Combat Systems Officer (CSO)

The Combat Systems Officer (CSO) is a Subject Matter Expert working in a small, close-knit team environment providing expertise in support of Common Mission Control Center requirements. The CSO leverages their aviation, electronic warfare experience, and critical-thinking prowess to develop tactics, techniques, and procedures to counter emerging threats. The CSO will also work and coordinate with DoD entities and agencies to facilitate cutting-edge product development to ensure client capabilities meet current and future objectives. The CSO must possess an in-depth understanding of the key factors in aircraft survivability and combat mission planning to ensure client objectives are met by finding both time-critical and long-term solutions to challenging and unconventional problems. The work schedule may be dynamic in nature. No overseas deployment is required.

Duties may include but are not limited to:

• •Providing support to program management reviews, human machine interface reviews, mission planning and other working groups/conferences.
• •Identifying threats and survivability for proper decision making to best meet client objectives.
• •Liaise with the System Program Office (SPO), staff, other DoD organizations, and mission planning experts to remain current on system capabilities, developments and initiatives to best advise unit leadership, tacticians, test directors, program managers and mission planners on policies, plans and execution.
• •Providing advice and recommending options to manage and improve mission planning processes and procedures, efficiency and effectiveness, equipment capabilities and training requirements.
• •Review, develop, and prepare mission plans for test, peacetime and wartime operations.

Required Education & Experience:

This position offers a qualified candidate the unique opportunity to make good use of years of military training and aviation experience. Bachelor’s degree and 8-12 years aviation experience or Master’s degree and 6-10 years aviation experience as a Combat Systems Officer, Electronic Warfare Officer, or Navigator. Must currently possess a TS/SCI security clearance.

Desired Skills:

Strong knowledge of mission planning systems, ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance) operations, military aircraft combat mission planning, and the key factors in aircraft survivability. Recent operational experience. Must be comfortable with managing multiple tasks in a dynamic environment and an ability to complete assignments with little or no supervision.

Experienced military aviators (pilot or flight officer) of manned and unmanned vehicles. RPA/UAV/UAS mission commanders / mission planners.

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:

September 30, 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 $92,300.00 - $166,850.00

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.