Senior Chemical Engineer​/Chemist

Description

The Leidos Intelligence Group has an opening for a Chemical Engineer or a Chemist in Reston, Virginia. We are seeking a Senior Chemical Engineer or Chemist to lead reverse engineering analysis on defense industrial programs. You will leverage deep subject matter expertise to evaluate intelligence and open‑source reporting, resolve contradictory data, and characterize life cycles—from precursor development through Research and Development, production, storage, and deployment.

Work will be performed in a fast‑paced, high‑energy environment inside a government facility.

• Evaluate, contextualize, and deconflict all‑source intelligence reporting, open‑source data, and IC assessments regarding adversary chemical warfare capabilities in support of a common intelligence picture.
• Conduct technical analysis using chemical engineering and scientific principles to identify and bridge intelligence gaps.
• Characterize the adversary's end‑to‑end program, specifically detailing component procurement, precursor chemical synthesis, pilot and industrial scale production pathways, storage configurations, weaponization mechanics, and deployment methodologies.
• Evaluate foreign CW/WMD doctrine, strategy, stockpile logistics, and research, development, testing and evaluation (RDT&E) activities.
• Identify and monitor procurement and proliferation (P2) entities, supply chains, and dual‑use technology transfers involved in the foreign trade of chemical weapons, CW‑related components, and chemical precursors.
• Identify critical CW/WMD programmatic nodes, operational bottlenecks, and system vulnerabilities to support development of actionable concepts of operation and mitigation strategies.
• Produce detailed, executive‑level technical assessments and briefings for government leadership and interagency partners.

• TS/SCI Clearance is required to be considered. Must be able to obtain Polygraph.
• Must be a US Citizen.
• Requires deep domain knowledge of chemical weapon life cycles, agent synthesis, process thermodynamics, agent degradation, pilot to industrial‑scale equipment, and production plant layouts. Serves as subject matter expert within the technical domain.
• Requires exceptional analytical problem‑solving skills; proven ability to synthesize disparate, fragmented technical data through the application of advanced technical principles, theories, and concepts.
• Typically requires BS degree and 12–15 years of prior relevant experience or Masters with 10–13 years of prior relevant experience.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to engage senior leadership and clients on technical strategy and results.

• 10+ years of specialized experience in solving DoD engineering and scientific problems.
• Direct experience with military operational planning and the functional defeat of hardened WMD targets.
• Proficiency with chemical process modeling software and data programming languages for dataset analysis.
• Strong working knowledge of standard IC and DoD databases (e.g., MIDB/MARS, TAC, Palantir) and cross-domain intelligence tools.

Pay Range $ – $

Employment benefits include competitive compensation, Health and Wellness programs, Income Protection, Paid Leave and Retirement. More details are available at

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.