Scientist Systems Engineering - Mission Architecture & Advanced Concepts
About the job
- A bachelor's degree and a minimum of 12 years of prior relevant experience in propulsion system design and analysis, or a graduate degree and a minimum of 10 years of prior related experience; in lieu of a degree, 16 years of prior related experience.
- An active Secret security clearance.
- Conduct advanced concept thermodynamic design and mission architecture analyses for air-breathing propulsion systems.
- Develop and use integrated propulsion system models, including propulsion performance models, trajectory analysis tools, programming languages, and simulation tools.
- Perform inlet, engine, and airframe matching analyses; trajectory optimization; sensitivity analyses; and Monte Carlo analyses.
- Create concepts of operation, develop requirements, and define initial system architectures for advanced hypersonic concepts.
- Generate advanced designs and conduct performance analyses for liquid and solid rocket propulsion concepts and air-breathing engines.
- Develop configuration layouts and mass properties using computer-aided design tools.
- Create and maintain mathematical models of propulsion systems covering thermodynamic, aerodynamic, fluid dynamic, and mechanical operation.
- Use computational fluid dynamics tools for external aerodynamics, inlet performance, and nozzle analysis.
- Perform aeroheating analysis and stability and control assessments.
- Design and analyze engine control systems and control logic for solid-fueled, liquid-fueled, and air-breathing engines.
- Support business development activities, including requests for information/request for proposal responses, white papers, and customer briefings.
- Prepare and deliver technical presentations to cross-functional and integrated product teams.
- Lead peer reviews and participate in technical proposals describing design approach, relevant heritage, risk assessment, and mitigation planning.
- Provide mentoring and guidance to less experienced engineers.
- Support engineering improvement initiatives, including tool development and integration and standard work procedures.
- Travel up to 10–15%.
- A bachelor's or master's degree in Aerospace Engineering or equivalent.
- Experience with propulsion system performance analysis and preliminary design.
- Experience designing, analyzing, and validating entire air vehicles, including development of all-up rounds.
- Proficiency with engineering analysis tools and programming languages.
- Expertise developing liquid and solid rocket systems and/or high-speed air-breathing propulsion systems for defense applications.
- Proficiency with NPSS, STK, ModelCenter, POST, Quickshot, OTIS, Python, C/C++, MATLAB/Simulink, SysML, and FORTRAN.
- Working knowledge of CAD tools including Creo, NX, and Pro/ENGINEER for packaging, design, and mass properties.
- Experience with CFD tools including RANS CFD, Cart3D, and Missile DATCOM for aerodynamic analysis.
- Experience with inlet, engine, and airframe matching tools and methodologies.
- Proficiency with aeroheating analysis tools including NASA MINIVER.
- Experience with finite element analysis tools for structural analysis.
- Experience with Model-Based Systems Engineering tools and mission architecture tools.
- Strong communication and presentation experience with cross-functional and integrated product teams.
- Experience supporting business development activities, including proposal development.
- Knowledge of hypersonic propulsion cycles including SFRJ, LFRJ, DMRJ, and RDE systems.
About the company
L3Harris Technologies provides aerospace, defense, and space systems for governments and commercial customers, including sensors, communications, propulsion, and space assets. Its products combine hardware and software into integrated systems used for missions, from tactical radios and night vision to satellite payloads and missile defense. The company blends two legacies—Harris and L3—plus an acquisition strategy to deliver quick, field-ready capabilities, with a focus on space, missiles, and resilient satellite communications. Its goal is to deliver mission-ready defense and intelligence technology at scale for national security and related customers.
Company Size
10,001+
Company Stage
IPO
Headquarters
Melbourne, Florida
Founded
1895
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Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- July 2026 backlog hit $42 billion after $7.3 billion orders and raised guidance.
- June 2026 Camden groundbreaking expands PAC-3 capacity as missile inventories stay depleted.
- August 2026 Intuitive Machines contract deepens L3Harris's SDA Tranche 3 missile-defense platform.
What critics are saying
- Christopher Kubasik's August 2026 ouster exposed governance fragility and succession disruption.
- Aerojet Rocketdyne integration and Camden expansions must execute flawlessly before 2030 demand spikes.
- Lockheed and Pentagon pricing pressure can compress margins if delivery slips or defects emerge.
What makes L3Harris Technologies unique
- PAC-3 and THAAD propulsion make L3Harris irreplaceable in U.S. missile defense.
- Space & Mission Systems plus Missile Solutions give Sam Mehta 80% revenue control.
- Roman telescope optics and NGI motors show unmatched breadth across space and interceptors.
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Benefits
Health Insurance
Disability Insurance
401(k) Retirement Plan
401(k) Company Match
Paid Vacation
Paid Holidays
Mental Health Support
Relocation Assistance
Growth & Insights and Company News
6 month growth
15%1 year growth
15%2 year growth
15%L3Harris stock has fallen 16% over the past month following the firing of CEO Christopher Kubasik over conduct issues, despite the company's progress in drone defence technology. The defence contractor's VAMPIRE launcher system, firing BAE Systems' APKWS rockets costing $22,000 each, has successfully shot down Russian Shahed drones worth $50,000, reversing the cost dynamics of drone warfare. The stock now trades below 16 times forward free cash flow, having underperformed defence peers by over 20 percentage points. Sam Mehta stepped in as CEO following Kubasik's departure. L3Harris also supplies solid rocket motors for advanced interceptor missiles including the Patriot system. The company's shares are down 35% from their all-time high set earlier this year.
L3Harris Technologies has secured a seven-year, $4.7 billion contract with Lockheed Martin to manufacture Patriot missile defence components. The Melbourne, Florida-based defence contractor will produce advanced two-pulse solid rocket motor propulsion systems for the PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement interceptor, designed to neutralise aircraft, cruise missiles and ballistic threats. This marks L3Harris's largest PAC-3 propulsion contract. The company operates a facility in Northampton, Massachusetts, through its KEO division, which produces naval technology including US periscope systems and radar systems for surface ships and submarines. To meet production demands, L3Harris broke ground on two new facilities in Camden, Arkansas, in June. The expansion supports the US Department of Defense's goal to increase annual interceptor production from approximately 600 units to 2,000 units by 2030.
L3Harris Technologies has provided key components for NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, which recently launched successfully. The company supplied the 2.4-metre Optical Telescope Assembly and radiation-hardened electronics for the observatory, which will operate approximately 1 million miles from Earth. The telescope is designed to survey the cosmos 1,000 times faster than the Hubble Space Telescope. Once operational, it will conduct three primary surveys, including scanning roughly 12% of the entire sky in under 18 months to measure the universe's expansion rate and study supernova explosions from up to 8 billion years ago. The project represents more than a decade of collaboration between L3Harris and NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. L3Harris has previously contributed technology to missions including the James Webb Space Telescope and Mars rovers.
L3Harris Technologies selected Intuitive Machines on 4 August to build 18 advanced spacecraft platforms for the Space Development Agency's Accelerated Missile Defense Tranche 3 mission. Intuitive Machines will manufacture and deliver the satellite platforms to host L3Harris' payload technology for national security space operations. L3Harris reported Q2 2026 revenue of $5.9 billion, an 8% year-over-year increase, with net income of $600 million. The company raised its full-year 2026 revenue guidance to $23.2 billion–$23.7 billion, backed by a $42.0 billion backlog. Intuitive Machines reported Q2 2026 revenue of $206 million, more than four times its prior-year level. However, the company posted an operating loss of $47 million and burned $84 million in cash during the quarter, leaving $367 million in cash. Its backlog expanded to a record $1.8 billion.
Christopher Kubasik has been ousted as CEO of L3 Harris following allegations of misconduct. According to Semafor, citing sources familiar with the matter, an investigation found he was engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a subordinate. This marks the second time Kubasik has been forced out of a leadership position under similar circumstances. In 2012, he was set to become CEO of Lockheed Martin but resigned after an ethics investigation confirmed he had a close personal relationship with a subordinate employee. L3 Harris, headquartered in Melbourne, Florida, announced Kubasik's departure on 17 August. The company said the misconduct was unrelated to financial reporting, controls, customer relationships or operational performance. Kubasik will retain some vested stock options but won't receive severance payments.