Aerospace Flight Dynamics Simulation Engineer

Employer description

This position is for a senior-level aerospace engineer within the Flight Systems Department as part of the Defense Sector at Leidos. Engineers support development, analysis, and testing of complex flight systems, such as the AGM-190/A Small Cruise Missile, DoW Low Cost Containerized Munition, multiple hypersonic Missile programs, and other rapid development efforts

Primary Responsibilities:

Create and/or maintain 6-DOF, 3-DOF, and/or hardware-in-the-loop (HWIL) simulations by incorporating aerodynamic & propulsion models, Guidance/Navigation/Control (GNC) algorithms, and other features to accurately characterize the performance, flight dynamics, and mission effectiveness of flight vehicles. Conduct accurate, timely, detailed analysis of flight vehicle dynamics.  This may include Monte Carlo analysis, trajectory optimization, parameteric sweeps, or other techniques to support design decisions, conduct trade studies, assess system reliability, support mission planning operations, prepare for live flight test events, characterize system performance, and conduct other analysis as needed to support design teams. Provide accurate assessments of technical results to program managers, external customers, and/or stakeholders to support design decisions and ensure mission successLead a small team of junior M&S engineers.  Determine necessary sim requirements, delegate tasks to team, review work for accuracy, communicate with program leadership, and other actions as necessary to successfully support program.Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams, including aerodynamics, propulsion, mechanical design, avionics, software, and others to ensure system design satisfies mission requirements.Support live flight-test events, including planning, on-site test support, telemetry collection, and post-flight analysis.Develop, upgrade, or use scripts, GUIs, or other utilities to support analysis and programmatic efforts.

Basic Qualifications:

This position requires a fundamental understanding of aerospace engineering concepts, particularly including flight dynamics, simulation, orbital mechanics, and/or guidance/navigation/controls.  Candidate must also possess a solid foundation of programming experience in Matlab/Simulink, C/C++, Python, or other language.Candidate must possess strong technical communication skills and an ability to work both independently and in collaborative team environments.Candidates must be a resident of North Alabama area or willing to relocate in order to work on-site at the Huntsville, AL office.Candidates must possess a Bachelor’s Degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, or related field from an ABET accredited school with 8+ years of experience or a Master’s Degrees with 6+ years of experience.Candidate must be a US citizen and possess (or be able to obtain) a Secret Clearance. 

Preferred Qualifications:

Master’s Degree in Aerospace Engineering is preferred but not required.  Special consideration is made for applicable experience in lieu of advanced degree.Familiarity with DOW digital engineering paradigm and experiencePrior work with post-flight data analysisExperience with flight system development programsStrong math skills in the areas of linear algebra, matrix math, statistics, trigonometry, and coordinate transformationExperience with:Conducting Monte Carlo analysis on linux clustersHardware-in-the-loops simulation architecturesConfiguration management software, such as Git or MercurialC++ programmingTrajectory analysis tools, such as TAOS or OTISUsing numerical optimization techniquesSimulink code-generationGNC applications of flight vehicles, guided munitions, and/or UAS systemsIf 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:October 20, 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 $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.