Lead Software Developer

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

Job summary

Leidos is seeking a Software Developer focused on System Management for the FAA’s TFDM program. You will design, develop, test, and deploy TFDM components, collaborating with FAA customers during deployment and supporting operations at airport sites nationwide.

You will maintain and troubleshoot TFDM on RHEL platforms, automate deployment using Ansible and CI/CD, and perform security reviews for classified environments, documenting changes and release notes across multiple airports.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science or related field.
• 4+ years of proven experience in software engineering.
• Experience with Linux administration and open-source tooling.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, test, and deploy the TFDM system components.
• Collaborate with FAA customers during system deployment and support operations at airport sites.
• Maintain and troubleshoot the TFDM software on Red Hat Enterprise Linux platforms.
• Automate configuration and deployment processes using Ansible, CI/CD pipelines, and container technologies.
• Perform security reviews and ensure compliance with classified environment requirements.
• Document system specifications, configuration changes, and release notes.

Skills

Ansible

Python scripting

Shell scripting

RHEL Linux

Containerization (Podman/Docker)

CI/CD pipelines

IaC (Infrastructure as Code)

VMware/KVM virtualization

Education

Bachelor’s degree in computer science or related field

4+ years of software engineering experience

Tools

Git workflows

Pip

RPM packaging

Kickstart/PXE provisioning

Job description

Description

Leidos is seeking a Software Developer focused on System Management for the FAA’s Terminal Flight Data Manager (TFDM) program. The role involves modernizing air traffic management systems, ensuring seamless integration and functionality of next‑generation technologies, and providing support across airport locations nationwide.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, test, and deploy the TFDM system components.
• Collaborate with FAA customers during system deployment and support operations at airport sites.
• Maintain and troubleshoot the TFDM software on Red Hat Enterprise Linux platforms.
• Automate configuration and deployment processes using Ansible, CI/CD pipelines, and container technologies.
• Perform security reviews and ensure compliance with classified environment requirements.
• Document system specifications, configuration changes, and release notes.

Location & Travel

Gaithersburg, MD with a hybrid schedule (3 days in‑office, 2 days remote). Up to 50% travel to FAA airport locations across the United States; typical trips last 1–2 weeks.

Required Technical Skills

• Deep experience with Ansible playbooks, roles, plugins, callbacks, and inventory systems.
• Strong scripting skills in Python and Bash/Shell.
• Linux system administration (RHEL, package management, lifecycle management).
• Container technology (Podman/Docker) and orchestration.
• Infrastructure‑as‑Code (IaC) practices, CI/CD, release management, and Git workflows.
• Network configuration (VLANs, IP schemes, switch configs) and physical hardware provisioning (PXE, kickstart).
• Virtual machine lifecycle management (VMware, KVM), multi‑environment deployment, and package ecosystem management (RPM, pip, Ansible Galaxy).
• Bachelor’s degree in computer science or related field; 4+ years of proven experience in software engineering.

Preferred Technical Skills

• Advanced Ansible practices, YAML templating, vault & secrets management, and custom plugin development.
• Experience with AI‑assisted development tools.
• Enterprise infrastructure management and mission‑critical system deployment.
• Multi‑processor architectures, air‑gapped or classified environments.

Qualifications & Soft Skills

• Understanding of complex interdependencies across large Ansible roles.
• Methodical approach to testing, verification, and validation.
• Strong problem‑solving and debugging across multiple abstraction layers.
• Excellent collaboration skills with distributed teams.

Security Clearance

Applicants must be subject to a government security investigation and meet eligibility requirements to access classified information.

Pay & Benefits

Pay Range: $87,100.00 – $157,450.00. Benefits include competitive compensation, health & wellness programs, income protection, paid leave, and retirement options.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Leidos is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, race, ethnicity, age, national origin, citizenship, religion, disability, 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.