Trajectory Optimization Jobs in Alabama (NOW HIRING)

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Leidos Defense Systems Sector provides a diverse portfolio of systems, solutions, and services covering land, sea, air, space, and cyberspace for customers worldwide. The Defense Sector at Leidos currently has an opening for Guidance and Control Engineer to work in our Huntsville, AL office. This is an exciting opportunity to support rapid development for navigation of air, land, and sea launched flight systems. Leidos is expanding the navigation team due to recent growing programs, such as the AGM-190/A Small Cruise Missile, US SOCOM's GBU 69/B Small Glide Munition, multiple Hypersonic Missile programs, DARPA's Gremlins program, and other rapid development efforts.

Solutions for Defense include enterprise and mission IT, large-scale intelligence systems, command and control, geospatial and data analytics, cybersecurity, logistics, training, and intelligence analysis and operations support. Our team is solving the world's toughest security challenges for customers with "can't fail" missions. To explore and learn more, click here!

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Primary Responsibilities:

Development and analysis of guidance and autopilot algorithms, implementation of these items in 6-DOF simulations and operational flight software. Additionally, the candidate should be capable of conducting trade studies for design decisions, developing techniques to assess, validate and verify performance, and supporting flight tests with pre-flight predictions and post-flight analyses.

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in engineering or physics and 2-4 years of work or Master's degree in engineering or physics and research in areas such as feedback control system design, trajectory optimization, guidance, and/or optimal estimation with knowledge of basic aerodynamic principles.

• Must be able to obtain and maintain a Secret clearance.

• Strong math skills are required in the areas of linear algebra, matrix math, statistics, trigonometry and coordinate transformation. Candidates must be experienced in MATLAB, Simulink, and C/C++ programming. Candidates must also possess solid technical communication skills and an ability to work in both collaborative team environments and independently.

• Candidates must be a resident of the North Alabama area or willing to relocate in order to work on-site at the Huntsville, AL office.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Familiarity and experience with Department of War digital engineering paradigm, experience with flight vehicles, guided munitions and/or unmanned aerial systems.

• Masters degree or doctorate in engineering or physics is strongly desired.

• Current active Secret or higher level clearance.

• Familiarity with LQR/LQG, Kalman filtering, and nonlinear control techniques such as NDI and adaptive control.

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 11, 2026Pay Range:Pay Range $69,550.00 - $125,725.00

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.