Senior Space Systems Engineer & Tech Lead

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

Job summary

Leidos is seeking a Chief Engineer in San Diego to lead end-to-end development of space-based optical sensors, maturing technologies from TRL4 to TRL7 for flight readiness. You will direct hardware maturation and integrate sensor processing into flight software, guiding multi-disciplinary teams across mechanical, electrical, thermal, algorithms, and software disciplines to meet mission requirements.

This leadership role requires a Bachelor’s with 12+ years or a Master’s with 10+ years, and a

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree with 12+ years of experience or Master’s degree with 10+ years.
• Secret security clearance required.
• Subject matter expert in IR optical or opto-mechanical engineering.

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 engineering workflows.
• Oversee hardware maturation from TRL4 to TRL7 for flight readiness.
• Direct integration of sensor processing algorithms into flight software ensuring real-time performance and data integrity.
• 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 engineering

Opto-mechanical engineering

Software development

Algorithm maturation

Electrical systems

Education

Bachelor’s degree in engineering

Master’s degree in engineering

Tools

Zemax

Code V

MATLAB/Simulink

Job description

Leidos is seeking a Chief Engineer in San Diego to lead end-to-end development of space-based optical sensors, maturing technologies from TRL4 to TRL7 for flight readiness. You will direct hardware maturation and integrate sensor processing into flight software, guiding multi-disciplinary teams across mechanical, electrical, thermal, algorithms, and software disciplines to meet mission requirements.

This leadership role requires a Bachelor’s with 12+ years or a Master’s with 10+ years, and a