Chief Engineer, Space Payloads & Optical Sensors

Leidos; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 131,300 - 237,350; Full time

Job summary

Leidos is seeking a Chief Engineer for the Emerging Space Systems Division in San Diego to drive end-to-end development of space-based optical sensors. You will guide TRL 4–7 maturation for missions such as Missile Warning and Space Domain Awareness, serving as the technical authority across mechanical, electrical, thermal, algorithms, and software teams.

This role requires SME expertise in IR optical or opto-mechanical engineering, active SECRET/TS/SCI readiness, and a proven track record in

Qualifications

• Must be a Subject Matter Expert in IR optical or opto-mechanical engineering (precision mechanisms, housing design, or opto-thermal stability).
• Bachelor's degree with 12+ years or Master's with 10+ years of experience; additional years may substitute for degree.
• Active SECRET clearance with ability to obtain TS/SCI clearance; SME in space optical 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 development, and software.
• Direct hardware maturation from TRL 4 breadboard to TRL 7 space-qualified prototypes.
• Oversee integration of sensor processing algorithms into flight software with real-time performance.
• Conduct rigorous 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 to validate readiness.

Skills

Space optical engineering

IR / opto-mechanical SME

TRL 4-7 development

System architecture

Sensor processing integration

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree

Tools

Zemax

Code V

MATLAB/Simulink

Job description

Leidos is seeking a Chief Engineer for the Emerging Space Systems Division in San Diego to drive end-to-end development of space-based optical sensors. You will guide TRL 4–7 maturation for missions such as Missile Warning and Space Domain Awareness, serving as the technical authority across mechanical, electrical, thermal, algorithms, and software teams.

This role requires SME expertise in IR optical or opto-mechanical engineering, active SECRET/TS/SCI readiness, and a proven track record in