The Section Manager will lead a section of AI&T engineers to integrate, test, and field hypersonic vehicles. The Section Manager is accountable for technical direction, schedule adherence, cross functional coordination, and ensuring manufacturability and testability through the assembly, integration, and testing cycle. The ideal candidate will have hands-on experience with hypersonic vehicle (or comparable aerospace vehicles) assembly and integration, familiarity with associated metrology (e.g blue light scanning), dynamic testing, environmental testing, and mass properties testing. This role requires expertise in assembly and checkout, manufacturing processes, and the ability to develop and implement inspection workflows and integration processes for complex aerospace assemblies.
Primary Responsibilities.
Lead and mentor a Section of Metrology and AI&T engineers to deliver hypersonic vehicles per Technical Data Package requirements within scope, schedule, and budget.
Oversee the assembly, integration, and testing of hypersonic vehicles, ensuring all systems meet design and performance requirements. Key concepts include process improvement, assembly, integration, test design, test planning, test execution, and leading cross-functional teams to drive project success
Ensure compliance with system requirements, interface control documents (ICDs), safety policies, and applicable aerospace standards and regulations
Collaborate with manufacturing and quality to ensure producibility, maintain schedule commitments, and resolve nonconformances and build issues
Guide test planning and execution for environmental, structural, and functional verification of hypersonic vehicle components and assemblies
Manage technical risks through mitigation plans, verification of risk closure, and adjustment of schedule/requirements as applicable
Maintain program-level documentation, configuration control, and technical data
Interface with program management, customers, and cross-program IPTs to align priorities and report technical status
undefined
Basic Qualifications.
Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a closely related discipline and 12 – 15 years of prior relevant experience or Masters with 10 – 13 years of prior relevant experience.
Demonstrated experience on multidisciplinary engineering teams performing AI&T of hypersonic vehicles or comparable aerospace vehicles
Practical knowledge of hypersonic vehicle (or comparable aerospace vehicle) assembly, integration and test
Familiarity with producibility, fabrication processes, inspection, and manufacturing acceptance criteria
Proven ability to plan and run verification/validation campaigns and to coordinate acceptance testing
Familiarity with packaging, transport, and handling requirements for missile hardware
Excellent written and verbal communication; ability to present complex technical information to diverse stakeholders
Strong leadership, decision-making, conflict resolution, and stakeholder management skills
Experience working with government/defense customers and knowledge of program lifecycle and contractual considerations
Candidate must be a US Citizen and be able to obtain and maintain a final secret clearance.
Preferred Qualifications.
Master’s or PhD in Aerospace/Mechanical/Systems Engineering
Prior experience specifically on glide bodies, reentry vehicles, or guided munitions
Familiarity with relevant standards (e.g., MIL STD, SAE, ASTM)
Experience working prototype programs within an AS9100 production environment
Secret Cleared
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
October 29, 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.
