Solid Propulsion Development Engineer - Hypersonics

Leidos LLC; United States; Remote; USD 94,000 - 157,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health and Wellness programs

Income Protection

Paid Leave and Retirement

Job summary

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

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in aerospace or mechanical engineering from ABET accredited university.
• 4+ years of rocket propulsion development or test engineering; 2 years with a Master’s.
• Experience with solid rocket motor designs and performance.
• Experience planning ground testing incl. thermal, environmental, and static firing.
• Ability to conduct trade studies and develop evaluation tools.
• Knowledge of manufacturing/testing standards and directives.
• Clear, concise technical reporting and ability to present to multi-disciplinary teams.
• Willingness to relocate to Huntsville, AL or North Alabama.
• Active security clearance (Secret; Top Secret if needed).

Responsibilities

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

Skills

Design & development

Prototype testing

Trade studies

Technical reporting

Supplier negotiation

Ground testing planning

Regulatory knowledge

Education

ABET-accredited B.S. in STEM

Master’s degree (preferred)

Tools

Analysis tools

Testing equipment

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 lead technical engineer for task focused on design and development of critical propulsion related hardware.
• Design, build, and test 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 other STEM degree from an ABET accredited university.
• Minimum of 4 years of relevant experience in rocket propulsion development or test engineering roles, 2 years with a Master’s degree.
• 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 conduct trade studies and develop analysis & evaluation tools.
• Knowledge of applicable standards and regulations, including manufacturing and testing policies and directives.
• Able to clearly write clear, concise, and comprehensive technical reports and present results to multi-disciplinary teams and customer stakeholders.
• Must be a 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.
• Project planning and scheduling, including selection and management of multiple suppliers.
• Active Top Secret clearance.

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Original Posting: September 29, 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 $87,100.00 - $157,450.00 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.

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.

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.

• 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.