Sensor Development Engineer
Today• Pittsburgh, PA
Description
The Leidos Research Support Team supporting the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) is seeking a Sensor Development Engineer to join our team in Pittsburgh, PA. This opportunity will allow side by side execution of research with world-class scientists and engineers using state of the art equipment to contribute to new areas of basic and applied research. The work will support the development of robust sensors capable of withstanding harsh environments and monitoring energy infrastructure. In this position, the researcher will have opportunities to publish in high-quality peer-reviewed journals, present at national and international conferences, and contribute to the development of new intellectual property. Regular project reporting will be required. Given the extensive interface with clients and collaborators, strong communication skills are essential.
Primary Responsibilities:
- Design and develop gas and chemical sensors with high sensitivity, selectivity, and robustness.
- Test, characterize, and optimize sensors and sensor testing systems. Optimize functionalized material properties to enhance sensor performance metrics.
- Conduct experimental testing to evaluate sensor performance under various environmental conditions (e.g., temperature, pressure, humidity).
- Develop highly sensitive and selective gas sensors with functional sensing materials such as nanocomposites or metal-organic framework (MOF)
- Conduct field tests to validate sensor performance in real-world sceneries, including pipelines, hydrogen storage, and other safety-critical environments.
- Analyze sensor data and refine sensor designs to meet stringent performance criteria.
- Collaborate with team members and develop new, crucial applications where sensors can be implemented
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Requirements:
- PhD in Electrical Engineering, Materials Science, Physics, or a related field with 3 years of job-related experience.
- Hands-on experience in sensor development, particularly for gas and chemical detection.
- Experience with sensor fabrication and testing (ideally in harsh environments).
- Hands-on experience materials characterization experience (e.g. SEM/TEM, XPS, XRD).
- First authorship of posters/presentations at national conferences and/or peer-reviewed journal articles.
- Must be able to meet the requirements for gaining access to work on the NETL campus.
- U.S. Citizen
Preferred Qualifications:
- Prior experience working in a national lab.
- Demonstrated track record of publications and/or patents in sensing and/or fiber optics.
- Experience with Matlab and Ansys for sensor modeling.
- Knowledge of optical spectroscopy techniques including UV/Vis/Near-IR, ellipsometry, fluorescence, fiber coating, fiber Bragg gratings, interferometric sensing, optical time-domain reflectometry (OTDR), optical frequency-domain reflectometry (OFDR), Rayleigh and other backscatter phenomena
- Experience performing field tests to demonstrate sensor performance targets.
- Experience developing, maintaining, and troubleshooting experimental apparatus with programs like LabView.
- Experience in government lab settings collaborating with internal and external collaborators.
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:
January 27, 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 $107,900.00 - $195,050.00
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 LeidosCareersFraud@leidos.com.
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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.
Client-provided location(s): Pittsburgh, PA
Job ID: Leidos-R-00174510
Employment Type: FULL_TIME
Posted: 2026-01-28T18:48:54
Perks and Benefits
Health and Wellness
- Health Insurance
- Health Reimbursement Account
- Dental Insurance
- Vision Insurance
- Life Insurance
- Short-Term Disability
- Long-Term Disability
- FSA
- HSA
- Pet Insurance
- Mental Health Benefits
Parental Benefits
- Birth Parent or Maternity Leave
- Fertility Benefits
- Adoption Assistance Program
- Family Support Resources
Work Flexibility
- Flexible Work Hours
- Remote Work Opportunities
- Hybrid Work Opportunities
Office Life and Perks
- Company Outings
- On-Site Cafeteria
- Holiday Events
Vacation and Time Off
- Paid Vacation
- Paid Holidays
- Personal/Sick Days
- Volunteer Time Off
Financial and Retirement
- 401(K) With Company Matching
- Stock Purchase Program
- Performance Bonus
- Relocation Assistance
- Financial Counseling
- Profit Sharing
Professional Development
- Promote From Within
- Mentor Program
- Access to Online Courses
- Lunch and Learns
- Internship Program
- Leadership Training Program
Diversity and Inclusion
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