Job Description

The Defense Systems Group at Leidos has an immediate opening for a Senior Digital Design Engineer at our St. Petersburg, FL facility. This position supports the development of advanced, mission-critical military communications systems and involves the design, integration, testing, and optimization of secure, ruggedized electronic hardware for defense applications.

The ideal candidate will possess deep expertise in FPGA-based digital design and hands-on experience integrating hardware and firmware within complex embedded systems. This individual will have a demonstrated track record supporting defense programs across the full product lifecycle—from requirements development and architectural design through integration, qualification testing, and transition to production.

The Leidos St. Petersburg facility specializes in the design, development, modeling and simulation, analysis, prototyping, and testing of advanced electronic systems. Our primary focus areas include embedded communications systems, Software Defined Radios (SDR), and Phased Array Antenna Systems supporting Department of Defense and commercial customers.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Participate in a multi-disciplinary engineering team developing secure, high-performance military communications hardware.
• Analyze and decompose system-level requirements into detailed hardware design specifications with full traceability.
• Architect and implement FPGA-based digital designs for signal processing, control logic, and high-speed interfaces.
• Develop and validate detailed electrical designs including schematic capture and hardware integration.
• Perform board bring-up, functional testing, and hardware/software integration in laboratory environments.
• Support design reviews (SRR, PDR, CDR), technical documentation, and configuration management processes.
• Troubleshoot and resolve complex hardware and integration issues across prototype and production phases.
• Support environmental qualification, EMI/EMC testing, and ruggedization efforts for field deployment.
• Provide technical input for cost estimates, schedules, and risk assessments.
• Collaborate closely with RF, firmware, systems, and test engineering teams throughout the development lifecycle.

Clearance Requirements:

• U.S. Citizen required.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a Secret Security Clearance.
• Active Secret clearance preferred.
• Ability to obtain Top Secret clearance preferred.

Required Qualifications:

• BS or MS in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field.
• 6+ years of experience in embedded hardware and digital design (8+ preferred for Senior level).
• Experience supporting full product development lifecycle including:
• Requirements analysis
• System design and hardware implementation
• Integration and test
• Technical documentation and formal design reviews
• Strong VHDL design and FPGA implementation experience.
• Experience integrating and troubleshooting digital, analog, and RF subsystems within embedded systems.
• Experience with high-speed digital interfaces (e.g., I2C, SPI, RS-232/422, USB, Ethernet).
• Experience with high-speed protocols such as JESD204B, LVDS, PCIe, and SERDES.
• Experience working with ADC/DAC devices and understanding performance characteristics.
• Experience with schematic capture and PCB design tools (Altium, Cadence Allegro/OrCAD, or equivalent).
• Hands-on lab experience debugging hardware using oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and related tools.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Active Secret or Top Secret clearance.
• Experience with high-speed PCB design techniques (>1 GHz).
• Experience with RF subsystem integration.
• Experience with simulation and modeling tools (MATLAB, Python, LabVIEW).
• Familiarity with satellite communication systems and services (Iridium, Inmarsat, etc.).
• Experience developing ruggedized or military communication systems.
• Experience with EMI/EMC considerations and environmental qualification testing.
• Experience transitioning prototypes into production hardware.
• Experience mentoring junior engineers or leading technical efforts.

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:

May 4, 2026

For U.S. Positions: While subject to change based on business needs, Leidos reasonably anticipates that this job requisition will remain open for at least 3 days with an anticipated close date of no earlier than 3 days after the original posting date as listed above.

Pay Range:

Pay Range $87,100.00 - $157,450.00

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.