Real-Time Software Engineer

Leidos Inc; Arlington (VA); On-site; USD 87,100 - 157,450; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

401K with a 6% company match

Flexible Schedules

Paid Time Off

Parental Paid Leave

Job summary

A leading defense technology company is seeking a Real-Time Software Engineer in Arlington, VA. The ideal candidate will have a Bachelor's degree in a relevant field, extensive experience in software development with a focus on C++ and Python, and a strong understanding of hardware-software integration. The role involves designing, developing, and testing innovative systems in a collaborative team environment. The company offers competitive benefits including paid time off, a 401K match, and opportunities for professional growth.

Qualifications

• 4+ years of software development experience including strong programming skills in C++.
• Strong understanding of object-oriented design principles.
• Basic understanding of hardware-software interaction and computer architecture.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to design and development of advanced systems in multi-disciplinary teams.
• Design, implement, and test real-time C/C++ software for multi-core systems.
• Document developed systems and support system field testing.

Skills

Python

C++

MATLAB

Object-oriented design

Linux

Communication protocols (TCP/IP, UDP, DDS)

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or Computer Science

Tools

Git

Jenkins

GCC

CMake

Job description

Description

Today, Electronic Warfare (EW) is a growing enterprise - protecting the warfighter and our national security against ever-adapting threats. Our division currently has an exciting opportunity for a Real-Time Software Engineer to perform design, development, and hardware/software integration in Arlington, VA for the Electronic Warfare Division

Our division primarily focuses on research & development and advanced prototyping, transforming state of the art signal processing algorithms into real-time software systems.

Projects involve small multi-disciplinary teams of engineers working together in spiral or agile development environments to meet aggressive customer schedules aimed at near-term field demonstrations. Join a team of experts in implementing high-performance signal processing on general purpose processors, such as ARM.

The successful candidate will be responsible for:

• Contributing to design and development of advanced systems as a part of multi-disciplinary teams. These teams are made up of other software team members and subject matter experts from the areas of systems engineering, hardware, firmware, machine learning, RF front end design, and signal processing.
• Designing, implementing, and testing real-time C/C++ software for multi-core systems running Linux or a real-time operating system, such as VxWorks.
• Build software products that utilize third party mathematics and communication libraries.
• Interface communication standards / protocols such as TCP/IP, UDP, and DDS.
• Read and understand signal processing algorithms written in MATLAB.
• Work with Linux operating system as well as experience with real-time operating systems.
• Designing, implementing, and testing software to configure and control RF hardware devices.
• Integrating software into third-party software frameworks and architectures, such as Redhawk.
• Documenting the developed systems.
• Support system field testing and collection events, usually about a week in duration once or twice a year.

At Leidos, we offer competitive benefits http://www.leidos.com/careers/pay-benefits, including 4 or more weeks 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 Electronic Warfare Technology!

The successful candidate will have the following basic education/experience:

• Bachelor's Degree in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or Computer Science, or related discipline

• 4+ years of software development experience, including strong experience in programming in Python, MATLAB, or C++

• Strong understanding of object-oriented design

• Basic understanding of hardware-software interaction and basic computer architecture

• Experience with hardware interfaces (e.g. PCIe, UART, Ethernet)

• Experience with build tools (e.g. GCC, CMake, or Make)

• Experience using version control (e.g. git, Subversion) and continuous integration software tools (e.g. Jenkins)

• Experience with software testing tools and methodology

• Experience in creating and maintaining technical documentation for developed software

• Ability to communicate and share ideas, concepts, and designs with a team of engineers

• Demonstrated ability and motivation to continually learn new technical skills and concepts

• Understanding of unit test frameworks and test-driven development practices

• Must have active Secret level security clearance with the ability to obtain a TS/SCI.

Bonus education/experience:

• Master's Degree in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or equivalent

• Active security clearance higher than the Secret level

• Ability to debug embedded systems using tools like oscilloscopes and logic analyzers

• Experience maintaining, tracking, and updating ticket/status using Gitlab or similar interface

• Experience using common scripting languages (e.g. bash)

Electronic Warfare

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:

March 25, 2026

Pay Range:

Pay Range $87,100.00 - $157,450.00

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.