Principal Software Engineer TS/SCI Polygraph

Leidos LLC; Hanover (MD); On-site; USD 154,000 - 278,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid time off

11 holidays

401K match

Flexible schedules

Stock purchase plan

Technical upskilling

Education support

Parental leave

Job summary

Leidos is seeking a Principal Software Engineer to anchor a new feature within the National Security Sector's CABA, translating complex business requirements into robust technical designs. You will guide the feature through architecture, development, testing and deployment with a focus on high-quality delivery.

This role requires TS/SCI with polygraph and a strong background in Java/Spring Boot, OO design, and REST.

Qualifications

• Expert in Java (17+), the Spring Boot ecosystem, SOLID principles and REST interface standards.
• TS/SCI clearance with polygraph; minimum 18 years of relevant experience with a Bachelor's, or 15 years with a Master's, or 13 years with a Doctorate.
• Strong communicator with ability to facilitate cross-team collaboration and clearly convey architecture and design concepts; capable of documenting technical designs.

Responsibilities

• Architectural analysis & design; deconstruct complex requirements to determine system impact.
• Technical shepherding; lead the feature from concept through development, testing and deployment.
• Cross-team coordination; liaise with Systems Engineering to align approaches.
• Team leadership & tasking; decompose designs into actionable tasks and mentor peers.
• Quality assurance; perform MR reviews to maintain code standards and security.

Skills

Java

Spring Boot

OO Design

REST

MongoDB

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree

PhD

Tools

Docker

Kubernetes

ELK Stack

Confluence

Jira

Job description

About the Role

Leidos has a new and exciting opportunity for a Principal Software Engineer in our National Security Sector's (NSS) Cyber & Analytics Business Area (CABA). 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! The Principal Software Engineer will serve as technical anchor for a new feature/capability being added to our product. Ideal candidate will be able to architect/design a new feature and translate complex business requirements into robust, documented technical designs. Responsibilities will include coordinating closely with members of an Integrated Feature Team (IFT) to ensure high-quality delivery through the lifecycle. This role requires an active/current TS/SCI Polygraph up front.

Key Responsibilities

• Architectural Analysis & Design: Deconstruct complex requirements to determine system impact. You will lead the creation of design documentation using Object-Oriented (OO) principles, ensuring new features integrate seamlessly without technical debt.
• Technical Shepherding: Act as the feature lead for a new capability. You are responsible for the "definition of done," guiding a feature from initial concept through development, testing, and deployment.
• Cross-Team Coordination: Serve as the technical liaison to the Systems Engineering team to align on approach and constraints.
• Team Leadership & Tasking: Decompose high-level feature designs into actionable tasks for the development team. Manage feature status to leadership and mentor junior/mid-level peers.
• Quality Assurance: Conduct rigorous merge request (MR) reviews to maintain code standards, security protocols, and performance benchmarks.

Basic Qualifications

TS/SCI Clearance with polygraph Bachelor's Degree or higher in computer engineering or in a field related to the computer engineering or computer science disciplines is required. Requires Bachelor's degree with a minimum of 18 years of prior relevant experience or Masters with 15 years of prior relevant experience or Doctorate with 13 years of prior relevant experience. Expert in Java (17+ preferred), the Spring Boot ecosystem, SOLID principles, OO design patterns, and REST interface standards/best practices. Strong communicator with the ability to facilitate cross-team collaboration and clearly convey architecture and design concepts through both oral and written communication. Skilled in developing technical documentation (including wiki sites, blogs, and XML/HTML content) and mentoring junior to mid-level software development peers.

Desired Skillsets

• Strong experience with MongoDB Data Architecture (schema design, indexing, and aggregation).
• Proficiency in Docker for local development and CI/CD pipelines.
• Familiarity with Kubernetes orchestration and the ELK Stack (Elasticsearch, Logstash, Kibana) for system monitoring and troubleshooting.
• Experience in PKI/TLS/SSL certificates Knowledge of ICAM Capabilities and Integration Familiarity using Confluence and Jira Strong organization and time management skills, including the ability to multi-task and work independently with minimum supervision to meet deadlines

Benefits

• 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

Pay Range

Pay Range $154,050.00 - $278,475.00 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.

Commitment and Diversity

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.

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 $17.2 billion for the fiscal year ended January 2, 2026. 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 here.

Securing Your Data

Leidos will never ask you to provide payment-related information at any part of the employment application process. And Leidos will communicate with you only through emails that are sent from a Leidos.com email address. If you receive an email purporting to be from Leidos that asks for payment-related information or any other personal information, please report the email to [e-mail].

Company Culture

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.