Chief Architect, Software Engineering & Containerization at Leidos

Position: Chief Architect, Software Engineering & Containerization Location:

Colorado Springs, CO

At Leidos, we tackle complex challenges that matter. Our teams deliver innovative, mission-driven solutions powered by diverse talent, technical excellence, and a shared commitment to doing what’s right—for our customers, our people, and our world. If you thrive at the intersection of deep technical work and strategic influence, this role offers the chance to shape the future of a major mission-critical system.

Your Next Career Challenge

We’re seeking a Chief Architect to lead the engineering and design strategy for containerizing software components within the Missile Warning system. Reporting directly to the Program Manager, you will guide a multidisciplinary systems engineering team—spanning systems, software, and test engineering—responsible for the SysML and UML models that enable migration of legacy code into a modern, containerized environment.

This is a high‑impact technical leadership role where you will define the architectural vision, drive modernization strategy, and mentor teams through a complex, multi‑phase transformation.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead and mentor a team of system engineers, software engineers, test engineers, and supporting roles

• Ensure successful contract execution and on‑schedule delivery

• Validate test procedures and plans to ensure alignment with customer requirements

• Drive the conversion of a non‑containerized environment into a fully containerized architecture (primary focus)

• Interpret and guide SysML and UML modeling to support software enhancement delivery

• Define and communicate a clear migration vision and architectural strategy that balances mission needs, technical constraints, and stakeholder priorities

• Recommend target architectures and phased migration strategies for transitioning from a monolithic system‑of‑systems to a modular, container‑based environment

• Design service decomposition patterns and define appropriate service boundaries

• Translate strategy into a pragmatic migration roadmap with milestones, success criteria, and risk‑reduction steps

• Oversee migration patterns, anti‑corruption layers, and incremental cutover approaches while assessing downstream impacts

• Mentor engineering teams on containerization best practices and integration testing strategies

• Lead development and governance of canonical system models (logical, behavioral, allocation views) to support contract‑first API and event schema design

• Define verification and validation strategies using model‑based test generation, simulation, and scenario‑driven validation for phased migration

• Utilize requirements management and traceability tools (IBM DOORS/DOORS Next, Jama, Polarion) and ensure linkage to MBSE artifacts

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, software engineering, or related discipline with 12+ years of relevant experience (Additional experience, training, or certifications may substitute for degree)

• US Citizen; currently possessing an active DoD Secret clearance.

• Understanding of C++/Java in containerized environments

• Experience with requirements management and traceability tools (IBM DOORS/DOORS Next, Jama, Polarion)

• Demonstrated experience decomposing or modernizing monolithic applications through analysis, planning, and phased migration

• Strong knowledge of container technologies (e.g., Docker) and orchestration platforms (e.g.,Kubernetes)

• Experience designing APIs and contract‑first integration patterns (REST, WSDL‑first SOAP, gRPC, event‑driven messaging)

• Ability to produce migration roadmaps with cost/benefit analysis, risk assessment, and measurable success criteria

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in computer science, software engineering, or related discipline with 10+ years of relevant experience.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills

• Understanding of missile defense systems

• Experience with stateful workloads on Kubernetes (operators, Stateful Sets, CSI drivers, backup/restore strategies)

• Deep familiarity with data migration strategies (strangler fig, anti‑corruption layers, CQRS, event sourcing, change‑data‑capture)

• Proven track record mentoring engineering teams and building platform capabilities

• Experience translating JMS message formats into named streams for record publication

• Hands‑on experience with model repositories and collaboration platforms (Teamwork Server, Cameo Collaborator, etc.), including model versioning and branching strategies

AMSOPP1

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:

April 29, 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 $131,300.00 - $237,350.00

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.