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Leidos’ Defense Systems, Advanced Sensors and Protective Technologies Portfolio is seeking a talented Junior EO/IR Algorithm Developer to join a multidisciplinary team to create unique solutions to complex engineering challenges in our Huntsville, AL location. This role supports the development of automated target acquisition (ATA) and automatic target recognition (ATR) algorithms for EO/IR sensor systems.
The Advanced Sensors and Protective Technologies Portfolio develops and evaluates EO/IR sensor systems and protection capabilities that improve threat detection, survivability, and overall mission effectiveness. We focus on advancing sensor system technologies through algorithm development, real‑world testing, modeling and simulation, and performance analysis to help transition emerging sensor solutions into operational systems.
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!
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Primary Responsibilities.
- Develop, prototype, and refine algorithms for object detection, recognition and tracking in EO/IR imagery.
- Implement algorithms in Python for rapid prototyping and transition mature designs into production-level C++ applications.
- Apply conventional computer vision and image processing methods, as well as deep learning-based approaches (CNNs, transformer models, etc.).
- Evaluate algorithm effectiveness using quantitative metrics and qualitative analysis; characterize algorithm limitations and performance sensitivities.
- Work closely with program leadership, test teams, and modeling & simulation groups to communicate data needs, test conditions, and performance expectations.
- Prepare technical documentation, present algorithm results, and support integration into ATA/ATR software stacks.
- Contribute to dataset creation, labeling strategies, and data management workflows as needed.
- Collaborate with senior algorithm developers on system architecture and design improvements.
Basic Qualifications.
- Master’s degree in Software Engineering, Computer Science, or related field with 0+ years of relevant experience.
- Experience with Python for scientific computing and algorithm prototyping (NumPy, SciPy, scikit-Image, OpenCV, scikit-learn, PyTorch, or TensorFlow).
- Familiarity with C++ development and willingness to grow toward production-quality implementation.
- Foundational knowledge of image processing and computer vision techniques (e.g. filtering, segmentation, feature extraction, optical flow).
- Basic understanding of deep learning methods for detection/recognition/tracking.
- Ability to analyze algorithm performance, identify limitation, and clearly communicate findings.
- Strong communication skills and ability to work with multi-disciplinary teams.
- Familiarity with version control (Git), JIRA, Agile workflows, and software engineering fundamentals.
- Candidate must be a resident of the North Alabama area or willing to relocate to the Huntsville - North Alabama, AL area.
- Candidate must be a U.S. Citizen and possess (and be able to maintain) a Final Secret Clearance or meet the eligibility to obtain (and maintain) a Final Secret Clearance.
Preferred Qualifications.
- Active SECRET clearance or above.
- Familiarity with EO/IR imaging system concepts (pixels, noise, dynamic range, contrast, spectral bands)
- Exposure to embedded systems, GPU acceleration (CUDA), or real-time processing pipelines.
- Experience working with large datasets and automated evaluation frameworks.
- Knowledge of ATA/ATR concepts, evaluation metrics, and operational considerations.
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 26, 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 $69,550.00 - $125,725.00
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.