Chief Engineer, Space Payloads - Flight-Ready Tech

Koitecc Solutions; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 131,000 - 237,000; Full time

Job summary

Leidos Defense invites experienced engineers to join the Emerging Space Systems Division in San Diego, CA, focusing on end‑to‑end development of prototype EO/IR sensors for space missions including missile warning and space domain awareness.

The role requires leading cross‑functional teams, maturing hardware from breadboard validation (TRL 4) to space‑qualified prototyping (TRL 7), and integrating sensor algorithms into flight software for robust performance in orbital environments.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree with 12+ years of applicable experience, or a Master's with 10+ years of experience.
• Active SECRET clearance with the ability to obtain and maintain a TS/SCI clearance.
• Demonstrated SME in IR optical or opto-mechanical engineering (precision mechanisms, optical housing design, or opto-thermal stability).
• Technical breadth across software, algorithms, and electrical systems.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary technical authority for design, integration, and testing of space-qualified optical sensor systems.
• Lead multi-disciplinary engineering teams across mechanical, electrical, thermal, algorithm, and software workflows.
• Lead hardware maturation to transition from TRL 4 to TRL 7 for space-qualified prototyping.
• Direct integration of sensor processing algorithms into flight software for real-time performance.
• Conduct trade studies and design reviews (PDR, CDR) to meet mission requirements for sensitivity, resolution, and SWaP-C.
• Oversee environmental testing protocols including TVAC, vibration, and radiation hardening.

Skills

IR optical

opto-mechanical engineering

software development

algorithms maturation

electrical systems

spaceflight heritage

SECRET clearance

Education

Bachelor's degree + 12+ years

Master's degree + 10+ years

Tools

Zemax

Code V

MATLAB/Simulink

Job description

Leidos Defense invites experienced engineers to join the Emerging Space Systems Division in San Diego, CA, focusing on end‑to‑end development of prototype EO/IR sensors for space missions including missile warning and space domain awareness.

The role requires leading cross‑functional teams, maturing hardware from breadboard validation (TRL 4) to space‑qualified prototyping (TRL 7), and integrating sensor algorithms into flight software for robust performance in orbital environments.