our customers, our people, and our community. Our Mission, Vision, and Values guide the way we do business.
Leidos Defense Systems Sector provides a diverse portfolio of systems, solutions, and services covering land, sea, air, space, and cyberspace for customers worldwide. Solutions for Defense include enterprise and mission IT, large-scale intelligence systems, command and control, cybersecurity, logistics, training, and operations support. Our team is solving the world’s toughest security challenges for customers with “can’t fail” missions. To explore and learn more, click here!
The Space Sensing and Security Portfolio within the Leidos Space Systems Division at Leidos currently has an opening for a Chief Engineer to work in our San Diego, CA or Huntsville, AL office. In anticipation of award for the Space Development Agency’s (SDA) National Defense Space Architecture Tranche 2 Tracking Layer program, Leidos is seeking to fill a key position of Chief Engineer. The T2 Tracking Layer effort will provide the capability to provide global, persistent indications, detection, warning, tracking, and identification of advanced missile threats, including hypersonic missile systems. The T2 Tracking Layer scope includes up to 27 space vehicles (SVs), ground systems as well as operations with a total period of performance up to 8 years. Each SV is equipped with an IR mission payload, three (3) Optical Communications Terminals (OCT), and Ka-band communications payload. Leidos is a leading provider of missile warning/missile tracking technology with awards on SDA Tranche 0 and Tranche 1 for critical IR mission payloads.
The candidate will work directly with the Program Manager to ensure proper execution and product delivery for the Space Sensing and Security Portfolio. The selected candidate will interface with and lead all major technical disciplines of the program, providing leadership for system design, test, deployment and sustainment life cycle. The candidate will need experience in all aspects of DoD systems, including modeling, system architecture, requirements development, design, integration, test, production, operations, and sustainment. The candidate will also support major strategic pursuits for future SDA and related systems.
Basic Qualifications
Must have an active DoD Top Secret clearance or higher.
Master's in Electrical, Mechanical, or Aerospace Engineering or equivalent field from an ABET accredited school is required.
Minimum of 15 years’ of relevant experience as Chief Engineer or similar role
Full life-cycle experience with complex aerospace systems from inception (requirements/concept development) through startup, execution and completion (testing, sustainment and delivery to end user)
Multi-disciplined knowledge in areas related to engineering including systems design, hardware, software design, integration and test
Delivering presentations to customers, management and other stakeholders
Technical risk management, key system performance parameters, lessons learned and cost and schedule performance (EVMS).
Ensure that architecture, system, design and modeling is executed in accordance to program requirements
Prepare and conduct technical reviews including PMRs, SRRs, TRRs, PDRs, CDRs, Configuration Review Boards, and Failure Review Boards
Support risk & opportunity management
Ensuring engineering team understands and adheres to contract scope and manages change through control board activities.
Reconcile conflicting viewpoints on best designs in cases of major magnitude of importance and render decisions/recommendations to Program Management
Preferred Qualifications
Experience with spacecraft or payload development, launch or operations
Experience at SDA, NRO, SSC/SMC and/or MDA space preferred
Experience with Defense Acquisition University (DAU) processes
Experience with Model-based systems engineering, digital engineering, and DevSecOps principles
At Leidos, we don’t want someone who "fits the mold"—we want someone who melts it down and builds something better. This is a role for the restless, the over-caffeinated, the ones who ask, “what’s next?” before the dust settles on “what’s now.”
If you’re already scheming step 20 while everyone else is still debating step 2… good. You’ll fit right in.
At Leidos, we don’t want someone who "fits the mold"—we want someone who melts it down and builds something better. This is a role for the restless, the over-caffeinated, the ones who ask, “what’s next?” before the dust settles on “what’s now.”
If you’re already scheming step 20 while everyone else is still debating step 2… good. You’ll fit right in.
The Leidos pay range for this job level is a general guideline only and not a guarantee of compensation or salary. Additional factors considered in extending an offer include (but are not limited to) responsibilities of the job, education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity, alignment with market data, applicable bargaining agreement (if any), or other law.
