Chief Engineer Mach-XL

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Leidos' Defense Systems is seeking a Hypersonics Chief Engineer for the Multi-Service Advanced Capability Hypersonic Accelerator (MACH-XL) - Affordable Near-Hypersonic & Hypersonic AUR Prototyping and Demonstration Program in our Huntsville, AL, office. The candidate will provide High Speed vehicle technical leadership within Leidos and the Department of Defense customer community to execute hypersonic missile system design, testing, and production activities. In this technical position, the candidate will be expected to apply deep domain knowledge to provide technical leadership to the program efforts to advance and execute reduced cost and rapid development of hypersonic all-up rounds. Such efforts include vehicle design, booster design, integration, test planning, ground and flight test operations, production planning, and production demonstration.

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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, geospatial and data analytics, cybersecurity, logistics, training, and intelligence analysis 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!

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Primary Responsibilities

The Chief Engineer will lead technical development and execution of new AUR missile concepts to enable lower-cost, rapid production and fielding of hypersonic weapon systems. The successful candidate will lead technical execution across all system activities, from concept development through design, prototyping, ground testing, flight testing, and production demonstration.

The Chief Engineer will be expected to provide leadership in the following specific areas:

• Systems engineering, flight test engineering, and digital engineering
• Ensure proper engineering discipline, rigor, review, reporting, and focus in our solutions and planning
• Hardware and software engineering
• Engineering to support production and manufacturing
• Engineering to support logistics, maintenance, and sustainment (LMS)
• Engineering resource and talent planning
• Supporting internal and external stakeholders with engineering solutions and processes that reduce cost and risk, and that enable agility, speed, and security
• Development and mentoring of engineering staff to include providing career guidance and professional growth opportunities for high potential employees

Additionally, as a leader on the MACH-XL Team, the successful candidate will interface directly with Sr. Leadership, program management, military and other government personnel, and a team of multi-discipline design and development engineers, both internal and external, to support the program's complex requirements. The candidate must be able to guide the development of test and evaluation strategies utilizing models, simulations, analyses, tests, and demonstrations. A firm understanding of missile system architectures, system interfaces, performance requirements verification and validation techniques is essential for the role. The selected candidate will lead presentation of the test plans and related artifacts they have developed to the customer in formal design reviews and will serve as a customer liaison in test and evaluation IPTs.

Basic Qualifications

• Candidate must have an ABET-accredited Bachelor's Degree in an engineering field with 20+ years of relevant experience OR an ABET-accredited Masters with 15+ years of relevant experience
• Management of multi-disciplinary engineering teams, integrated product teams, and working groups
• Management and oversight over rigorous system engineering processes and tools to include requirements management, baseline management, risk management, configuration management, schedule management, verification and validation, and reporting
• Developing, enforcing, and improving engineering policy, standards, best practices, and management
• Candidate must have strong technical background in weapon systems and flight systems (or subsystems)
• Candidate must have experience in Flight Test and Analysis for rocket, missile or hypersonic development flight testing
• Candidate must have extensive experience performing risk management, test planning and/or proposal development
• Strong verbal and written skills are required along with public speaking skills
• Demonstrated ability to effectively communicate with senior leadership (internal/client) on matters of strategic importance to the organization/project
• Capability of performing in a collaborative engineering environment, working closely with multi-disciplinary teams
• Ability to mentor, lead, and promote talent
• Organizational skills to document work and interface with team members to ensure flow of information
• Must be able to travel up to 25%
• A with a current DOD Secret clearance

Preferred Qualifications

• A current DOD Top Secret clearance
• Experience with prototype production efforts
• Experience with missile production/manufacturing activities
• Experience with missile All-Up Round development, integration, and/or manufacturing
• Solid, practical knowledge of complex missile or space systems, system integration, and associated testing

If you're looking for comfort, keep scrolling. At Leidos, we outthink, outbuild, and outpace the status quo - because the mission demands it. We're not hiring followers. We're recruiting the ones who disrupt, provoke, and refuse to fail. Step 10 is ancient history. We're already at step 30 - and moving faster than anyone else dares.

Original Posting:
February 12, 2026

For U.S. Positions: While subject to change based on business needs, Leidos reasonably anticipates that this job requisition will remain open for at least 3 days with an anticipated close date of no earlier than 3 days after the original posting date as listed above.

Pay Range:
Pay Range $154,050.00 - $278,475.00

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.