Scaled Hypersonics Chief Engineer

Leidos’ Defense Sector is seeking a Scaled Hypersonics Chief Engineer to join our team in Huntsville Alabama designing the next generation of hypersonic vehicles to protect America and its allies. You will lead the technical execution of scaling existing hypersonic vehicle designs to achieve levels of manufacturing, supply-chain integration, cost, and schedule never before achieved. You will guide the program through development, test, production, and sustainment activities. The Chief Engineer will serve as the technical authority across multiple product lines and configurations, ensuring design integrity, technical performance, and disciplined engineering execution. This role requires a systems-minded leader with the ability to balance near-term production needs with long-term technology advancement. This is not your average engineering position. You will work on a team of the most talented engineers in the region who push you to be better every day. This is a fast-paced program with unique technical challenges that will be a rewarding milestone in any engineering career.

Primary Responsibilities

• Lead your technical team to design a product that conforms to requirements, on schedule, within budget.
• Serve as the program’s technical lead for engineering execution, system performance, and compliance with requirements across multiple product lifecycle stages.
• Communicate technical progress, challenges, and opportunities to senior leadership and government stakeholders.
• Provide technical direction and oversight to subsystem leads, IPTs, and specialty engineering disciplines to ensure design maturity, integration, and risk mitigation.
• Mentor and develop technical staff, fostering a culture of innovation, rigor, and collaboration across the engineering organization.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or equivalent degree from an ABET-accredited university
• 15+ years of applicable experience in design and/or analysis of mechanical systems
• Mission-focused.
• Ready to contribute to a high-performing team.

Preferred Qualifications

• Candidates with experience leading large multi-disciplinary engineering design teams will be preferred.
• Candidates with graduate degrees will be preferred.

If 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: September 18, 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 $154,050.00 - $278,475.00

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 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

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.

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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.