Senior Nuclear Engineer Jobs in Washington (NOW HIRING)

The Leidos Analysis Solutions business area is seeking a Senior Nuclear Engineer to support critical national security missions in Reston, Virginia. In this role, you will apply advanced nuclear engineering principles in support of counterproliferation efforts and nuclear survivability (hardness) system design.

Responsibilities include conducting technical assessments of foreign nuclear weapons infrastructure to reverse-engineer protective hardening measures and identify facility, process, and supply chain vulnerabilities. This unique role combines rigorous computational physics, engineering analysis, and all-source intelligence tradecraft to support the protection of national security infrastructure.

The successful candidate will join a government-contractor team focused on the reverse engineering of above-ground and underground facilities, including their associated processes, systems, and equipment. You will develop innovative solutions through research, modeling, and application of industry best practices in a fast-paced, mission-driven environment within a government facility.

• Conduct high-fidelity technical reverse-engineering analyses and vulnerability assessments of domestic and foreign facilities, stockpiles, supply chains, and production processes.
• Support defense and intelligence partners by identifying vulnerabilities and informing strategic decision-making.

• Analyze the effects of nuclear weapons on facilities, infrastructure, equipment, and operational workflows.
• Develop protective design criteria using physics-based models addressing radiation effects, electromagnetic pulse (EMP), and related interference phenomena.

• Utilize advanced multiphysics modeling and simulation tools to evaluate structural, thermal, and electronic degradation of nuclear-related facilities and processes exposed to weapons effects.
• Perform computational analyses to assess system performance, resilience, and survivability.

• Monitor, query, and synthesize information from diverse intelligence and open-source datasets, including GEOINT, SIGINT, and OSINT.
• Assess foreign nuclear capabilities, technological developments, and projected timelines.

• Prepare detailed technical reports, engineering assessments, and executive-level briefings on foreign capabilities, vulnerabilities, and engineering validation methodologies.
• Communicate complex technical findings to government stakeholders and senior leadership.

• Serve as a recognized subject matter expert within the nuclear engineering and counterproliferation domain.
• Provide technical guidance across programs and support strategic initiatives.

• Candidates for consideration must possess an in-scope and active TS/SCI Polygraph clearance and the ability/willingness to maintain this clearance while holding this position. U.S. Citizenship is required.
• Bachelor's degree with 12+ years of relevant experience, or Master's degree with 10+ years of relevant experience.
• Demonstrated experience with nuclear weapons supply chains, manufacturing, fabrication, production, storage, or deployment processes and associated logistics.
• Experience assessing vulnerabilities across nuclear-related supply chains, stockpiles, and facilities, including development of mitigation strategies and countermeasures.
• Strong understanding of fault tree analysis, hazard analysis, and risk assessment methodologies.
• Deep technical knowledge of the nuclear fuel cycle, nuclear weapon design principles, radiation effects on materials, and electromagnetic shielding architectures.
• Experience developing and executing physics-based simulations using tools such as MCNP, SCALE, ORIGEN, COMSOL, and related modeling software, supplemented by data analysis tools such as Python, MATLAB, or C++.
• Ability to formulate defensible judgments from incomplete or fragmented technical information and clearly communicate associated confidence levels and uncertainties.
• Proven ability to operate effectively in ambiguous environments and defend analytical conclusions during rigorous peer review by defense and intelligence stakeholders.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to brief senior leadership and clients on technical strategies, findings, and recommendations.
• Comprehensive understanding of engineering principles, theories, and concepts, and their application across multiple programs and mission areas.

• Military, Department of Defense (DoD), or Department of Energy (DOE) experience.
• Familiarity with Intelligence Community Directive (ICD) 203 (Analytic Standards) and ICD 206 (Sourcing Requirements).
• Knowledge of protective design methodologies and hardening measures for sensitive nuclear facilities and associated processes.
• Deep understanding of EMP effects and other non-kinetic nuclear weapons effects.

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.

August 13, 2026

Pay Range $131,300.00 - $237,350.00

Pay and benefits are fundamental to any career decision. That's why we craft compensation packages that reflect the importance of the work we do for our customers. Employment benefits include competitive compensation, Health and Wellness programs, Income Protection, Paid Leave and Retirement. More details are available at www.leidos.com/careers/pay-benefits.

• competitive compensation
• Health and Wellness programs
• Income Protection
• Paid Leave and Retirement

Leidos is an industry and technology leader serving government and commercial customers with smarter, more efficient digital and mission innovations. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, with 47,000 global employees, Leidos reported annual revenues of approximately $16.7 billion for the fiscal year ended January 3, 2025. For more information, visit www.Leidos.com.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, race, ethnicity, age, national origin, citizenship, religion, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, pregnancy, family structure, marital status, ancestry, domestic partner status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran or military status, or any other basis prohibited by law. Leidos will also consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories consistent with relevant laws.