Ground Effects Jobs in Virginia (NOW HIRING)

Leidos is seeking an experienced Civil Engineer to support critical national security missions in Reston, Virginia. This role focuses on the assessment, reverse engineering, and characterization of complex above-ground and subterranean facilities located in denied-access environments.

The successful candidate will apply deep engineering expertise to reconstruct facility layouts, operational workflows, and supporting infrastructure associated with chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) industrial processes. Leveraging a multidisciplinary approach, you will evaluate facility capabilities, identify vulnerabilities, and assess potential threat vectors to support high-priority mission objectives.

This position requires a highly analytical engineer who can develop sound technical assessments in situations where complete information is inherently unavailable. The ideal candidate combines creativity, intellectual curiosity, and engineering rigor with exceptional attention to detail. As a senior member of an interdisciplinary team of government and contractor professionals, you will provide technical leadership and subject matter expertise in a fast-paced, mission-focused environment within a government facility.

Primary ResponsibilitiesReverse Engineering & Characterization

Analyze and characterize complex industrial processes, equipment configurations, and facility designs to determine functional attributes, operational capabilities, and mission relevance.

Subterranean & Hardened Facility Analysis

Evaluate the structural design, geological overburden, and survivability of underground facilities (UGFs) and deeply buried hardened structures.

3D Modeling & Simulation

Utilize advanced CAD and engineering simulation software to develop accurate 3D models of facilities, underground structures, floor plans, utility networks, and supporting infrastructure.

Vulnerability & Resilience Assessments

Conduct detailed structural and functional assessments to identify systemic weaknesses, single points of failure, and the operational resilience of critical infrastructure against a range of threat vectors.

Workflow & Infrastructure Analysis

Assess supporting infrastructure, operational workflows, and facility systems, including specialized HVAC, power distribution, utility networks, and structural integrity considerations.

Technical Reporting & Briefing

Develop comprehensive engineering assessments, reports, and technical products in accordance with Intelligence Community standards. Present findings and recommendations to senior government and Department of Defense stakeholders.

Technical Leadership

Serve as a recognized subject matter expert within your technical domain, providing engineering insight, mentorship, and guidance to multidisciplinary teams supporting mission requirements.

Required Skills, Education, Experience, and Clearance

• Security Clearance: Must possess an active and in-scope TS/SCI clearance and be able to maintain it. Must be a U.S. Citizen. Additionally, will be expected to successfully pass a polygraph.
• Demonstrated expertise in engineering principles, theories, and concepts, with the ability to apply them across a broad range of complex programs and mission challenges.
• Bachelor's degree with 12+ years of relevant experience, or a Master's degree with 10+ years of relevant experience.
• Relevant experience includes facility analysis, infrastructure vulnerability assessments, and structural engineering within commercial, Department of Defense, or Intelligence Community environments.
• Industrial & Facility Focus: Proven experience analyzing chemical, nuclear, or biological industrial processes and their associated facility footprints, including both above-ground facilities and subterranean environments.
• MEP Systems Knowledge: Strong multidisciplinary understanding of Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing (MEP) system design, integration, and operational functionality within complex industrial or military facilities, including specialized containment, filtration, and backup power systems.

Preferred Qualifications

• Weapons Effects & Survivability: Experience or training in blast mitigation, weapons effects, or structural hardening principles.
• Geotechnical Engineering: Knowledge of rock mechanics, tunneling engineering, or geomechanics as applied to deeply buried underground facilities (UGFs).
• BIM Expertise: Experience with Autodesk Revit or other Building Information Modeling (BIM) platforms for multidisciplinary coordination, MEP integration, and advanced facility visualization.
• Advanced Simulation: Experience utilizing BIM data to support engineering simulations, blast effects analysis, or vulnerability assessment workflows.
• Infrastructure Modeling: Experience with VENTSIM, ETAP, or similar infrastructure modeling and simulation software.
• All-Source Information Evaluation: Demonstrated experience researching, assessing, and synthesizing diverse intelligence and technical sources-including classified intelligence, open-source information, and grey literature such as foreign technical journals, patents, and equipment catalogs-to support facility and infrastructure characterization.
• Professional Engineer (PE) certification.
• Military or defense-related experience.

#ASBA
#Snakehead

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:June 19, 2026Pay Range:Pay Range $116,350.00 - $210,325.00

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.