Systems Engineer Lead

Leidos; Gaithersburg (MD); On-site; USD 87,000 - 157,000; Full time

Job summary

Leidos in Gaithersburg, MD seeks a senior systems engineer to lead the development, authoring, and lab validation of Technical Instructions for the FAA ERAM system. You will own TI lifecycles from planning to approval, and work with FAA stakeholders and SSDP to ensure accuracy and traceability.

You will apply deep Linux/Unix administration, VMware virtualization, and Cisco networking to mirror real environments, and you will produce crisp, repeatable instructions using enterprise templates.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or master's degree in a related technical field.
• 5–8+ years of progressive engineering experience in systems administration or deployment instruction creation.
• Strong Linux/Unix admin skills and hands-on testing experience.

Responsibilities

• Plan, author, and maintain complex TI lifecycles for the ERAM environment.
• Partner with FAA SLE in lab environments to validate configuration steps and patches.
• Configure and troubleshoot RHEL/Unix, Cisco networking, and VMware environments to mirror target systems.
• Translate designs and scripts into repeatable, error-free, enterprise-ready instructions.
• Collaborate with architects, hardware engineers, and government stakeholders to resolve issues.

Skills

Systems Administration

Linux/Unix

Virtualization

Networking

Technical Writing

Documentation Tools

Jira & Confluence

Education

Bachelor's or Master's degree in Systems Engineering, Network Engineering, Computer Science, or related technical discipline

Tools

VMware vSphere/ESXi/vCenter

Red Hat Enterprise Linux

Cisco Networking

Jira

Confluence

Microsoft Office (Word/Excel/Visio)

Job description

We are seeking a highly skilled, hands-on Senior Systems Engineer to lead the development, authoring, and lab validation of complex Technical Instructions (TIs) supporting the FAA's En Route Automation Modernization (ERAM) system.

Key Responsibilities

• Technical Instruction (TI) Lifecycle: Plan, author, schedule, and maintain complex technician-facing Technical Instructions (TIs) for the ERAM environment.
• Lab Validation & Proving: Partner directly with FAA SLE Book Owners in specialized lab environments to physically execute and validate new or modified configuration steps, software patches, and hardware replacements.
• Infrastructure Evaluation: Navigate, configure, and troubleshoot Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)/Unix operating systems, enterprise Cisco networking architectures, and extensive VMware to ensure instructions accurately mirror real-world target environments.
• Technical Writing & Mastery: Turn high-level architecture designs, network port maps, and software deployment scripts into crisp, repeatable, and error-free step-by-step instructions utilizing enterprise documentation standards.
• Collaboration & Peer Review: Interface heavily with systems architects, hardware engineers, and government stakeholders to resolve technical discrepancies caught during lab testbed sessions.
• Baseline Management: Work closely with the FAA System Support Documentation & Production (SSDP) team to ensure all authored procedures are properly cataloged, version-controlled, and routed through formal approval pipelines.

Required Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor's or Master's degree in Systems Engineering, Network Engineering, Computer Science, or a related technical discipline.
• Experience: 5 to 8+ years of progressive engineering experience, with a solid focus on systems administration, hands-on infrastructure testing, or developing deployment instructions.
• Core Technical Skills: Systems Administration: Robust hands-on experience configuring, troubleshooting, and administering Linux/Unix systems.
• Virtualization: Deep working knowledge of VM environments (vSphere, ESXi, vCenter, Red Hat Kernel-based Virtual Machine), virtual networking, and snapshot/cloning operations for testing.
• Networking: Practical understanding of IP networking, routing protocols, switch configurations, and network topology diagnostics.
• Domain Familiarity: Prior experience or strong familiarity supporting the FAA ERAM environment or larger Air Traffic Management (ATM) / civil aerospace infrastructures.
• Tooling Literacy: High proficiency utilizing standard documentation platforms and task management ecosystems (such as Microsoft Word, Excel, Visio, Jira, and Confluence).

Preferred Qualifications

• Direct professional history collaborating with FAA SLE (Second Level Engineering) personnel or working inside FAA testbeds (such as those at the William J. Hughes Technical Center).
• Familiarity with formal FAA formatting standards, maintenance handbooks, or order requirements.
• Relevant industry certifications (e.g., VMware VCP, Cisco CCNA/CCNP, Red Hat RHCSA, or CompTIA Linux+).

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 22, 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 $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.