Senior Splunk Engineer

Leidos Inc; Arlington (VA); On-site; USD 131,000 - 237,000; Full time

Job summary

Leidos is seeking a highly experienced Splunk Engineer SME to lead design, installation, and maintenance of Splunk infrastructure for a strategic cybersecurity task order. The role involves onboarding data, creating dashboards, and enabling searches for executive stakeholders.

Strong automation and collaboration across teams are essential. Ideal candidates have deep Splunk expertise, distributed deployment experience, and current Splunk Architect certifications, with the ability to communicate

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree and 12–15 years of experience in system administration, database administration, or cybersecurity related roles.
• Extensive experience with Linux and Windows system administration.
• Ten years of experience with Splunk in distributed deployments.
• Current Splunk Enterprise Certified Architect certification is preferred.
• Ability to work with senior customers and manage engagement scope.

Responsibilities

• Install and maintain Splunk infrastructure across on-prem and cloud environments.
• Onboard data to Splunk, normalize data to CIM, and develop data models.
• Design, build, and administer a distributed Splunk environment with forwarders, indexers, and search heads.
• Create automation for Splunk deployment and orchestration.
• Collaborate with engineering teams to configure data sources for Splunk integration.

Skills

Splunk Expert

SIEM Integration

Linux/Windows Admin

Python/PowerShell

Cloud/on-prem Splunk

Stakeholder Management

Documentation

Education

Bachelor's degree

Cybersecurity focus

Tools

Splunk

Splunk ES

Indexing Clustering

Forwarders

SQL

Job description

Description

Leidos has an immediate need for a Splunk Engineer SME for a new customer on a highly-visible and strategic Cybersecurity Task Order.

The Splunk Engineer SME will install and maintain Splunk infrastructure, gatherrequirements from customers, onboard data, and assist end users with searches, dashboards, reports, and knowledgeobjects. The Splunk Engineer SME may be required to interact with senior management, as necessary.

• Conceptualize, design, build, and maintain current and future customer-supported tools and platforms

• Manage multiple assignments, changing priorities, and work independently with little oversight

• Develop data storage, access, and retention strategies for a large IT enterprise using industry standards and best practices to advise Customer executive-level stakeholders

• Design, build, implement, and administer Splunk infrastructure in on-prem and cloud environments.

• Create, manage, and support automation solutions for Splunk deployment and orchestration in on-prem and cloud environments

• Work with existing and custom Splunk applications and add-ons to fulfill customer needs

• Provide overall engineering and design support for a distributed Splunk environment consisting of heavy forwarders, indexers, and search head servers, spanning security, performance, a operational roles

• Onboard data to Splunk via forwarder, scripted inputs, TCP/UDP, and modular inputs from various sources

• Normalize data to ensure CIM compliance, and develop data models to accelerate queries, dashboards, and correlation searches

• Work closely with all relevant stakeholders to solve technical problems at the network, system, and application levels

• Conduct periodic architectural reviews of Splunk and related systems to assess effectiveness and propose optimal installation alternatives as required

• Develop and manage comprehensive documentation, artifacts, procedures, and processes for the optimal management of the Splunk infrastructure

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor's Degree and 12-15 years of experience in system administration, database administration, network engineering, software engineering, or software development, with a concentration in Cybersecurity. Additional years of experience and Cyber certifications may be considered in lieu of a degree.

• 12-15 years of experience with Linux and Windows system administration or an expert understanding of operating systems and common operating environments

• Ten (10) years of experience with Splunk in distributed deployments

• Current Splunk Enterprise Certified Architect certification

• Excellent written and oral skills, ability to work closely with multiple customers, manage expectations, and track engagement scope

• Experience implementing FISMA, NIST, NSA, and other information security, cybersecurity and CDM-related industry policies, procedures, guidelines, standards, and best practices

• Expert-level knowledge and ability with Splunk Enterprise Security or integration with other Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) platforms

• Extensive experience with advanced configuration of Splunk including Indexer Clustering and Search Head Clustering

• Proficient at data on-boarding activities including routing, parsing, and normalizing events to the Splunk Common Information Model (CIM)

• Proficiency onboarding data using Splunk-developed add-ons for Windows, Linux, and common third-party devices and applications

• Experience onboarding data into Splunk via forwarder, scripted inputs, TCP/UDP, and modular inputs from a variety of sources

• Proficiency managing Splunk using the Splunk command-line interface

• Proficiency managing Splunk using configuration files

• Experience collaborating with separate engineering teams to configure data sources for Splunk integration

• Intermediate understanding of SQL and common SQL dialects

• Proficiency implementing and onboarding data in Splunk DB Connect

• Experience with Splunk performing systems administration, including performing installation, configuration, monitoring system performance and availability, upgrades, and troubleshooting

• General networking and security troubleshooting (firewalls, routing, NAT, etc.)

• Splunk architecture/design, implementation, and troubleshooting experience

• Experience in managing, maintaining, and administering multi-site indexer cluster

• Proficiency developing log ingestion and aggregation strategies per Splunk best practices

• Perform integration activities to configure, connect, and pull data with 3rd party software APIs

• Experience implementing and optimizing Splunk data models

• Proficient in regular expressions

• Scripting and development skills (Bash, Python, or PowerShell)

• Ability to autonomously prioritize and successfully deliver across a portfolio of projects

• Department of Homeland Security ESOC employees are required to obtain an Entry on Duty (EOD) clearance to support this program

Preferred Certifications (one or more of the following):

Splunk Certified Consultant, Splunk Certified Architect, CASP, GCWN, GISF, GSSP, GICSP, CCNP, CCNP Security, CCIE Security, CEH, ENSA, ECSP, MCSE, VCP, BCAP, VCIX, VCDX, RHCA, RHCE

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: April 27, 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

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 legality, 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.

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