Sr Mechanical Engineer

Leidos•Albuquerque, NM

About The Position

Leidos Defense Systems is seeking a highly motivated Senior Mechanical Engineer to support complex, high-priority Department of Defense portfolios. The role drives implementation of Value Driven Design and advanced Model-Based Systems Engineering workflows, bridging systems architecture, parametric lifecycle modeling, and cross-functional engineering execution. The position supports defense systems spanning land, sea, air, space, and cyberspace, including mission-critical systems and services. The engineer will lead design and engineering work for avionics, weapon interfaces, custom and commercial-off-the-shelf Line Replaceable Units, missile systems, and fieldable launch platforms. Work includes flight structures, mass optimization, design for manufacturability and assembly, electronics packaging, and bills of material and component specifications. The role contributes throughout the development cycle, from planning and design through implementation, testing, and delivery, and includes leading multidisciplinary teams and coordinating with subcontractors, systems engineers, and program personnel.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related technical field.
At least 10 years of relevant experience with a bachelor’s degree, or at least 8 years with a master’s degree in mechanical engineering, working on complex aerospace, missile, or defense systems.
Demonstrated experience owning end-to-end systems engineering—including requirements, architecture, interfaces, integration, verification, and validation—on large or complex projects.
Experience with missile, high-speed flight, or advanced weapon systems, such as hypersonics, ballistic missiles, or interceptors.
Experience with requirements and configuration management tools such as DOORS or equivalent; familiarity with MBSE concepts and tools.
Proven ability to lead cross-functional engineering teams and resolve complex technical issues.
Strong written and verbal communication skills, including experience briefing leadership and customers.
U.S. citizenship.
Residence in or willingness to relocate to the Albuquerque, New Mexico, or Huntsville, Alabama, area.

Nice To Haves

Active DoD Top Secret or TS/SCI clearance.
Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related technical discipline.
Direct experience on hypersonic boost-glide, air-breathing hypersonic, or other high-Mach flight test or weapon programs.
Experience with responsibility for technical scope, cost, and schedule on government contracts.
Direct experience with ND systems and components.
Experience designing and executing experiments for strategic environments.
Experience in mechanical engineering within the NNSA nuclear complex.
Proficiency with CAD software for complex mechanical designs, such as SolidWorks or Creo.
Experience in design and analysis of structural components and mounts.
Finite element analysis and simulation experience.
Familiarity with prototype development, testing, and validation.
Experience with thermal, shock, and vibration testing and analysis.
Experience integrating subsystems into next-level assembly systems.
Experience with weapon systems and weapon system teams.
Experience selecting materials for systems in strategic environments.
Experience with blast tubes, sled tracks, drop tests, and vibrafuge testing.
Experience with uncertainty quantification and approaches.

Responsibilities

Architect, lead, and deliver avionics, weapon interfaces, and custom or commercial-off-the-shelf Line Replaceable Units for missile systems and fieldable launch platforms.
Design flight structures and conduct mass optimization studies.
Optimize designs for manufacturability and assembly.
Design electronics packaging.
Develop bills of material and compose component specifications.
Contribute to all phases of the development cycle, including planning, design and development, implementation, test, and delivery.
Direct multidisciplinary Integrated Product Teams for structures.
Serve as the primary internal technical authority and host weekly technical interchange meetings with external subcontractors to maintain design consistency.
Partner with systems engineering teams to translate military standards into hardware requirements.
Support Control Account Managers with technical write-ups, work breakdowns, and schedule estimates for Earned Value Management, capital expenditure initiatives, and competitive proposals.