Lead System Engineer

Leidos has a new and exciting opportunity for a Lead System Engineer in our Intel Sector's Cyber & Analytics Business Area (CABA). Our talented team is at the forefront in Security Engineering, Computer Network Operations (CNO), Mission Software, Analytical Methods and Modeling, Signals Intelligence (SIGINT), and Cryptographic Key Management. At Leidos, we offer competitive benefits, including Paid Time Off, 11 paid Holidays, 401K with a 6% company match and immediate vesting, Flexible Schedules, Discounted Stock Purchase Plans, Technical Upskilling, Education and Training Support, Parental Paid Leave, and much more. Join us and make a difference in National Security!

Job Summary

Leidos is seeking a Lead System Engineer to join a high-impact, multi-agency program serving the United States Space Force (USSF) / Space Systems Command (SSC), the United States Air Force (USAF), and other critical mission stakeholders. The selected individual will play key role in enhancing, testing, and deploying a large-scale Satellite Communications (SATCOM) system to an existing infrastructure. The ideal candidate brings deep expertise in public key infrastructure (PKI) and key management, excels at complex problem solving, and has a strong record of delivering results as part of a high-performing team in a fast-paced Agile Development environment. This position offers a unique opportunity to enhance the resilience and cybersecurity of mission-critical communications that protect our nation.

• This position is based near Columbia, Maryland, with possible alternative duty locations in San Diego, California, Englewood, Colorado, or Huntsville, Alabama. Relocation assistance may be available for qualified candidates.

Primary Responsibilities

The Lead Systems Engineer will support a high-profile, mission-critical system, leading a team of Systems Engineers to analyze, enhance, and deliver complex software and system integration solutions. The selected individual will collaborate closely with Software Developers, Test Engineers, Network Engineers, and other stakeholders to design and implement secure solutions in an Agile environment. The selected individual will clearly articulate program requirements, risks, and compliance challenges to both program leadership and customer stakeholders, and will drive the development of highly innovative products and solutions through close collaboration and technical dialogue with other senior experts. The Lead Systems Engineer will be responsible for communicating requirements, risks, and compliance considerations to senior program and customer managers.

Responsibilities also include:

• Leading the program’s technical solution and ensure work products are aligned with stated requirements and usability for mission stakeholders.

• Continuously reviewing and enhancing engineering plans for design, development, integration, test, and deployment capabilities across all tasks of the program.

• Organizing and/or chairing boards such as the Engineering Review Board (ERB), System Integration Board (SIB), Defect Review Board (DRB), Interface Review Board (IRB) and/or Technical Interchange Meetings (TIM).

• Overseeing the delivery of systems engineering work products to ensure the accuracy and completeness of technical content is represented with the highest standard for all written and verbal deliverables.

• Developing and analyzing metrics and identifying mitigations.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in System Engineering, Engineering Science, Computer Science, or a related field, and at least 12 years of related experience. Additional relevant work experience may be substituted for a degree.

• At least 10 years of experience leading large, diverse Engineering teams on a technical software development program.

• Must have at least 5 years of experience working on an Agile development and/or Agile systems engineering environment, in a leadership role.

• Must have in-depth experience in several of the following areas: system architecture, design and development, requirements analysis, data flow design/analysis, network design/implementation, testing, technical system documentation.

• Must have experience working on system architecture design, building, and integration.

• Must have experience working on large complex system architectures.

• Must have requirements verification traceability experience.

• Must have experience analyzing user requirements, system architecture, and/or system requirements specifications.

• Must have experience in discovery, research and analysis for hardware and software transitions.

• Must possess a solid understanding of secure systems engineering and development.

• Must be comfortable working on multiple systems and components simultaneously in various configurations.

• Must be able to effectively plan and prioritize tasking and communicate clearly regarding technical options and trade-offs.

• Must be able to manage multiple priorities and perform effectively in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.

• Must have excellent interpersonal skills, and must have the ability to build effective working relationships and interface professionally with peers and leadership, including developers, engineers, testers, and program managers and customer points of contact.

Clearance Required: U.S. Citizenship with an active or current TS/SCI with Polygraph.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working with or in military Satellite Communications (SATCOM) organizations such as United States Air Force (USAF), United States Space Force (USSF), or another Agency.

• Experience working with Public Key Infrastructure (PKI)/ key management programs and technologies.

• Certified Scrum Master.

• Certified Information Systems Security Professional certification (CISSP).

• Master’s or Doctorate degree in System Engineering, Engineering Science, Computer Science, or a related field.

• Understanding of SecDevOps as a framework for adding security best practices within the software development lifecycle.

• Experience with Behavior Driven Development (BDD) or Test-Driven Development (TDD) to include the use of a domain-specific language.

• Prior experience serving as the Chair of various Governance Boards with demonstrated skills in issue resolution.

At Leidos, the opportunities are boundless. We challenge our staff with interesting assignments that allow them to thrive professionally and personally. For us, helping you grow your career is good business. We look forward to learning more about you – apply today.

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:

March 13, 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.