Lead AI Software Developer

Leidos; Gaithersburg (MD); Hybrid; USD 87,100 - 157,450; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health and Wellness programs

Income Protection

Paid Leave

Retirement

Job summary

Leidos is seeking a Lead AISoftware Developer in Gaithersburg, MD, to join their Air Traffic Business Area. The role focuses on developing microservices-based applications, engaging in Agile environments, and utilizing AI tools to support national air traffic operations. Candidates should have a bachelor's degree in a related field and at least 4 years of relevant experience. This hybrid position requires 3 days in the office and 2 days working from home, offering a salary range of $87,100.00 to $157,450.00.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related technical field.
• 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 (Java, Python, C++, etc. on Linux).
• Experience or exposure to AI/ML-enabled systems, automation, or intelligent platforms.
• 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 required by the government customer.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and maintain microservices-based applications using best practices.
• Collaborate with product owners and engineers in an Agile environment.
• Participate in sprint planning, daily standups, and reviews.
• Collaborate to translate requirements into working software solutions.
• Develop clean, maintainable, and testable code following CI/CD practices.
• Contribute to system design discussions.
• Integrate services with databases and external APIs.
• Support troubleshooting and continuous improvement.
• Work closely with QA, DevOps, and platform teams.
• Implement modern automated testing strategies.
• Use AI-assisted development tools to accelerate coding.

Job description

Description

Leidos is seeking a Lead AISoftware Developer to join the Air Traffic Business Area within the Homeland Sector, supporting the development of the Leidos Common Baseline. Common Baseline is a mission‑critical, future‑ready automation solution built on a hybrid cloud data mesh architecture. As a member of a Scaled Agile software development organization, you will contribute to the technical execution of a program that integrates proven, globally deployed technologies with modern cloud‑native and AI‑enabled capabilities. You will work alongside cross‑functional teams and technical leaders to deliver predictable outcomes in a highly regulated, safety‑critical environment.

This position is located in Gaithersburg, MD.

This is a hybrid position requiring 3 days onsite and 2 days working from home.

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.

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)


• Experience or exposure to AI/ML‑enabled systems (Claude‑Code), automation, or intelligent platforms


• 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 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

Pay Range

$87,100.00 - $157,450.00

Pay and Benefits

Pay and benefits are fundamental to any career decision. Employment benefits include competitive compensation, Health and Wellness programs, Income Protection, Paid Leave and Retirement.

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.