Electronic Warfare Scientist (EO/IR Systems)

Kibbi Technologies Inc.; Ottawa; Hybrid; CAD 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Vacation entitlement

Personal leave

Remote & office flexibility

Annual incentive bonus

Professional development

RRSP matching

Health, dental, vision

Company benefits

Job summary

Leonardo Canada Inc. in Ottawa is seeking highly motivated Electronic Warfare (EW) Scientists with expertise in EO/IR sensing technologies to support the design, development, testing, and advancement of next‑generation defense simulation and electronic warfare products.

As part of a multidisciplinary team, you will contribute to the development of advanced physics‑based models, algorithms, and simulation capabilities.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in Engineering, Physics, Applied Physics, Electrical Engineering, or a related discipline.
• Experience in EO/IR or UV sensor design, modelling, analysis, or performance assessment.
• Signal processing and data exploitation for electro‑optical sensing systems.
• MATLAB and Simulink software development.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and validate software modules and algorithms using MATLAB, Simulink, and C/C++.
• Develop and maintain high‑fidelity, physics‑based models of ECM systems and related sensor technologies.
• Integrate EO/IR, and EW models into simulation and training products.
• Research, model, and analyze military sensors, weapon systems, threat systems, and countermeasures.
• Improve and evolve software architectures to meet emerging customer and product requirements.
• Develop interfaces and integrations between internal products and external systems.
• Conduct verification, validation, and performance testing of mathematical models, algorithms, and software implementations.
• Create and maintain technical documentation, user guides, and modeling specifications.
• Develop expertise in EO/IR and UV‑based sensing technologies, image exploitation, target detection, classification, and tracking algorithms.

Skills

EO/IR sensing

Sensor modelling

Signal processing

Analytical thinking

Problem solving

Education

Master's degree in Engineering/Physics or related

Tools

MATLAB

Simulink

C/C++

Job description

With over 90,000 employees worldwide, Leonardo is a global high-technology company and a key player in the international defence and security sector. Leonardo Canada Inc. (LCI) continues to grow and expand our footprint in Ottawa. We offer a dynamic and collaborative work environment where innovation is encouraged, and employees are empowered to grow professionally. Our team supports Canadian and international customers with world-leading technologies across land, air, and naval domains.

Position Summary

We are seeking highly motivated Electronic Warfare (EW) Scientists with expertise in Electro-Optical/Infrared (EO/IR) sensing technologies to support the design, development, testing, and advancement of next‑generation defense simulation and electronic warfare products. As part of a multidisciplinary team of scientists, engineers, and software developers, you will contribute to the development of advanced physics‑based models, algorithms, and simulation capabilities supporting military sensor, weapon, and countermeasure systems across sea, air, and land domains. This is an excellent opportunity for candidates who are passionate about EW, sensor systems, modelling and simulation, signal processing, and advanced defense technologies.

The successful candidate will:

• Design, develop, and validate software modules and algorithms using MATLAB, Simulink, and C/C++.
• Develop and maintain high‑fidelity, physics‑based models of Electronic Countermeasure (ECM) systems and related sensor technologies.
• Integrate EO/IR, and EW models into our simulation and training products.
• Research, model, and analyze military sensors, weapon systems, threat systems, and countermeasures.
• Improve and evolve software architectures to meet emerging customer and product requirements.
• Develop interfaces and integrations between internal products and external systems.
• Conduct verification, validation, and performance testing of mathematical models, algorithms, and software implementations.
• Create and maintain technical documentation, user guides, and modeling specifications.
• Develop expertise in EO/IR and UV‑based sensing technologies, image exploitation, target detection, classification, and tracking algorithms.
• Analyze real‑world system performance and generate datasets used to configure and validate simulation models.
• Support customer demonstrations, technical reviews, and defense‑related analysis activities.
• Collaborate closely with software developers, systems engineers, subject matter experts, and customers to deliver high‑quality solutions.

Required Qualifications

Education

• Master's degree in Engineering, Physics, Applied Physics, Electrical Engineering, Engineering Physics, or a related technical discipline.

Experience & Technical Skills

Candidates must possess experience in one or more of the following areas:

• EO/IR or UV sensor system design, modelling, analysis, or performance assessment.
• Signal processing and data exploitation for electro‑optical sensing systems.
• Development of mathematical models and simulations of physical systems.
• MATLAB and Simulink software development.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills.
• Ability to translate scientific concepts into practical engineering solutions.

Preferred Qualifications

Experience in one or more of the following areas is considered a strong asset:

• PhD in Engineering, Physics, Applied Mathematics, or a related discipline.
• Electronic Warfare (EW) and Electronic Countermeasure (ECM) system design and analysis.
• Infrared‑guided, electro‑optical, radar‑guided, or multi‑mode weapon systems.
• Target detection, tracking, and sensor fusion.
• Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) applications for defense and sensing systems.
• Radar systems, radar signal processing, and antenna theory.
• Electromagnetic wave propagation and atmospheric effects modeling.
• Control systems and estimation theory.
• Verification & Validation(V&V) methodologies.
• Software development in C/C++ for scientific or simulation applications.
• Test and evaluation methodologies for complex defense systems.
• Experience supporting military, defense, aerospace, or government programs.

Desired Attributes

• Passion for scientific research and applied engineering.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work independently while contributing effectively within a collaborative team environment.
• Curiosity and willingness to develop deep subject matter expertise in advanced EW technologies.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a technically challenging environment.

Security Clearance

Given the nature of our software development work, it is a condition of employment that the successful candidate receive the required security clearances. Successful candidates must be eligible for Controlled Goods Regulations Program (CGRP) government clearances and International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) . In addition, candidates must be able to obtain a Canadian Industrial Security Clearance to NATO SECRET level.

If you are unfamiliar with the process, you can find information about Security Clearance requests process on the Government of Canada website (search for "Security Clearance Request Process")

• Must be either a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada;
• Must have lived in Canada continuously for the past 10 years;
• Must not have a criminal record.

Good to know:

• Group benefits are 100% Company‑Paid from first day on the job (including dependents)
• Company‑matched Group RRSP
• Group Health, Dental, Vision, Employee Assistance Plan, Out‑of‑Province travel, E‑A‑P
• Industry‑leading Vacation entitlements
• Generous Paid Personal Leave & additional Company Holidays
• Remote & Office work flexibility
• Annual Incentive bonus programme
• Exceptional Employee Referral programme
• Professional Development and Credentialing support - internal and external opportunities
• Exceptional professional environment: you'll join a team of some of the best talent in the business.

Special needs of candidates with disabilities will be accommodated. Successful candidates must fulfil requirements for Canadian Controlled Goods Program (CGP) and Canadian Security Clearance. Leonardo supports the principles of employment equity and is an equal opportunity employer.

Looking forward to hear from you soon.

For additional career opportunities, please visit our website: leonardocompany.ca