About the role

Aplyr's Quick Take

This role is for a Chief Engineer who will lead a team focused on developing advanced underwater technologies for defense applications. You'll be responsible for overseeing the entire product lifecycle, from design to deployment, and ensuring technical excellence in maritime systems. It's a leadership position requiring significant experience in subsea systems and engineering management.

Good fit

Ideal candidates will have over 10 years of experience in subsea maritime systems and at least 5 years in a leadership role. A collaborative mindset and strong technical background in engineering or related fields are essential for success.

Worth noting

The position emphasizes innovation in defense technology, which may appeal to those passionate about national security. The requirement for a SECRET clearance could be a barrier for some applicants.

Leidos is seeking a Chief Engineer to lead cutting-edge engineering efforts within the Undersea Systems Division (USD). This role is a unique opportunity to drive innovation in underwater vehicle systems, maritime sensors, subsea telemetry, and ISR solutions that support critical defense and national security missions.

You'll lead a multidisciplinary technical team developing advanced maritime technologies, spanning prototype design to full-scale system deployment for ongoing Navy missions.

Leidos’ Undersea Systems Division is a recognized leader in C4ISR technologies, delivering innovative, mission-critical solutions across sensor networks, unmanned systems, and tactical platforms. We’re known for achieving “industry firsts” in the most challenging maritime domains.

Join us and be part of a world-class team delivering unmatched solutions for today's most pressing maritime missions.

Why Join Us?

Make an Impact: Your work will directly support U.S. maritime dominance and national security.
Lead Innovation: Be at the forefront of applying innovative technology and autonomy to real-world maritime systems.
Work with Experts: Collaborate with a top-tier team of engineers, scientists, and technicians located across the U.S.
Shape the Future: Influence both the strategic and tactical direction of next-generation subsea technologies

What You’ll Do

As the technical lead for a critical maritime program, you will provide cross-disciplined engineering leadership to deliver an operational system.
You will lead and mentor a matrixed team of engineers through the full product lifecycle.
You will drive technical rigor and engineering discipline to achieve customer needs and mission goals.
You will follow systems engineering principles to guide your team through technical development and product maturation, system integration, testing, verification, and validation.

What You Bring

Required Experience:

Bachelor's or Master’s degree in Engineering (Systems, Mechanical, Electrical, Software, Ocean), Computer Science, Physics, or Math.
10+ years of experience with subsea maritime systems or other integrated electro-mechanical systems
5+ years of experience with leading integrated teams
Exposure to DoD technical program execution
U.S. Citizenship with ability to obtain a SECRET clearance

Preferred Experience:

Over 10 years leading design, development, and integration of complex subsea maritime systems
Experience with UUVs, deployed subsea systems, and underwater payloads
Proven track record in product manufacturing and transitioning designs to production
Familiarity with ISO 9001:2015 and quality-focused engineering processes
Exposure to DoD program execution, including contract, financial, and subcontractor management

SUBSEAMSS

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:

April 9, 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 $131,300.00 - $237,350.00

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.

Aplyr's read

Leidos is a leading force in defense and technology, attracting professionals skilled in IT, engineering, and intelligence analysis.
Synthesized from recent postings & public sources

What's promising

•Leidos has a strong presence in defense and technology sectors, offering stability and growth opportunities.
•The company invests heavily in research, fostering innovation in IT and biomedical fields.
•Leidos offers diverse roles, from AI development to network engineering, appealing to a broad range of tech professionals.

What to watch

•Leidos' heavy reliance on government contracts can lead to revenue volatility due to policy changes.
•The competitive defense sector may limit rapid advancement for employees.
•Complex projects might require long hours, impacting work-life balance.

Why Leidos

•Leidos is distinguished by its focus on integrating advanced technologies in defense and healthcare.
•The company excels in handling large-scale, complex government projects.
•Leidos' commitment to cybersecurity is evident in its specialized roles like Cyber-Supply Chain Risk Management.

Aplyr’s read is generated by AI from public sources. Was it useful?