Sr. Release Train Engineer TS/SCI Polygraph

Leidos; Maryland; On-site; USD 116,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Leidos is seeking a Sr. Release Train Engineer (RTE) to lead an Agile Release Train within a SAFe environment, supporting a multi‑agency program for national security missions.

The role emphasizes PKI, DevOps practices, and strong cross‑team collaboration to ensure value delivery and risk mitigation. The successful candidate will coach teams, coordinate PI planning, and drive continuous improvement in a fast‑paced, mission‑critical setting with heavy stakeholder engagement and transparent

Qualifications

• Requires 12+ years of relevant experience.
• 5+ years leading large, complex technical teams, preferably in SAFe.
• Experience with Agile software development and managing project timelines (RTE/Scrum Master/PO/Technical Lead).
• Hands-on experience with Jira, VersionOne, Rally, IBM ELM.
• Clearance TS/SCI with Polygraph.

Responsibilities

• Manage and optimize value flow through the ART.
• Plan software and architecture releases for the program.
• Facilitate PI Planning readiness and PI events.
• Coordinate cross-team collaboration via Scrum of Scrums and other forums.
• Summarize PI Objectives into Program Objectives and publish them.
• Track execution of Features and Capabilities using metrics.
• Brief customers on progress, testing, deployment, and release readiness.
• Coordinate release trains and schedule release timelines for fixes and enhancements.
• Drive continuous improvement and promote transparency across teams.

Skills

SAFe

RTE leadership

Agile

PKI

Communication

Cross-team coordination

Education

Bachelor's degree in Systems Engineering/CS/Info Systems or related

Tools

Jira

VersionOne

Rally

IBM ELM

Job description

Description

Leidos is seeking a Sr. Release Train Engineer (RTE) to support a high‑performing agile program leveraging the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe). This role is part of a large, fast‑paced effort delivering mission‑critical capabilities. The successful candidate will bring a strong background in leading agile teams. The program follows DevOps best practices and uses robust development, test, and production environments. We employ Behavior Driven Development (BDD), test automation, and a comprehensive suite of collaboration tools. This program provides systems engineering, development, testing, integration, and operational support for a critical mission system. The team is focused on introducing new technologies and advanced capabilities while continuing to sustain an active operational environment.

Job Description

Leidos is seeking a Sr. Release Train Engineer (RTE) to support a high‑impact, multi‑agency program serving the United States Space Force (USSF)/Space Systems Command (SSC), the United States Air Force (USAF), and other key mission stakeholders. The selected candidate will play an important role on a critical program focused on enhancing, testing, and deploying a large‑scale Satellite Communications (SATCOM) system within an existing infrastructure. The ideal candidate will bring strong expertise in public key infrastructure (PKI) and Agile development, along with exceptional problem‑solving, communication, and collaboration skills.

The selected candidate will serve as the Sr. Release Train Engineer (RTE) for an Agile Release Train (ART) operating within a Full SAFe environment. In this key leadership role, the individual will facilitate ART events and processes to support the consistent delivery of value across the program. The RTE will function as both a project engineer and project manager for the ART, with primary responsibility for helping the train meet its committed Feature objectives. This role requires close partnership with teams to assess Feature progress, identify risks to delivery, understand the factors affecting planned work, and help remove or mitigate obstacles that may impact successful completion. The RTE will also drive effective horizontal and vertical communication across teams and stakeholders to surface dependencies, resolve impediments, and support timely decision‑making. In addition, the selected candidate will help develop and execute mitigation plans that keep the ART aligned, focused, and moving forward, while promoting transparency, collaboration, and predictable delivery in support of program goals.

Primary Responsibilities

• Manage and optimize the flow of value through the Agile Release Train (ART).
• Manage schedule execution and plan software and architecture releases for the program.
• Facilitate Program Increment (PI) Planning readiness by fostering a Continuous Exploration process that drives the creation of the Vision, Roadmap, and Backlogs, and by leading pre‑ and post‑PI Planning activities.
• Facilitate PI Planning events, including logistics coordination and technical preparation.
• Facilitate cross‑team collaboration via Scrum of Scrums and other forums to support development, testing, and deployment efforts.
• Summarize Team PI Objectives into Program PI Objectives and publish them for visibility and transparency.
• Assist with tracking the execution of Features and Capabilities using metrics across the program’s Agile and DevOps teams.
• Brief customers on development progress throughout the PI cycle, including the status of testing, deployment, and release readiness.
• Coordinate release trains, assess impacts to other DevOps processes, and schedule release timelines for fixes and enhancements.
• Develop an in‑depth understanding of the large, complex software system, diverse customer needs, and associated risks.
• Assess skillset needs and collaborate with leadership to staff program openings appropriately.
• Coach teams, Scrum Masters, Product Owners, and Project/Program leaders in Agile practices and leading teams toward higher Agile maturity.
• Promote teamwork to achieve PI goals.
• Assist with economic decision‑making by facilitating Feature and Capability estimation and rolling up estimates to Epics when necessary.
• Coach leaders, teams, and Scrum Masters in Lean‑Agile practices and mindsets.
• Escalate, track, and drive resolution of impediments.
• Provide input on resourcing to address critical bottlenecks.
• Work closely with the contractor Program Management Office (PMO) on program execution.
• Understand and operate within budgets provided by the CAM/TTO Leads.
• Drive relentless improvement across the ART.
• Foster Communities of Practice and encourage the use of engineering excellence and Built‑In Quality practices.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Systems Engineering, Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering Science, Engineering Management, or a related discipline from an accredited college or university, and at least 12 years of relevant experience. Additional experience may be substituted for a degree.
• At least 5 years of experience leading large, complex technical teams, preferably in a SAFe Agile environment.
• Experience supporting an Agile software development program and managing project timelines in roles such as RTE, Scrum Master, Product Owner, and/or Technical Lead.
• Hands‑on experience with Agile project management tools such as Jira, VersionOne, Rally, and IBM ELM.
• Experience briefing leadership and customers on key aspects of project status, progress, and overall execution.
• Experience communicating with and providing status updates to external stakeholders, including customer and government representatives.
• Strong time‑management skills, with the ability to quickly identify when issues require discussion, escalation, or triage.
• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Must be highly detail‑oriented, with a strong focus on driving tasks through to completion.
• Must have a demonstrated ability to quickly understand technical concepts and communicate them effectively to both technical and non‑technical audiences.
• Must have a proven ability to thrive in a fast‑paced environment while working across diverse systems and stakeholder groups.
• Clearance Required: Must have TS/SCI with Polygraph.

Preferred Qualifications

• Certifications such as Certified Scrum Master (CSM), SAFe Scrum Master (SSM), SAFe Agilist (SA), SAFe Release Train Engineer (RTE), or a comparable Agile project management credential such as PMI‑ACP.
• Extensive hands‑on experience across the software development lifecycle, including roles such as developer, tester, analyst, product manager, or project/program manager.
• Demonstrated depth of experience in software development, testing, or systems engineering, with the technical foundation to contribute on program efforts in a participating engineering role such as developer, tester, or systems engineer.
• Experience in Release Management, Project Management, or Program Management.
• Demonstrated success influencing and driving change within Agile organizations.
• Experience working with multi‑disciplinary development teams in complex delivery environments.

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

Original Posting

August 19, 2026

Pay Range

Pay Range $116,350.00 - $210,325.00

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.

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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.