Principal AI Developer - Mission-Critical Microservices

Leidos Inc; Eagan (MN); Hybrid; USD 131,000 - 237,000; Full time

Job summary

Leidos seeks a Principal AISoftware Developer to join the Air Traffic Business Area, developing microservices-based solutions in a hybrid cloud, AI-enabled environment. You will design, build, and deliver mission-critical software, collaborating with cross-functional teams to meet regulatory and performance requirements.

This role focuses on modern real-time systems, automated testing, and DevSecOps practices, with opportunities to apply AI-assisted development tools to accelerate delivery.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related technical field (or equivalent experience).
• 12+ years of relevant experience or a Master's Degree and 10+ 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.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and maintain microservices-based applications using modern software engineering practices.
• Collaborate with product owners, architects, and engineers in an Agile/SAFe environment.
• Participate in sprint planning, daily standups, reviews, and retrospectives.
• Translate requirements into working software solutions with systems engineering and program teams.
• Develop clean, maintainable 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 with QA, DevOps, and platform teams to ensure reliable delivery.
• Implement modern automated testing strategies (unit, integration, contract, end-to-end).
• Use AI-assisted development tools to accelerate coding, refactoring, debugging, and test creation.

Skills

Agile environments

Public Trust eligibility

U.S. citizenship

AI/ML-enabled systems

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field

Master's degree + 10+ years experience

Tools

Java

Python

C++

Linux

Kafka

Docker

Kubernetes

Git

CI/CD

Job description

Leidos seeks a Principal AISoftware Developer to join the Air Traffic Business Area, developing microservices-based solutions in a hybrid cloud, AI-enabled environment. You will design, build, and deliver mission-critical software, collaborating with cross-functional teams to meet regulatory and performance requirements.

This role focuses on modern real-time systems, automated testing, and DevSecOps practices, with opportunities to apply AI-assisted development tools to accelerate delivery.