Systems Engineer

About the role

The Defense Sector at Leidos currently has an opening for an experienced Systems Engineer to provide research and development engineering support to the Propulsion Development Branch, DEVCOM Armaments Center, Picatinny Arsenal, NJ.

Primary Responsibilities.

• Implement requirements definition, functional decomposition, and trade studies to advance multidisciplinary concepts from initial formulation to an allocated prototype baseline
• Optimize system design and ensure technical baseline closure by tracking and balancing Technical Performance Measures (TPMs) against cost and schedule constraints
• Plan and manage systems engineering execution in MS Project; developing Work Breakdown Structures (WBS), mapping critical paths, and tracking schedule milestone
• Guide multidisciplinary Integrated Product Teams (IPTs) through formal Systems Engineering Technical Reviews (SRR, PDR, CDR, TRR, PRR), establishing entry/exit criteria, synthesizing technical data packages, and driving discrepancy resolution for advanced defense systems
• Identify, quantify, and manage technical and programmatic risks, developing actionable burn-down and mitigation plans while maintaining and briefing dynamic RIO registers at milestone reviews and Technical Interchange Meetings (TIMs)
• Guide end-to-end prototyping and test execution, including subscale feasibility testing, modeling and simulation (M&S) coordination, fabrication oversight, and full-scale test reporting (test matrices, plans, and qualification)
• Leverage Microsoft productivity and analytics tools (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Power BI) to author formal technical reports, white papers, and qualification plans, model engineering datasets, develop interactive performance dashboards, and deliver executive milestone briefing

Basic Qualifications.

• Bachelor of Science (BS) in Aerospace, Mechanical, Chemical, Systems, or related engineering discipline required; Master of Science (MS) or higher preferred1
• 10 plus years of relevant experience
• Expert knowledge of system engineering principles and practices
• Demonstrated abilities in the areas of responsibilities listed above
• High level of expertise with MS Project, Excel, and PowerPoint
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• US citizenship required.

Preferred Qualifications.

Direct experience with energetic materials, munitions, ordnance, propulsion systems, or related defense technologies.

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 16, 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 $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.