Principal Software/Cloud Engineer

Leidos; Fort Meade (MD); On-site; USD 131,000 - 237,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid time off

11 paid holidays

401K with company match

Flexible schedules

Education and training support

Parental paid leave

Discounted stock purchase

Career development

Job summary

Leidos seeks a seasoned Principal Software Developer / Cloud Engineer to drive cloud architecture, software development, automation, security, and modernization in support of MFCC/CMF objectives. You will guide cloud-native development on Azure and/or AWS and influence technical direction across multidisciplinary teams.

The role requires hands-on engineering expertise, senior-level leadership, and the ability to work onsite at Fort Meade, MD with TS/SCI clearance.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a technical field with 12+ years of progressively complex experience in software development, cloud engineering, or related discipline.
• Demonstrated depth in Azure and/or AWS, software/cloud architecture, secure systems development, programming or scripting, and enterprise Linux/Windows environments.
• Advanced experience with one or more programming or scripting languages such as Python, C#, Java, JavaScript/TypeScript, PowerShell, or Bash.
• Active TS/SCI clearance with a current Polygraph; DoD 8140.03 baseline certification; on-site work at Fort Meade, MD.

Responsibilities

• Lead cloud architecture design across Azure and AWS for mission systems.
• Design, build, and modernize enterprise apps with containerized, microservice patterns.
• Develop CI/CD pipelines and secure DevSecOps processes.
• Provide technical direction and mentorship to engineers and stakeholders.

Skills

Python

C#

Java

JavaScript/TypeScript

PowerShell

Bash

Git

DevSecOps

Containers

Microservices

Education

Bachelor's degree in a technical field

Tools

Azure

AWS

Terraform

Azure DevOps

GitHub Actions

Jenkins

Kubernetes

Job description

Leidos has an opportunity for a Principal Software Developer / Cloud Engineer supporting mission-focused cyber operations within our Intel Sector. Our talented team is at the forefront in Security Engineering, Computer Network Operations (CNO), Mission Software, Analytical Methods and Modeling, Signals Intelligence (SIGINT), and Cryptographic Key Management. At Leidos, we offer competitive benefits, including Paid Time Off, 11 paid Holidays, 401K with a 6% company match and immediate vesting, Flexible Schedules, Discounted Stock Purchase Plans, Technical Upskilling, Education and Training Support, Parental Paid Leave, and much more. Join us and make a difference in National Security.

Job Summary:

We are seeking a seasoned Software Developer / Cloud Engineer to serve as a principal technical authority for cloud architecture, software development, automation, security, and modernization. The engineer will design and evolve enterprise capabilities in Microsoft Azure and/or Amazon Web Services (AWS), provide technical direction for cloud-native development, and help translate demanding mission requirements into secure, scalable, resilient solutions. The role requires strong hands‑on engineering skills as well as the ability to influence technical direction across multidisciplinary teams.

Job Responsibilities/Qualifications:

• Mission and Technical Leadership: Support Marine Corps Forces Cyberspace Command (MFCC) and Cyber Mission Force (CMF) objectives as a principal engineer with substantial technical autonomy. Establish and refine cloud engineering patterns, architecture standards, and development practices for secure mission environments; provide technical guidance on complex engineering decisions and help shape implementation approaches for mission‑critical capabilities.
• Cloud Architecture and Development: Design, build, integrate, and modernize enterprise applications and services using Azure and/or AWS. Apply cloud‑native approaches such as containers, microservices, APIs, serverless components, and distributed architectures where they improve mission outcomes, resilience, maintainability, and scale.
• Automation, CI/CD and DevSecOps: Develop repeatable engineering pipelines and automated delivery practices using Infrastructure as Code, configuration management, continuous integration, continuous delivery, security testing, and automated deployment. Help establish disciplined engineering processes that improve consistency, traceability, and delivery speed in secure environments.
• Cloud Security and Reliability: Design and implement secure cloud environments incorporating identity and access management, least‑privilege principles, encryption, network controls, secrets management, logging, monitoring, and vulnerability reduction. Troubleshoot complex cloud, software, infrastructure, networking, and performance issues while maintaining highly available and resilient services.
• Technical Strategy and Collaboration: Evaluate emerging cloud technologies and competing architectural approaches, assessing technical risk, security, performance, scalability, cost, feasibility, and long‑term sustainment considerations. Work closely with software, systems, network, cybersecurity, and mission stakeholders and mentor senior engineers and developers on sound engineering practices.
• Experience and Education: Bachelor's degree in a technical field with 12 or more years of progressively complex experience in software development, cloud engineering, systems engineering, or a related discipline, or equivalent expertise. Demonstrated depth in Azure and/or AWS, software and cloud architecture, secure systems development, programming or scripting, and enterprise Linux and/or Windows environments is required. Advanced experience with one or more programming or scripting languages such as Python, C#, Java, JavaScript/TypeScript, PowerShell, or Bash.
• Security and Other Requirements: Active TS/SCI clearance with a current Polygraph is required. A DoD Manual 8140.03 baseline certification applicable to the assigned role category is also required. The selected candidate must be able to work onsite each day in a secure facility at Fort Meade, MD; remote work is not available for this position.
• Preferred Technical Skills: Experience with Git and modern development environments is desired. Additional exposure to Google Cloud, Visual Studio, Terraform, AWS CloudFormation, Azure Bicep, Azure DevOps, GitHub Actions, GitLab CI/CD, Jenkins, containers, serverless platforms, and cloud security tooling is valuable. Familiarity with technical tools such as GDB, Valgrind, LLDB, IDA Pro, Ghidra, or comparable debugging and reverse‑engineering tools is a plus.

At Leidos, the opportunities are boundless. We challenge our staff with interesting assignments that allow them to thrive professionally and personally. For us, helping you grow your career is good business. We look forward to learning more about you -

Careers.leidos.com

CONMD

If you're looking for comfort, keep scrolling. At Leidos, we outthink, outbuild, and outpace the status quo - because the mission demands it. We're not hiring followers. We're recruiting the ones who disrupt, provoke, and refuse to fail. Step 10 is ancient history. We're already at step 30 - and moving faster than anyone else dares.

Original Posting: September 30, 2026

For U.S. Positions: While subject to change based on business needs, Leidos reasonably anticipates that this job requisition will remain open for at least 3 days with an anticipated close date of no earlier than 3 days after the original posting date as listed above.

Pay Range: Pay Range $131,300.00 - $237,350.00

The Leidos pay range for this job level is a general guideline only and not a guarantee of compensation or salary. Additional factors considered in extending an offer include (but are not limited to) responsibilities of the job, education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity, alignment with market data, applicable bargaining agreement (if any), or other law.

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.

Securing Your Data

Beware of fake employment opportunities using Leidos' name. Leidos will never ask you to provide payment-related information during any part of the employment application process (i.e., ask you for money), nor will Leidos ever advance money as part of the hiring process (i.e., send you a check or money order before doing any work). Further, Leidos will only communicate with you through emails that are generated by the Leidos.com automated system - never from free commercial services (e.g., Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail) or via WhatsApp, Telegram, etc. If you received an email purporting to be from Leidos that asks for payment-related information or any other personal information (e.g., about you or your previous employer), and you are concerned about its legitimacy, please make us aware immediately by emailing us at [e-mail].

If you believe you are the victim of a scam, contact your local law enforcement and report the incident to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission.

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.