Lead AI Software Developer

Leidos Inc; Egg Harbor Township (NJ); Hybrid; USD 87,000 - 157,000; Full time

Job summary

Leidos is seeking a Lead AI Software Developer to join the Air Traffic Business Area within the Homeland Sector, supporting the Leidos Common Automation Platform (L-CAP). Hybrid cloud data mesh enables next-generation air traffic management capabilities.

In this role you will design, implement, and lead microservices-based software in an Agile/SAFe environment, applying AI-enabled data solutions and DevSecOps practices.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field (or equivalent experience).
• 4+ years of relevant experience or a Master’s degree with 2+ years of experience.
• Hands-on with microservices-based systems.
• Proficiency in at least one modern language on Linux (Java, Python, C++, or similar).
• Experience with AI/ML-enabled systems and AI-assisted engineering tools.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and maintain microservices-based applications in an Agile/SAFe environment.
• Collaborate with product owners, architects, and engineers; translate requirements into software.
• Develop clean, testable code following CI/CD and DevSecOps practices.
• Integrate services with databases, messaging systems, and external APIs.
• Lead technical discussions and contribute to architectural decisions.
• Use AI-assisted tools to accelerate coding, refactoring, and testing.

Skills

Microservices

Agile/SAFe

AI-assisted tools

APIs & distributed

CI/CD & DevSecOps

Linux

Public Trust

U.S. citizenship

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS/Engineering

Master's degree +2 yrs

Tools

Kafka

Docker

Kubernetes

Git

CI/CD pipelines

Job description

Description

Leidos is seeking a Lead AI Software Developer to join theAir 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. As part of a large-scale Scaled Agile (SAFe) software development organization, you will serve as a technical leader and strategic architect, shaping enterprise data solutions that bridge mission needs, systems engineering rigor, and modern Agile delivery.

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 role focuses on building and modernizing real-time, safety-critical systems using a combination of traditional systems engineering and AI-augmented software development practices. You'll work on software that directly supports national air traffic operations, applying AI tools to accelerate development, improve quality, and enhance system reliability.

This position is located in either Gaithersburg, MD or Egg Harbor Township, NJ. This is an opportunity to contribute to projects that impact millions of air travelers.This is a hybrid position requiring 3 days onsite and 2 days working from home.

What You'll Do:

• Design, develop, and maintain microservices-based applications using modern software engineering best practices
• Collaborate with product owners, architects, and engineers in an Agile/SAFe environment
• Participate in sprint planning, daily standups, reviews, and retrospectives
• Collaborate with systems engineering and program teams to translate requirements into working software solutions
• Develop clean, maintainable, and testable code following CI/CD and DevSecOps practices
• Contribute to system design discussions and technical decision-making
• Integrate services with databases, messaging systems, and external APIs
• Support troubleshooting, performance tuning, and continuous improvement
• Work closely with QA, DevOps, and platform teams to ensure reliable delivery
• Implement modern automated testing strategies, including unit, integration, contract, and end-to-end testing
• Use AI-assisted development tools to accelerate coding, refactoring, debugging, and test creation

Core Technical Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related technical field (or equivalent experience)
• 4+ years of relevant experience or a Master's Degree and 2+ years of relevant experience
• Hands-on experience building and supporting microservices-based systems
• Proficiency in at least one modern programming language (e.g., Java, Python, C++, or similar on a Linux-based system)
• Effectively leverage AI-assisted engineering tools to understand unfamiliar codebases, analyze system behavior, develop implementation strategies, accelerate development, and improve software quality.
• Experience or exposure to AI/ML-enabled systems (Claude-Code), automation, or intelligent platforms.
• Ability to analyze and understand large, complex software systems with many interacting components.
• Analyze existing software interfaces and data flows to implement new capabilities within a complex distributed system.
• Experience enhancing and maintaining existing software systems while preserving operational stability.
• Ability to abstract complex implementation details into higher-level architectural concepts and communicate those concepts effectively.
• Experience working in Agile environments
• Understanding of APIs and distributed system concepts
• 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:

• Experience with large-scale distributed systems
• Experience working with safety-critical or high-availability software
• Experience reverse-engineering existing software designs
• Experience integrating with legacy systems
• Experience reading and understanding large existing codebases
• Experience with Git-based version control and CI/CD pipelines
• Familiarity with Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe)
• Experience working with relational and/or NoSQL databases
• Hands-on experience with Kafka or other event-streaming technologies
• Cloud experience (AWS, Azure, or GCP)
• Containerization and orchestration experience (Docker, Kubernetes)
• Experience working in DevSecOps environments
• Experience with test automation frameworks and integration of automated test suites into CI/CD pipelines

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.

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.

Pay Range $87,100.00 - $157,450.00

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.