Leidos currently has an opening for a Lead Test Operations Engineer to oversee the design development and implementation of space based sensor test equipment and test processes for our customers at Leidos Huntsville offices. In this role you will perform a wide range of subsystem and system test activities on the electrical and mechanical systems that form the backbone of our IR Payloads integrate and troubleshoot subsystems design / build test stands / test fixtures write test procedures perform tests and analyze data and create test automation software. Further you will be an integral part of a cross-functional engineering team where there are overlapping roles and opportunities for cross-over skillsets to develop and contribute across a range of technologies. The ideal candidate will be a self-starter and will thrive in a hands-on learning environment that encourages leadership and technical growth.
The selected individual must possess a strong desire to lead and coordinate design efforts and must be familiar with electrical mechanical and opto-mechanical test techniques.
Primary Responsibilities
This position will be responsible for overseeing test equipment design activities for space-related systems and sensors within a digital and analog engineering environment. Primary responsibilities will include supporting requirements decomposing high-level requirements verification requirements management integration and interface activities documentation of design and development plans decomposing and developing test requirements and technical performance metrics and developing test artifacts for the execution of testing.
- Work from established system requirements and subsystem designs and use established engineering processes to develop subsystem and system test operations.
- Enforce engineering lab and safety standards and assist engineers in system test and documentation efforts; develop test plans and procedures and contribute to refinement of best practices.
- Develop operational work instructions for test equipment that ensures testing is traceable repeatable and adheres to current safety standards.
- Support the planning of functional electrical mechanical environmental and requirements verification tests at subsystem and payload system level.
- Ensure test equipment designs are traceable to required data sets and required verification methods.
- Integrate troubleshoot and debug subsystems and the payload system using modern tools and techniques to include electronic electro-mechanical and software-based technologies.
- Create maintain and configuration control test automation software.
- Work with Hardware and Software Design Engineers to design build and verify custom Automated Test Equipment.
- Identify potential roadblocks and develop solutions where the solution is not always well defined but always considers the customer first.
- Lead test set-up and manage the availability of test stands and test support equipment between different projects.
- Collaborate with managers and leads to provide input to schedules and other project artifacts as required; lead and/or support test readiness events.
- Participate in manufacturing readiness reviews to ensure the test equipment is appropriately utilized during manufacturing.
- Stay up-to-date with industry trends and advancements in spacecraft testing.
Basic Qualifications
- Bachelors Degree in Electrical Mechanical or Computer Engineering from an ABET-accredited university and 12 years experience.
- At least 5 years of experience in system and sub-system testing including test planning design procedure definition procurement fixture assembly execution analysis and reporting.
- At least 5 years of hands-on integration and test experience in one or more of the following areas:
- Optical Assemblies
- Electro-Mechanical Actuation Systems
- High Speed Digital Electronics
- Power Electronics
- Electrical and Mechanical Ground Support Equipment (GSE)
- Abilityto generate / interpret mechanical drawings and layouts and/or electrical drawings.
- Strong electrical and mechanical systems engineering intuition and critical thinking; comfortable with ambiguity and turning high-level requirements into clear test objectives.
- Possess strong demonstrated leadership and the ability to work with personnel from diverse backgrounds and disciplines both internal and external to the organization.
- Ability to accurately estimate complexity and duration of subsystem and/or system test tasks.
- Must be able to obtain and maintain a DoD SECRET clearance. (U.S. Citizenship is required)
- Ability and willingness to work onsite in Huntsville Alabama.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with test automation
- Experience leading teams as a Test Conductor.
- Experience testing electro-optical systems or other complex multi-disciplinary systems.
- Previous experience working with thermal chambers vibration tables vacuum chambers or anechoic chambers.
- Experience in an AS9100 Aerospace and Defense manufacturing environment.
- Demonstrated experience working in small engineering teams.
- Current and active DoD Secret clearance.
At Leidos we dont want someone who fits the moldwe want someone who melts it down and builds something better. This is a role for the restless the over-caffeinated the ones who ask whats next before the dust settles on whats now.
If youre already scheming step 20 while everyone else is still debating step 2 good. Youll fit right in.
Original Posting:
September 11 2025
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 $112450.00 - $203275.00
The Leidos pay range for this job level is a general guideline onlyand 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.