Aerospace M&S Engineer Intern

Leidos; Huntsville (AL); On-site; USD 48,000 - 87,000; Full time

Job summary

Leidos is seeking an Aerospace M&S Engineer Intern for the Flight Systems Department in Huntsville, Alabama, to work on next-generation missiles, space systems, and aircraft projects. The role emphasizes modeling, simulation, and analysis of aerospace vehicles under supervision.

The intern will develop and maintain simulations (6-DOF/3-DOF/HWIL), integrate aerodynamic and propulsion models, and support mission planning and test events with full-time engineers.

Qualifications

• Fundamental understanding of aerospace concepts including flight dynamics, simulation, and orbital mechanics.
• Solid programming foundation in Matlab/Simulink, C/C++, Python, or similar languages.
• Student in good standing pursuing aerospace/related field with minimum GPA 3.0.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain simulations to evaluate performance and flight dynamics of an aerospace vehicle.
• Create 6-DOF, 3-DOF, and HWIL simulations with aerodynamic, propulsion, and GNC models.
• Analyze vehicle dynamics, perform design trades, and support live flight test planning and events.

Skills

Flight dynamics

Simulation

Math skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering (ABET accredited)

Tools

Matlab/Simulink

C/C++

Python

Job description

Description

Leidos is seeking an Aerospace M&S Engineer Intern to join our team next summer. This internship opportunity is for an aerospace engineering student to experience and work within the Flight Systems Department as part of the Missiles & Aviation Division. Engineers in the Flight Systems Department provide solutions to complex, technical problems involving analysis, design, flight testing and/or autonomous solutions of various types of missiles, space systems, hypersonics, acquisition systems, fixed & rotary wing aircraft, and more.

Leidos is seeking an Aerospace M&S Engineer Intern to join our team next summer. This internship opportunity is for an aerospace engineering student to experience and work within the Flight Systems Department as part of the Missiles & Aviation Division. Engineers in the Flight Systems Department provide solutions to complex, technical problems involving analysis, design, flight testing and/or autonomous solutions of various types of missiles, space systems, hypersonics, acquisition systems, fixed & rotary wing aircraft, and more.

The engineer in this position will work closely with full-time engineers to complete a technical project involving modeling & simulation concepts for an aerospace vehicle being designed by Leidos - Dynetics.

Primary Responsibilities

• Developing and maintaining simulations to evaluate performance and flight dynamics of an aerospace flight vehicle
• Create 6-DOF, 3-DOF, and/or hardware-in-the-loop (HWIL) simulations by incorporating aerodynamic & propulsion models, Guidance/Navigation/Control (GNC) algorithms, and other features to accurately characterize the capabilities of foreign or domestic missiles systems and other flight vehicles.
• Conduct accurate, timely, detailed analysis of vehicle dynamics, complete design trade-studies, support mission planning operations, prepare for live flight test events, as well as other responsibilities.
• Provide accurate assessments to make programmatic design decisions and/or inform Department of Defense policy makers, acquisition program, warfighter consumers, or other organizations to support their needs.
• Develop, upgrade, or use scripts, GUIs, or other utilities to support analysis and programmatic efforts.

Basic Qualifications

• This position requires a fundamental understanding of aerospace engineering concepts, particularly including flight dynamics, simulation, orbital mechanics, and/or guidance/navigation/controls. Candidate must also possess a solid foundation of programming experience in Matlab/Simulink, C/C++, Python, or other language.
• Candidate must possess technical communication skills and an ability to work both independently and in collaborative team environments.
• Candidates must be a resident of North Alabama area or willing to temporarily relocate in order to work on-site at the Huntsville, AL office.
• Candidates must be a student (Jr. level or higher) pursuing a Bachelor’s (or graduate) Degree in Aerospace, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, or related field from an ABET accredited school with a minimum GPA of 3.0.
• Candidate must be a US citizen and the ability to obtain a DoD Secret security clearance.

Preferred Qualifications

• Pursuing a graduate degree in Aerospace or Mechanical Engineering.
• Familiarity with DoD digital engineering paradigm and experience.
• Prior work with post-flight data analysis.
• Strong math skills in the areas of linear algebra, matrix math, statistics, trigonometry, and coordinate transformation.

Experience With

• Linux, hardware-in-the-loops simulation architectures, and/or GPS simulators
• Configuration management software, such as Git or Mercurial
• Trajectory analysis tools, such as TAOS or OTIS
• Using numerical optimization techniques
• Simulink code-generation
• Optimal estimation and controls
• Sensor fusion and state estimation techniques (eg. Kalman or Particle Filters)
• Terrestrial navigation, SAASM, M-Code, and GPS-denied operations
• GNC applications of flight vehicles, guided munitions, and/or UAS systems

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

September 9, 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.

Pay Range

Pay Range $48,100.00 - $86,950.00

The Leidos pay range for this job level is a general guideline onlyand 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.

About Leidos

Leidos is an industry and technology leader serving government and commercial customers with smarter, more efficient digital and mission innovations. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, with 47,000 global employees, Leidos reported annual revenues of approximately $16.7 billion for the fiscal year ended January 3, 2025. For more information, visit www.Leidos.com.

Pay And Benefits

Pay and benefits are fundamental to any career decision. That's why we craft compensation packages that reflect the importance of the work we do for our customers. Employment benefits include competitive compensation, Health and Wellness programs, Income Protection, Paid Leave and Retirement. More details are available at www.leidos.com/careers/pay-benefits.

Commitment to Non-Discrimination

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, race, ethnicity, age, national origin, citizenship, religion, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, pregnancy, family structure, marital status, ancestry, domestic partner status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran or military status, or any other basis prohibited by law. Leidos will also consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories consistent with relevant laws.