Senior/SME Engergetics and Lethality Engineer

KBR, Inc. • Eglin AFB, FL

3d • Onsite

About The Position

KBR’s National Security Solutions team provides high-end engineering and advanced technology solutions to our customers in the intelligence and national security communities. In this position, your work will have a profound impact on the country’s most critical role – protecting our national security. KBR, Inc. is seeking a highly skilled and experienced Senior Energetics and Lethality Engineer to serve as a subject matter expert on advanced hypersonic weapon systems. The successful candidate will possess a comprehensive working knowledge of the design, function, performance, and safety of warheads, rocket motors, fuzing systems, and ignition systems. This role requires deep technical expertise in detonation physics, propellant chemistry, systems analysis, and a thorough understanding of military safety standards and review processes.

Requirements

• Active Top Secret clearance with SCI eligibility (required).
• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant Engineering discipline (e.g., Mechanical, Aerospace, Chemical).
• Minimum of 15 years of experience in the development, testing, or analysis of energetic systems (warheads, rocket motors, etc.).
• Direct experience with hypersonic, air-to-ground, or long-range strike weapon systems.
• Demonstrated experience with ordnance safety standards, such as MIL-STD-1316, MIL-STD-1901, and MIL-STD-882.
• Experience supporting DoD System Program Offices and interacting with safety review boards (e.g., NNMSB).
• Strong understanding of the weapon system development lifecycle.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with experience briefing senior leadership.

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree in a specialized Engineering field.
• 20+ years of experience supporting advanced aerospace or weapon system programs.
• Background in systems engineering, propulsion, guidance systems, or advanced materials.
• Proven experience leading technical teams and authoring formal safety analysis reports.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the lead technical advisor for all matters related to energetic systems, including warheads, rocket motors, fuzing, and ignition systems.
• Provide expert oversight for the design, development, testing, and fielding of ordnance, ensuring performance and safety requirements are met.
• Lead the analysis of detonation physics to validate warhead performance, including the evaluation of detonation velocity, pressure, and shock effects.
• Oversee the manufacturing and casting processes for melt-pour and cast-cure explosives and propellants, identifying and mitigating risks related to voids, cure chemistry, and thermal expansion.
• Direct and interpret results from system-level evaluations, including warhead arena tests and static rocket motor firings, to validate system performance.
• Analyze fragmentation and blast effects, using tools like Gurney energy calculations and blast pressure measurements to predict and confirm weapon lethality.
• Evaluate rocket motor performance by analyzing propellant ballistics, grain geometry, and nozzle design to ensure optimization of thrust and total impulse.
• Assess the structural integrity of propellant grains by analyzing mechanical properties and thermal stresses to prevent failures.
• Conduct comprehensive compliance analyses of fuzing and ignition systems against MIL-STD-1316 and MIL-STD-1901, identifying deviations and providing solutions.
• Lead the development and presentation of critical safety documentation for the NNMSB design review process, including Test Hazard Analysis Reports and Tactical Munitions Safety Studies.
• Implement and manage a system safety program based on MIL-STD-882 principles to formally quantify, track, and mitigate risks.
• Support cross-functional teams by providing expert input to program managers, cost analysts, and logistics experts.
• Apply lessons learned from across the DoD portfolio to evaluate technical claims and identify potential cross-program constraints or risks.

Benefits

• KBR offers a selection of competitive lifestyle benefits which could include 401K plan with company match, medical, dental, vision, life insurance, AD&D, flexible spending account, disability, paid time off, or flexible work schedule.
• We support career advancement through professional training and development.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees