Sr. Software Engineer

Leidos; Huntsville (AL); Hybrid; USD 154,000 - 278,000; Full time

Job summary

Leidos is seeking a Senior Software Engineer to lead design, development, integration, and prototyping for the Army’s Counter‑UAS Network Communication System. You will enable secure, low-latency software for M‑LIDS and FS‑LIDS in SHORAD missions while collaborating across architecture, prototyping, and deployment teams.

You’ll work on secure communications, cloud integration, and zero‑trust remote access, with opportunities to influence DoD cybersecurity practices and RMF/ATO processes.

Qualifications

• Masters degree in CS, Software Engineering, EE, or related field preferred; 15+ years experience required.
• Senior-level development experience in C, C++, Python, or Java for tactical/embedded systems.
• Current Secret security clearance with ability to obtain Top Secret clearance.
• Proven leadership in prototype development and iterative build‑test cycles.
• Experience designing/modifying complex tactical or networked software architectures.
• Hands-on experience with secure communications, encryption, MFA, and access control.
• Knowledge of DoD cybersecurity, RMF/ATO processes.

Responsibilities

• Software architecture leadership and evolution of C-UAS baselines.
• Rapid prototyping and proofs-of-concept for government evaluators.
• Secure communications development and encrypted data transmission.
• Remote access engineering with zero-trust gateways and encrypted sessions.
• Cloud integration for low-latency data transfer to Army-approved clouds.
• Low-latency performance optimization for near-real-time operation.
• Development of command-and-control tools and deployment support.
• Integration and testing in simulated contested environments.

Skills

C/C++/Python/Java

Prototype development

Secure communications

Low-latency software

Education

Master's degree in CS/SE/EE

Bachelor’s degree in CS/SE/EE

Tools

AWS/Azure GovCloud

Job description

Description

Senior Software Engineer – C‑UAS Network Communication System (NCS)

Locations: Huntsville, AL and Alexandria, VA .Telecommuting may be available. Clearance: Current Secret clearance with the ability to obtain a Top Secret clearance.

Position is contingent upon contract award.

Leidos is seeking a Senior Software Engineer to lead design, development, integration, and prototyping for the Army’s Counter‑UAS (C‑UAS) Network Communication System (NCS). You’ll build secure, low‑latency tactical software enabling network integration of M‑LIDS and FS‑LIDS systems supporting Short‑Range Air Defense (SHORAD) missions.

Role Overview

You will serve as a senior technical lead across the full software lifecycle—architecture updates, rapid prototyping, secure communications development, cloud integration, remote access solutions, low‑latency performance engineering, and deployment support in contested environments.

Key Responsibilities

• Software architecture leadership — modify and evolve C‑UAS tactical software baselines.
• Rapid prototyping — build and demo proof‑of‑concept capabilities for government evaluators.
• Secure communications development — implement encrypted, authenticated tactical data transmission.
• Remote access engineering — design zero‑trust gateways and encrypted remote sessions.
• Cloud integration — develop low‑latency data transfer to Army‑authorized cloud environments.
• Low‑latency optimization — profile and tune software for near‑real‑time performance.
• Command‑and‑control tools — build centralized and distributed management capabilities.
• Integration & testing — validate prototypes in simulated contested environments.
• Cybersecurity support — contribute to secure coding, software assurance, and ATO documentation.

Basic Qualifications

• Masters degree in CS, Software Engineering, EE, or related field preferred. Bachelor’s degree in CS, Software Engineering, EE, or related field; 15+ years relevant experience is required.
• Senior‑level development expertise in C, C++, Python, or Java for tactical/embedded systems.
• Current Secret security clearance with the ability to obtain a Top Secret security clearance.
• Proven leadership in prototype development and iterative build‑test cycles.
• Experience designing/modifying complex tactical or networked software architectures.
• Hands‑on experience with secure communications, encryption, MFA, and access control.
• Expertise in VPN/zero‑trust remote access, secure gateways, and encrypted sessions.
• Demonstrated ability to engineer low‑latency, jitter‑optimized software.
• Experience developing software for DIL (degraded/intermittent/limited) environments.
• Knowledge of DoD cybersecurity, secure coding, and RMF/ATO processes.
• Strong technical writing and ability to brief government stakeholders.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with C‑UAS, SHORAD, LIDS, or related Army air‑defense programs.
• Background modifying fielded tactical defense software.
• Experience with edge/cloud architectures in contested environments.
• Participation in rapid capability demos or soldier touchpoints.
• Familiarity with DoD crypto standards, DevSecOps, or containerized environments.
• Prior DoD technical lead experience.
• AWS/Azure GovCloud certifications.

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 9, 2026

Pay Range:

Pay Range $154,050.00 - $278,475.00

The Leidos pay range for this job level is a general guideline onlyand 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.