AI Software Developer - All Levels Remote

Leidos LLC; Gaithersburg (MD); Hybrid; USD 87,000 - 157,000; Full time

Job summary

Leidos LLC is seeking AI Software Developers across Jr, Mid, and Senior levels to support the L-CAP platform within the Air Traffic Business Area. The role emphasizes AI-first engineering, microservices, and SAFe/Agile delivery in a hybrid environment from Gaithersburg, MD and other commutable locations. U.S.

citizenship and Public Trust eligibility are required. You will design and implement software, collaborate across teams, and contribute to performance and reliability in mission-critical

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in CS/engineering or related field; Master’s counts extra experience.
• 2+ years for Junior, 4+ years for Mid, 8+ years for Senior levels.
• Proficiency in Java or C++ for production software.
• Experience with microservices, RESTful API design, and distributed systems.
• CI/CD pipelines, DevOps practices, and Git collaboration.
• Familiarity with SAFe/Agile frameworks and iterative delivery.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a Public Trust; U.S. citizenship required.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop microservices forming the L-CAP platform backbone.
• Collaborate with architects to translate designs into scalable implementations.
• Implement RESTful APIs and event-driven integrations in hybrid cloud data mesh.
• Integrate with relational and NoSQL databases, ensuring performance.
• Lead code reviews and enforce coding standards across the team.
• Mentor junior developers and support their growth.
• Troubleshoot across services, APIs, and infrastructure layers.
• Document designs, APIs, and runbooks; participate in SAFe ceremonies.

Skills

Java

C++

Microservices

RESTful APIs

Distributed systems

CI/CD

Git

Agile/SAFe

Public Trust eligibility

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related field

Master's degree (advantage)

Tools

Docker

Kubernetes

AWS

Azure

PostgreSQL

MongoDB

Oracle

Kafka

RabbitMQ

Job description

Leidos is seeking AI Software Developers (Jr, Mid, Senior levels). Applicants of any level may apply to this position and will be evaluated based on the criteria below. Any Salary listed may not be fully reflective of every level. You will join the Air Traffic Business Area within the Homeland Sector, supporting the development of the Leidos Common Automation Platform (L-CAP). L-CAP is a mission‑critical, future‑ready automation platform built on a hybrid cloud data mesh architecture, enabling next‑generation air traffic management capabilities.

We are building with an AI‑first engineering mindset, embracing emerging AI capabilities and modern development practices to accelerate delivery, improve software quality, and continuously evolve how we design and build mission‑critical systems. This role operates within a SAFe/Agile framework as part of an Agile Release Train (ART) delivering iterative value across the program. In this position, you will design and implement software solutions independently while working closely with systems engineering, product delivery, and DevSecOps teams. The primary focus is on developing microservices‑based applications within an Agile/SAFe environment. Experience with AI‑enabled or data‑driven systems is advantageous. This position supports government programs and requires the ability to obtain and maintain a favorable Public Trust investigation.

This is a hybrid position requiring 3 days onsite and 2 days working from home, if you are located within a commutable distance (Less than 1 hour's drive one-way during normal traffic) from Gaithersburg, MD; Eagan, MN; or Egg Harbor Township, NJ. However, if you do not reside within a commutable distance, you may be considered for a 100% remote role.

What You’ll Do

• Design and develop microservices that form the backbone of the L-CAP automation platform
• Collaborate with architects to translate system designs into robust, scalable implementations
• Implement RESTful APIs and event‑driven integrations within a hybrid cloud data mesh architecture
• Integrate with relational and NoSQL databases, ensuring data consistency and performance
• Perform performance tuning and optimization of services operating in distributed environments
• Conduct and lead code reviews, enforcing coding standards and best practices across the team
• Mentor junior developers, providing technical guidance and supporting their professional growth
• Troubleshoot and resolve complex issues spanning multiple services, APIs, and infrastructure layers
• Contribute to technical documentation including design documents, API specifications, and runbooks
• Participate actively in SAFe/Agile ceremonies and contribute to PI planning and backlog refinement
• Perform performance engineering activities including profiling, optimization, and latency analysis for distributed ATC services
• Maintain interface stability and backward compatibility when modernizing existing operational software into service‑based implementations
• Modernize legacy ATC automation functions into cloud‑native service implementations preserving operational behavior and performance characteristics
• Embrace an AI‑first engineering culture by actively adopting AI‑assisted development tools, automation, and modern engineering practices that improve productivity, code quality, and delivery velocity

Core Technical Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related technical field (or equivalent experience in lieu of degree). A completed Master's degree will account for 2 additional years of experience below.
• Experience AND knowledge will drive level: 2 or more years (Junior Level) 4 or more years (Mid Level) 8 or more years (Senior Level)
• Proficiency in Java or C++ with demonstrated experience building production software
• Experience designing and developing microservices‑based applications
• Strong understanding of RESTful API design and implementation
• Experience with distributed systems and event‑driven architectures
• Proficiency with CI/CD pipelines and DevOps practices
• Experience with relational databases (PostgreSQL, Oracle) and NoSQL databases (MongoDB, Cassandra)
• Solid experience with Git and collaborative development workflows
• Familiarity with Agile/SAFe frameworks and iterative delivery
• Strong debugging, problem‑solving, and analytical skills
• Ability to obtain and maintain a Public Trust
• Experience with performance engineering including profiling, benchmarking, and optimization of distributed services
• Knowledge of interface stability practices and API versioning for service‑based architectures
• Experience modernizing legacy software into service‑oriented or microservice implementations
• Ability to obtain and maintain a Public Trust
• U.S. citizenship required
• Successful completion of background investigations as required by the government customer

Preferred / Desired Qualifications

• Python programming proficiency
• Experience with containerization and orchestration (Docker, Kubernetes)
• Cloud platform experience (AWS, Azure) including managed services
• Experience with message brokers (Kafka, RabbitMQ) and streaming architectures
• Knowledge of domain‑driven design and data mesh patterns
• Experience in aviation, defense, or safety‑critical software domains
• Familiarity with infrastructure‑as‑code tools (Terraform, Ansible)
• Experience with AI‑assisted development tools (e.g., code generation, automated testing, intelligent debugging)
• Experience with performance‑critical distributed systems in operational or real‑time environments
• Desired but not required: Commutable distance to Gaithersburg, MD; Eagan, MN; or Egg Harbor Township, NJ.

Why Leidos?

You’ll work on systems where performance, precision, and reliability matter — every second. This is not experimental AI for prototypes. This is disciplined, responsible AI applied to mission‑critical software that supports national infrastructure. If you’re excited by solving complex problems in regulated, real‑world environments — and using AI as a force multiplier rather than a shortcut — we’d like to talk. ATMC 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.

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.

• competitive compensation
• Health and Wellness programs
• Income Protection
• Paid Leave and Retirement

Pay Range: Pay Range $87,100.00 - $157,450.00 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.

Securing Your Data

Leidos will never ask you to provide payment‑related information at any part of the employment application process. And Leidos will communicate with you only through emails that are sent from a Leidos.com email address. If you receive an email purporting to be from Leidos that asks for payment‑related information or any other personal information, please report the email to [e-mail].

Commitment and Diversity

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.

Original Posting

October 1, 2026

Pay Range

Pay Range $87,100.00 - $157,450.00

Leidos Overview

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 $17.2 billion for the fiscal year ended January 2, 2026. For more information, visit www.Leidos.com.