Branch Manager Applied Engineering

Description

Leidos is seeking a senior engineering leader to serve as the Applied Engineering integrator for a high-visibility, low-rate developmental aerospace vehicle test program. This role is an enabler and organizational force multiplier who ensures the enterprise can repeatedly execute a complex build, integrate, test, and operate cycle without organizational friction becoming the pacing item. The successful candidate blends deep technical credibility in aerospace systems development, integration, and modeling with strong business operations acumen and administrative leadership, translating engineering and manufacturing realities into clear, decision-ready information for program and functional leadership.

If this sounds like the kind of environment where you can thrive, keep reading!

Leidos Defense Systems Sector provides a diverse portfolio of systems, solutions, and services covering land, sea, air, space, and cyberspace for customers worldwide. 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!

Manufacturing and Operational Readiness

• Track how developmental aerospace hardware moves from engineering definition through fabrication, assembly, integration, test, field operations, and flight, and independently assess whether manufacturing and operations teams are truly ready rather than relying solely on schedule or status reporting.
• Identify unplanned constraints early — tooling, facilities, work instructions, personnel, training, material, test equipment, inspection capacity, configuration, transportation, and range support — and drive resolution without directly managing the manufacturing organization.

Vehicle Integration and Test Leadership

• Apply hands-on experience in complex aerospace vehicle integration across propulsion, structures, avionics, electrical systems, GNC, software, instrumentation, and/or energetic systems.
• Lead integration sequencing, interface management, configuration control, test planning, verification, discrepancy resolution, and retest; distinguish between a component being “complete” and being “integration-ready.”
• Support environmental, functional, ground, captive-carry/range, and flight-test activities, always protecting downstream integration and test milestones.

Cross-Functional Integration

• Operate fluently across engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, quality, mission assurance, operations, finance, contracts, security, facilities, and IT, and with senior leadership.
• Navigate Leidos business processes and tailor reporting to organizational requirements; build relationships that secure organizational support quickly.
• Judge when to resolve an issue informally, when to stand up a repeatable process, and when to escalate — creating clarity across boundaries without requiring formal authority over every stakeholder.

Procurement and Supply Chain Fluency

• Understand the mechanics of procurement — requirements definition, requisitions, sourcing, RFQs, supplier selection, purchase orders, lead times, subcontracts, receiving inspection, nonconformance, and supplier performance.
• Differentiate normal procurement cycle time from an emerging program threat, and maintain a focused critical-material view rather than exhaustive reporting on every purchase.
• Work constructively with procurement to keep long-lead and schedule-critical items visible and prioritized.

Organizational Responsiveness

• Anticipate demand on shared enterprise resources (specialty engineering, quality, procurement, facilities, security, test assets, transportation, technicians) before they become emergencies.
• Translate program needs into specific, actionable requests to functional organizations and follow through on commitments without creating a parallel management structure.
• Respectfully challenge organizational processes when cycle time is incompatible with program needs.

Business Operations and Administrative Leadership

• Own high-value, low-burden reporting: convert detailed program information into concise, audience-tailored reporting that emphasizes exceptions, trends, decisions, dependencies, and required actions.
• Leverage existing program data rather than standing up duplicate reporting systems, and shield engineers and operations personnel from unnecessary administrative churn.
• Develop a small set of meaningful indicators covering vehicle readiness, critical procurements, integration/test readiness, organizational dependencies, and emerging constraints.
• Provide business operations senior leadership for the Advanced Materials & Test Division, including budget awareness, staffing and resource planning, and administrative processes that keep the technical organization running smoothly.

Schedule and Dependency Management

• Understand integrated schedules and critical-path thinking without needing to be the program scheduler; recognize second- and third-order dependencies.
• Recognize that a modest slip in an upstream activity can have outsized effects when it consumes integration or test margin, and focus attention on true schedule drivers rather than treating every late activity equally.

Problem Solving and Leadership Posture

• Bring forward fully framed problems — impact, affected vehicle, organizations involved, realistic paths forward, and the decision or support needed, with a timeframe — rather than simply reporting issues.
• Strengthen the Program Manager and Chief Engineer rather than compete with them; operate effectively through influence, give credit freely, and take ownership of messy cross-organizational problems.
• Know when to intervene and when to stay out of the team’s way; represent the program’s interests without creating another decision authority; elevate programmatic or technical decisions to the appropriate leader.

In addition to program integration duties, this role carries direct people-management responsibility for engineers and section leads within the Applied Engineering branch.

• Serve as the direct-line manager for assigned section leads and engineers, providing day-to-day people leadership separate from program task direction.
• Conduct regular one-on-ones with all direct reports to discuss workload, career development, performance, and roadblocks.
• Mentor and develop section leads, building their ability to manage their own teams, run technical reviews, and interface with program leadership.
• Own the performance management cycle for direct reports: goal-setting, mid-year and annual reviews, and documented feedback.
• Make and defend promotion recommendations, ensuring they are well-justified, calibrated across peers, and aligned with corporate leveling guidelines.
• Recommend and administer merit increases and compensation actions in coordination with HR, ensuring internal equity and market competitiveness.
• Support recruiting, interviewing, and onboarding to grow the branch's bench strength ahead of future program needs.
• Identify training, certification, and development opportunities for engineers and section leads, including rotational or stretch assignments.
• Address performance issues and interpersonal conflicts within the branch promptly and constructively, escalating to HR when appropriate.
• Balance branch staffing and workload across multiple programs or projects, in coordination with other functional and program managers.
• Foster a healthy branch culture — psychological safety, technical rigor, and pride of ownership — that supports retention or high-performing engineers.

• Bachelor's degree in Materials Science, Mechanical, Manufacturing, Chemical, or Aerospace Engineering, or similar degree from an ABET-accredited institution
• BS degree and 12+ years, MS degree and 10+ years, or PhD and 8+ years of total professional experience
• Experience in project management including cost, schedule, and technical direction responsibilities
• 5+ years of experience leading technical teams
• 3+ years of experience with direct personnel management including hiring, employee development, appraisals, and staff assignment coordination responsibilities
• Must be a resident of the North Alabama area or willing to relocate to the Huntsville, AL or surrounding area
• Working knowledge of manufacturing readiness, procurement/supply chain fundamentals, configuration management, and integrated scheduling.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with demonstrated ability to tailor technical information for executive and cross-functional audiences.
• Ability to obtain and maintain the security clearance required for the program; U.S. citizenship required.

• Demonstrated experience integrating and testing complex aerospace vehicles or systems in a developmental (not solely mature-production) environment.
• Experience with hypersonic, missile, launch vehicle, or other low-rate developmental flight test programs.
• Prior experience in a Chief of Staff, Integration Lead, Deputy Program Manager, or similar force-multiplier role supporting a Program Manager and Chief Engineer.
• Familiarity with environmental, functional, ground, captive-carry/range, and flight-test operations.
• Business operations background (budgeting, resource management, business rhythms) in addition to technical engineering experience.

• Manufacturing and operational readiness assessment
• Vehicle integration and test leadership
• Cross-functional influence without direct authority
• Procurement and supply-chain fluency
• Organizational responsiveness and stakeholder management
• Business operations and administrative leadership
• Schedule and dependency intuition
• Comfort with developmental ambiguity
• Structured problem-solving and executive communication
• Supporting leadership posture and influence-based leadership

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:

August 21, 2026

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.

About Leidos

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.

Pay and Benefits

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.

Securing Your Data

Beware of fake employment opportunities using Leidos’ name. Leidos will never ask you to provide payment-related information during any part of the employment application process (i.e., ask you for money), nor will Leidos ever advance money as part of the hiring process (i.e., send you a check or money order before doing any work). Further, Leidos will only communicate with you through emails that are generated by the Leidos.com automated system – never from free commercial services (e.g., Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail) or via WhatsApp, Telegram, etc. If you received an email purporting to be from Leidos that asks for payment-related information or any other personal information (e.g., about you or your previous employer), and you are concerned about its legitimacy, please make us aware immediately by emailing us at [email protected].

If you believe you are the victim of a scam, contact your local law enforcement and report the incident to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission.

Commitment to Non-Discrimination

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.