Principal AI Software Engineer – Real-Time Microservices

Leidos; Gaithersburg (MD); Hybrid; USD 131,000 - 237,000; Full time

Job summary

Leidos seeks a Principal AI Software Developer to advance the L-CAP platform within a SAFe/Agile environment. You will design microservices, implement RESTful APIs, and integrate with SQL/NoSQL databases across hybrid cloud data mesh architectures.

The role emphasizes AI-enabled, data-driven systems and requires the ability to obtain a Public Trust. You’ll mentor engineers, perform performance profiling, lead code reviews, and contribute to runbooks and API specs for distributed ATC services.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related technical field (or equivalent experience). A completed Master’s degree will account for 2 additional years of experience below.
• 12+ years of experience
• Proficiency in Java or C++ with demonstrated experience building production software
• Experience designing and developing microservices-based applications
• Strong understanding of RESTful API design and implementation
• Experience with distributed systems and event-driven architectures
• Proficiency with CI/CD pipelines and DevOps practices
• Experience with relational databases (PostgreSQL, Oracle) and NoSQL databases (MongoDB, Cassandra)
• Solid experience with Git and collaborative development workflows
• Familiarity with Agile/SAFe frameworks and iterative delivery
• Strong debugging, problem-solving, and analytical skills
• Ability to obtain and maintain a Public Trust
• Experience with performance engineering including profiling, benchmarking, and optimization of distributed services
• Knowledge of interface stability practices and API versioning for service-based architectures
• Experience modernizing legacy software into service-oriented or microservice implementations
• U.S. citizenship required
• Successful completion of background investigations as required by the government

Responsibilities

• Design and develop microservices that form the backbone of the L-CAP automation platform
• Collaborate with architects to translate system designs into robust, scalable implementations
• Implement RESTful APIs and event-driven integrations within a hybrid cloud data mesh architecture
• Integrate with relational and NoSQL databases, ensuring data consistency and performance
• Perform performance tuning and optimization of services operating in distributed environments
• Conduct and lead code reviews, enforcing coding standards and best practices across the team
• Mentor junior developers, providing technical guidance and supporting their professional growth
• Troubleshoot and resolve complex issues spanning multiple services, APIs, and infrastructure layers
• Contribute to technical documentation including design documents, API specifications, and runbooks
• Participate actively in SAFe/Agile ceremonies and contribute to PI planning and backlog refinement
• Perform performance engineering activities including profiling, optimization, and latency analysis for distributed ATC services
• Maintain interface stability and backward compatibility when modernizing existing operational software into service-based implementations
• Modernize legacy ATC automation functions into cloud-native service implementations preserving operational behavior and performance characteristics
• Embrace an AI-first engineering culture by actively adopting AI-assisted development tools, automation, and modern engineering practices that improve productivity, code quality, and delivery velocity.

Skills

Java or C++

Microservices

RESTful APIs

Distributed systems

CI/CD

Relational databases

NoSQL databases

Git

Agile/SAFe

Public Trust eligibility

U.S. Citizenship

Performance tuning

API versioning

Cloud familiarity

Education

Bachelor’s degree in CS/Engineering

Master’s degree (2 extra years experience)

Tools

Docker

Kubernetes

AWS/Azure

Kafka

RabbitMQ

Terraform/Ansible

Job description

Leidos seeks a Principal AI Software Developer to advance the L-CAP platform within a SAFe/Agile environment. You will design microservices, implement RESTful APIs, and integrate with SQL/NoSQL databases across hybrid cloud data mesh architectures.

The role emphasizes AI-enabled, data-driven systems and requires the ability to obtain a Public Trust. You’ll mentor engineers, perform performance profiling, lead code reviews, and contribute to runbooks and API specs for distributed ATC services.