Data Scientist Cloud - SME

Leidos Inc; Odenton (MD); On-site; USD 154,000 - 278,000; Full time

Job summary

Leidos Inc in Maryland is seeking a Cloud SME to architect and secure hybrid multi-cloud environments (AWS GovCloud, Azure Government, MilCloud) for USCYBERCOM. You will design terrain hosting COIP and JCWA with high availability, scalability, and ironclad security.

The role requires 12+ years IT/engineering, 6+ years DoD/IC cloud, deep multi-cloud expertise, Kubernetes, IaC, and DevSecOps. You will lead RMF/ATO efforts and optimize cloud spend while enabling mission operations.

Qualifications

• 12+ years IT/Engineering with 6+ years DoD/IC cloud experience.
• Deep multi-cloud expertise in AWS GovCloud and Azure Government.
• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Cloud Computing, or related field.

Responsibilities

• Lead design and implementation of large-scale cloud architectures that support both Defensive (DCO) and Offensive (OCO) mission enclaves.
• Drive IaC automation using Terraform, CloudFormation, or Ansible to ensure repeatable, auditable environments.
• Implement Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA) with ICAM and micro-segmentation of mission data.
• Partner with AI SMEs to architect GPU‑compute clusters and high-speed storage for data processing and model inference.
• Provide SME-level guidance on FinOps to optimize cloud spend while ensuring burst capacity during engagements.
• Lead RMF & ATO documentation efforts for new cloud services and mission applications.

Skills

Multi-Cloud Mastery

Kubernetes (K8s)

DevSecOps

Terraform

CloudFormation

Ansible

ICAM / Zero Trust

Security Compliance (DoD 8570/8140)

Budget/FinOps

Education

Bachelor's or Master's in CS/Cloud Computing

Tools

Terraform

CloudFormation

Ansible

Kubernetes (K8s)

EKS

AKS

Job description

Description

Role Overview

As the Cloud SME, you will be the primary architect for USCYBERCOM's hybrid and multi-cloud environments (AWS GovCloud, Azure Government, and MilCloud). You will design the secure "terrain" that hosts both the Cyber Operations Integrated Planning (COIP) tools and the Joint Cyber Warfighting Architecture (JCWA). Your goal is to ensure high availability, rapid scalability, and ironclad security for global mission sets.

Key Responsibilities

• Enterprise Architecture: Lead the design and implementation of large-scale cloud architectures that support both Defensive (DCO) and Offensive (OCO) mission enclaves.
• Infrastructure as Code (IaC): Drive the transition to automated provisioning using Terraform, CloudFormation, or Ansible to ensure environments are repeatable, auditable, and disposable.
• Cloud Security & Zero Trust: Implement Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA) within cloud environments, ensuring strict identity-based access (ICAM) and micro-segmentation of mission data.
• Cloud Native AI/ML Support: Partner with the AI SME to architect the specialized GPU-compute clusters and high-speed storage required for large-scale data processing and model inference.
• Cost & Resource Optimization: Provide SME-level guidance on FinOps, optimizing cloud spend while ensuring the Command has the burst capacity needed during active cyber engagements.
• RMF & ATO Acceleration: Lead the technical documentation and engineering efforts to achieve Authority to Operate (ATO)for new cloud services and custom-built mission applications.

Required Qualifications

• Experience:12+ years in IT/Engineering, with6+ yearsof dedicated experience architecting DoD or Intelligence Community (IC) cloud environments.
• Technical Proficiency:
  • Multi-Cloud Mastery: Deep expertise in AWS GovCloudand/orAzure Government.
  • Containerization: Expert-level knowledge of Kubernetes (K8s), EKS, or AKS for orchestrating microservices.
  • DevSecOps: Proficiency in building CI/CD pipelines that integrate automated security scanning (SAST/DAST).
• Education: Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Cloud Computing, or related field.
• Compliance: IAT Level III (e.g., CISSP, CASP+, or CISM) per DoD 8570/8140.

Preferred Skills Section

• Hybrid-Cloud & Connectivity SME: Expert knowledge in architecting and maintaining hybrid-cloud connectivity solutions (e.g., AWS Direct Connect, Azure ExpressRoute) to bridge on-premises DoD data centers with GovCloud environments while maintaining strict low-latency and high-security requirements.
• Cloud R&D: Experience prototyping 'Edge' cloud capabilities and tactical cloud nodes for forward-deployed Cyber Mission Teams (CMTs) operating in disconnected or bandwidth-constrained environments.
• Operational Sustainment: Proven ability to lead the full lifecycle of complex cloud migrations, transitioning legacy mission tools from on-premise hardware to modern, scalable serverless or containerized architectures.
• Cross-Domain Solutions (CDS): Technical familiarity with managing secure data transfers and service orchestration between different classification levels (NIPR/SIPR/JWICS).
• Professional Certifications: High-level credentials such as AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Professional or Azure Solutions Architect Expert.

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: July 31, 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 $154,050.00 - $278,475.00

The Leidos pay range for this job level is a general guideline onlyand 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.

About Leidos

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 $16.7 billion for the fiscal year ended January 3, 2025. For more information, visit www.Leidos.com.

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. More details are available at www.leidos.com/careers/pay-benefits.

Securing Your Data

Beware of fake employment opportunities using Leidos' name. Leidos will never ask you to provide payment-related information during any part of the employment application process (i.e., ask you for money), nor will Leidos ever advance money as part of the hiring process (i.e., send you a check or money order before doing any work). Further, Leidos will only communicate with you through emails that are generated by the Leidos.com automated system - never from free commercial services (e.g., Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail) or via WhatsApp, Telegram, etc. If you received an email purporting to be from Leidos that asks for payment-related information or any other personal information (e.g., about you or your previous employer), and you are concerned about its legitimacy, please make us aware immediately by emailing us at [e-mail].

If you believe you are the victim of a scam, contact your local law enforcement and report the incident to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission.

Commitment to Non-Discrimination

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.