Principal Solid Propulsion Development Engineer - Hypersonics

Leidos; Huntsville (TN); On-site; USD 131,000 - 237,000; Full time

Job summary

Leidos seeks a Solid Propulsion Development Engineer in Huntsville, AL to lead design, development and testing of solid propulsion for a hypersonic vehicle and related programs, interfacing with internal teams and subcontractors to advance propulsion hardware for civil, military, and commercial space initiatives.

The role requires multidisciplinary leadership, trade studies, and delivering clear technical reports and presentations to stakeholders, with active security clearance as a preferred

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering, or similar from an ABET accredited university.
• Minimum of 10-12 years of relevant experience in rocket propulsion development or test engineering roles.
• Understanding of functional performance requirements as well as component designs for solid rocket motor applications.
• Experience in planning for and supporting ground testing of solid propulsion systems, including thermal characterization, environmental testing, and static firing.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and manage a multidisciplinary team, conduct trade studies, and develop analysis & evaluation tools.
• Knowledge of applicable standards and regulations, including manufacturing and testing policies and directives.
• Able to write clear, concise, and comprehensive technical reports and present results to multi-disciplinary teams and customer stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Serve as technical authority for design and development of critical propulsion related hardware.
• Direct the design, build, and test of prototype solid rocket motor components.
• Understand and negotiate design elements with propulsion system suppliers.

Skills

Propulsion system design

Technical leadership

Hypersonics knowledge

Project planning

Trade studies

Education

ABET-accredited Bachelors in AE/ME

Master's degree (preferred)

Tools

Test equipment & instrumentation

Job description

Leidos is seeking a Solid Propulsion Development Engineer to lead and oversee work on a hypersonics vehicle and other programs, joining a diverse team that develops propulsion systems for spacecraft, missile systems, and a wide range of critical technologies for civil, military, and commercial space programs. This individual will work in a fast-paced, interdisciplinary team, interfacing with other project teams within Leidos as well as subcontractors to develop the solid propulsion system for a hypersonic vehicle.

Primary responsibilities:

• Serve as technical authority for task focused on design and development of critical propulsion related hardware.
• Direct the design, build, and test of prototype solid rocket motor components.
• Understand and negotiate design elements with propulsion system suppliers.

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering, or similar from an ABET accredited university.
• Minimum of 10-12 years of relevant experience in rocket propulsion development or test engineering roles.
• Understanding of functional performance requirements as well as component designs for solid rocket motor applications.
• Experience in planning for and supporting ground testing of solid propulsion systems, including thermal characterization, environmental testing, and static firing.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and manage a multidisciplinary team, conduct trade studies, and develop analysis & evaluation tools.
• Knowledge of applicable standards and regulations, including manufacturing and testing policies and directives.
• Able to write clear, concise, and comprehensive technical reports and present results to multi-disciplinary teams and customer stakeholders.
• Project planning and scheduling, including selection and management of multiple critical suppliers.
  Under Basic Qualifications:
• Must be resident of the North Alabama area or willing to relocate to the Huntsville - North Alabama, AL area.
• Active Secret security clearance required, with the ability to obtain a Top Secret clearance if needed.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master's degree in aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering, or similar from an ABET accredited university.
• Development testing experience in a rapid iteration environment.
• Experience with DoD, NASA, or other aerospace development projects.
• Experience working with government test agencies
• Experience with free-jet test testing, especially for solid-fuel ramjet (SFRJ) systems.
• Experience with missile systems in a production environment.
• Active Top Secret clearance.

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:

August 11, 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 $131,300.00 - $237,350.00

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.