Leidos'
Defense Systems Advanced Development Organization is seeking a
Senior Fire Control Systems & Signal Processing Engineerto join our team to support the development of next-generation hypersonic and missile defense systems. This role sits at the intersection of communications, signal processing, and fire control, focused on enabling resilient connectivity and targeting performance in extreme hypersonic environments. The selected candidate will contribute to early-phase system design, digital engineering, and mission-level integration efforts supporting Department of Defense customers.
You will work alongside a multidisciplinary team of aerospace, RF, and systems engineers to design and mature high-speed vehicle communication architectures, develop advanced signal processing algorithms, and ensure robust performance through plasma, thermal, and contested RF environments.
Primary Responsibilities- Develop and implement advanced signal processing algorithms (e.g., filtering, tracking, beamforming) to support fire control, guidance, and communications in high-noise and contested environments
- Design and analyze RF communications and data link architectures for hypersonic and missile systems, including integration with fire control networks
- Design, implement, and integrate end-to-end mission data flows, including mission data loads (MDLs), real-time telemetry, health and status reporting, and command and control (C2) interfaces, ensuring seamless operation across communications, guidance and fire control systems
- Perform link budget analyses accounting for dynamic flight conditions, including plasma effects, atmospheric attenuation, and vehicle geometry
- Conduct electromagnetic modeling and simulation to evaluate antenna performance and RF propagation through thermal protection systems and ionized flow fields
- Support Integrated Fire Control (IFC) system design and interface definition with ground and naval systems (e.g., IBCS, Aegis, THAAD)
- Develop and integrate models and algorithms within mission-level simulations, digital engineering environments, and M&S frameworks
- Collaborate across disciplines (aerodynamics, thermal, systems engineering) to translate mission requirements into executable system designs
- Develop and integrate direct signal messaging and mission data pathways, including mission data loads, system health/status telemetry, and real-time command and control interfaces across fire control architectures
- Support concept development, trade studies, and technical proposals for emerging hypersonic and missile defense opportunities
- Contribute to technical briefings and customer engagements, clearly communicating complex concepts to both technical and non-technical stakeholders
Basic Qualifications- Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Applied Mathematics, Physics, or related field with 8+ years of relevant experience (or master's with 6+ years)
- Experience in signal processing, RF systems, communications, or fire control systems engineering
- Proficiency in one or more of the following: MATLAB, Python, C/C++
- Experience developing or analyzing algorithms for tracking, communications, or sensor data processing
- Understanding of RF fundamentals, including propagation, antennas, and link analysis
- Experience working in a DoD, defense contractor, or national security environment
- Active Secret clearance required
Preferred Qualifications- Master's or Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Applied Mathematics, or related field, with emphasis in Electromagnetics, Communications, or DSP
- 8+ years supporting missile defense, hypersonic weapons, or reentry systems, including high-speed flight environments
- Expertise in electromagnetic simulation tools (e.g., Ansys HFSS, CST, FEKO)
- Experience developing advanced algorithms such as Kalman filters, adaptive beamforming, or spectral estimation
- Direct experience with Integrated Fire Control systems and data links (e.g., IBCS, Aegis, THAAD)
- Experience performing link budget analyses for hypersonic systems, including plasma-induced attenuation and atmospheric effects
- Hands-on experience with software-defined radios (SDR), FPGA development (VHDL/Verilog), or embedded RF systems
- Experience integrating solutions within digital engineering or MBSE environments (e.g., Cameo, mission-level simulations)
- Active Top Secret (TS) clearance
Original Posting:May 14, 2026
Pay Range:Pay Range $107,900.00 - $195,050.00
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.
