Senior Propulsion Development Engineer - Turbopumps

Leidos; Huntsville (AL); On-site; USD 108,000 - 195,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health and Wellness programs

Paid Leave

Retirement plan

Job summary

Leidos seeks a Turbopump Development Engineer to lead the design and development of turbopumps for liquid rocket engines and related propulsion hardware. You will interface with project teams and customers, guiding development from concept to qualified systems.

The role requires advanced engineering experience, strong CAD and analysis tool skills, and the ability to communicate complex results clearly to multi-disciplinary teams and stakeholders.

Qualifications

• ABET-accredited degree in aerospace or mechanical engineering.
• 8+ years in engineering roles; 6+ years with a Master’s; 3+ turbopump experience.
• Understanding turbopump designs for liquid rocket engines.
• Experience with CAD and pump design tools.
• Ability to write clear technical reports and present results to teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead design and development of propulsion hardware including turbopumps.
• Design and analyze turbopumps, guiding development from concept to qualified system.

Skills

Trade studies

Technical reports

Stakeholder presentation

Education

ABET-accredited Bachelor's in aerospace/mechanical

Master’s degree (preferred)

Tools

SolidWorks

AxCent

PUMPAL/AXIAL

ANSYS CFX

GFSSP

ROCETS

Job description

Leidos is seeking a Turbopump Development Engineer to lead and oversee work on a liquid rocket engine 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 its customer to develop the turbopump for the integrated engine.

Primary responsibilities

Serve as lead technical engineer for task focused on design and development of critical propulsion related hardware. Design and analyze liquid rocket engine turbopumps, leading development from concept to qualified system.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering, or similar from an ABET accredited university.
• Minimum of 8 years of relevant experience in engineer roles, 6 years with a Master’s degree, with at least 3 years of turbopump experience.
• Understanding of functional performance requirements as well as component designs for turbopumps in liquid rocket engine applications.
• Experience with CAD software such as Solidworks and pump design and analysis tools such as AxCent, PUMPAL/AXIAL, and/or ANSYS CFX.
• Demonstrated ability to conduct trade studies and develop analysis & evaluation tools to develop and optimize pump designs.
• Able to clearly write clear, concise, and comprehensive technical reports and present results to multi-disciplinary teams and customer stakeholders.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering, or similar from an ABET accredited university.
• Experience with turbopump analyses including rotordynamics, and secondary flows.
• Experience in planning for and supporting testing of propulsion systems, including performance characterization, environmental testing, and integrated static firing.
• Experience with cryogens, hypergols, or hydrogen peroxide systems.
• Experience with fluid system analysis tools such as GFSSP, ROCETS, or similar.
• Experience with DoD, NASA, or other aerospace development projects.
• Knowledge of applicable standards and regulations, including SMC-S-016.
• Project planning and scheduling, including selection and management of multiple suppliers.

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 $17.2 billion for the fiscal year ended January 2, 2026. For more information, visit www.Leidos.com.

Original Posting: October 21, 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: Pay Range $107,900.00 - $195,050.00

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

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 here.

Securing Your Data

Leidos will never ask you to provide payment-related information at any part of the employment application process. And Leidos will communicate with you only through emails that are sent from a Leidos.com email address. If you receive an email purporting to be from Leidos that asks for payment-related information or any other personal information, please report the email to [e-mail].

Commitment and Diversity

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.