Junior Software Engineer

Leidos Inc; Gaithersburg (MD); Hybrid; USD 70,000 - 126,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health and Wellness programs

Paid leave and retirement benefits

Job summary

Leidos Inc. in Gaithersburg, MD seeks a Junior Software Engineer to contribute to the FAA TFDM program, improving aircraft runway and terminal congestion. The role supports modern development across Python/Java/C++, AI-assisted efforts, and structured data handling.

Remote work is possible, with preference for local candidates who can be in the office three days a week. You will design, develop, and test software applying DevOps practices, CI/CD pipelines, and secure coding standards, while

Qualifications

• Degree in computer science, software engineering, mathematics, or related field.
• 3+ years in modern software development (Python/Java/PHP).
• Experience in Agile environments and DevOps tooling.
• Public Trust clearance required; US citizenship or permanent residency.

Responsibilities

• Architect, design, develop, and implement next-generation applications using modern practices.
• Work with IaC/Configuration-as-Code, AI-assisted development, and CI/CD tooling.
• Provide software expertise in integration, RESTful services, AI, security, and UX.
• Investigate defects across automation, frontend, business logic, and databases.
• Brief management and stakeholders with clear technical communication.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Skills

Python

Java

PHP

Agile

AI-assisted development

XML/JSON/CSV

RESTful services

DevOps

CI/CD tools

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS/engineering

Tools

Terraform

Ansible

Bamboo

Jenkins

Docker

SonarQube

Git/Bitbucket

PyTest/Behave

Playwright

XML/XSLT tooling

Job description

Leidos is seeking a Junior Software Engineer, who will be a member of a dynamic team in Gaithersburg, MD, working on the development/maintenance of software that improves aircraft runway and terminal congestion.

Nationwide congestion is increasing, and the need for efficient aircraft traffic planning is critical. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Terminal Flight Data Manager (TFDM) is the surface management solution that will provide NextGen Air Traffic Control capabilities to improve air traffic operations in the National Airspace System (NAS). The Terminal Flight Data Management (TFDM) program is a Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) NextGen program based on airport surface management that provides efficiency for both the airport surface and terminal airspace by providing a new and comprehensive integrated surface traffic control and management system.

We are a team of forward-looking professionals in need of a strong candidate with these key required skills: Modern Development ( Python, Java, C++, PHP), Structured Data (XML, XSD, XSLT, JSON, CSV), Agile / Scrum development, AI-Assisted Development, relational databases (PostgreSQL, MySQL, Oracle).

This position can be remote, however preference will be given to those who are local to and can work 3 days a week in one of the following locations: Gaithersburg, MD; Atlantic City, NJ; or Eagan, MN.

Responsibilities

• Architect, design, develop, and implement next‑generation application using software engineering best practices in the latest technologies:

  • Infrastructure-as-Code and Configuration-as-Code (Terraform, Ansible)

  • Artificial Intelligence and AI-Assisted Development (Generative AI, LLMs, AI coding assistants, RAG, AI agents, prompt engineering, and AI MCP servers)

  • DevOps and CI/CD tooling (Bamboo, Docker, SonarQube, Ansible)

• Provide software expertise in one or more of these areas: application integration, RESTful services, Artificial Intelligence, security, workflow automation, module integration, user experience (UX), and accessibility compliance (Section 508/WCAG/USDS standards).

• Investigate and repair application defects regardless of component: automation, front‑end, business logic, middleware, or database (PL/SQL and Data Modeling).

• Brief management, customer, team, or vendors using written or oral skills at appropriate technical level for audience

• All other duties as assigned or directed

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in computer science, software engineering, mathematics, engineering, or related technical discipline. Master's or Doctorate degree may substitute for required experience.

• 3+ years of combined experience with modern software development (Python, Java, PHP)

• Experience working in Agile software development environments.

• Willingness to travel at least 50% as needed

• This program requires a Public Trust security clearance, in order to obtain/maintain a Public Trust, candidates must hold US citizenship or Permanent Residency

Required Skills

• Solid understanding of modern Python libraries and frameworks, including GeoPandas, Fiona, Pillow, PyTesseract, and XMLDiff, with experience developing geospatial, document‑processing, and data transformation applications.

• Experience developing modern Python applications using object‑oriented design principles, type annotations, asynchronous programming, automated testing frameworks, and secure software development best practices.

• Proven experience designing, developing, and maintaining software applications used to create, validate, transform, and manage structured data formats including JSON, CSV, XML, XSD, and XSLT.

• Demonstrated knowledge of XML schema design (XSD), XSLT transformations, and structured data validation techniques.

• Experience with automated testing methodologies including unit, integration, end‑to‑end, and behavior‑driven testing using tools such as pytest, Behave, Selenium, Playwright, and test automation frameworks.

• Solid knowledge of front‑end technologies including HTML5, JavaScript/TypeScript, CSS3, and responsive UI development principles.

• Strong experience in automating tasks with scripting languages like Bash, Shell, or Python

• Experience in use of the UNIX and Linux operating systems and automating tasks with scripting languages like Bash, Shell

• Experience using DevOps and CI/CD tools including Git/Bitbucket, Bamboo/Jenkins, SonarQube, and automated build/deployment pipelines.

• Experience with Artificial Intelligence and AI-Assisted Development (Generative AI, LLMs, AI coding assistants, RAG, AI agents, prompt engineering, and AI MCP servers)

Desired Skills

• Strong experience with Ansible Automation and authoring playbooks and roles for installing, maintaining, or upgrading platforms

• Experience building, packaging, and deploying software applications in Linux environments using RPM-based distribution mechanisms.

• Experience deploying or supporting applications in AWS cloud environments, related certifications.

• Experience with PHP software development and Drupal.

• Experience using Atlassian collaboration and development tools including Jira, Confluence, Bitbucket, and Bamboo.

• Experience with relational databases including PostgreSQL, MySQL, and Oracle including SQL optimization and ORM technologies such as Doctrine or Eloquent.

• Experience with FAA and air traffic domain knowledge.

• Willingness to travel to customer sites

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 2, 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 $69,550.00 - $125,725.00

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.

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.

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.