Systems Engineer Lead

Leidos; Rockville (MD); On-site; USD 108,000 - 195,000; Full time

Job summary

Leidos Health & Civil Sector seeks a Systems Engineer Lead to oversee systems engineering, enterprise integration, cloud infrastructure, and platform operations for NIH/NCI. The role requires coordinating with program managers and government stakeholders to ensure secure, scalable biomedical research environments.

The lead will guide architecture, security, and modernization across cloud and on-premises platforms, with emphasis on high availability, Zero Trust, and DevSecOps practices.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or related field.
• 8+ years of progressively responsible IT experience, with 6+ years in specialized areas.
• Experience supporting large Federal IT modernization or systems integration programs.
• Experience working in Agile development environments and with DevSecOps practices.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to obtain and maintain required Federal suitability or security requirements.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a Public Trust / ADPII Clearance.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical and operational leadership within assigned functional area.
• Collaborate with Government stakeholders to define priorities, roadmaps, and delivery schedules.
• Lead systems engineering activities supporting enterprise applications, cloud platforms, research computing environments, and shared services across the NCI enterprise.
• Collaborate with Government stakeholders and technical SMEs to develop systems architecture, integration strategies, infrastructure roadmaps, and technology modernization plans.
• Design, implement, and maintain secure, scalable, and highly available hybrid cloud and on-premises environments supporting biomedical research and enterprise operations.
• Oversee systems integration across applications, data platforms, AI/ML services, identity and access management solutions, and external partner systems using modern APIs, event-driven architectures, and interoperability standards.
• Lead infrastructure modernization initiatives involving virtualization, containerization, Kubernetes, Infrastructure as Code (IaC), automation, and cloud-native platform services.
• Ensure enterprise systems meet requirements for performance, resilience, scalability, disaster recovery, business continuity, and operational monitoring.
• Guide implementation of cybersecurity best practices, Zero Trust principles, identity and access management, encryption, and compliance with NIH, HHS, and federal security requirements.
• Support deployment and operation of high-performance computing (HPC), cloud-based research environments, data storage platforms, and enterprise collaboration services.
• Develop and maintain system architecture documentation, interface control documents, operational procedures, configuration baselines, and technical standards.
• Provide technical leadership during architecture reviews, operational readiness reviews, technology evaluations, and executive briefings while mentoring systems engineers and infrastructure specialists.
• Support Agile planning, backlog refinement, sprint execution, and release management.
• Coordinate with cross-functional teams to resolve technical issues and improve delivery performance.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Agile development

DevSecOps

Cloud architecture

Security/compliance

HPC

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or related field

Tools

Azure

Azure DevOps

Kubernetes

REST APIs

Git

CI/CD

Cloud-native architectures

Job description

Description

The Leidos Health & Civil Sector is seeking a Systems Engineer Lead to support the National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Cancer Institute (NCI).

** This posting is for future business – not yet awarded **

The Systems Engineering Lead will oversee systems engineering, enterprise integration, cloud infrastructure, platform operations, and technical implementation activities that enable secure, scalable, and interoperable biomedical research environments.

Working closely with the Program Manager, Technical Lead, Software Engineering Lead, Government stakeholders, and technical Subject Matter Experts (SMEs), the Systems Engineering Lead will ensure that enterprise systems are architected, integrated, and operated to support NCI's biomedical research, clinical research, and administrative missions. The successful candidate will lead cross-functional engineering efforts spanning cloud infrastructure, systems integration, identity management, networking, storage, automation, and platform modernization while ensuring high availability, security, and operational excellence.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide technical and operational leadership within assigned functional area.
• Collaborate with Government stakeholders to define priorities, roadmaps, and delivery schedules.
• Lead systems engineering activities supporting enterprise applications, cloud platforms, research computing environments, and shared services across the NCI enterprise.
• Collaborate with Government stakeholders and technical SMEs to develop systems architecture, integration strategies, infrastructure roadmaps, and technology modernization plans.
• Design, implement, and maintain secure, scalable, and highly available hybrid cloud and on-premises environments supporting biomedical research and enterprise operations.
• Oversee systems integration across applications, data platforms, AI/ML services, identity and access management solutions, and external partner systems using modern APIs, event-driven architectures, and interoperability standards.
• Lead infrastructure modernization initiatives involving virtualization, containerization, Kubernetes, Infrastructure as Code (IaC), automation, and cloud-native platform services.
• Ensure enterprise systems meet requirements for performance, resilience, scalability, disaster recovery, business continuity, and operational monitoring.
• Guide implementation of cybersecurity best practices, Zero Trust principles, identity and access management, encryption, and compliance with NIH, HHS, and federal security requirements.
• Support deployment and operation of high-performance computing (HPC), cloud-based research environments, data storage platforms, and enterprise collaboration services.
• Develop and maintain system architecture documentation, interface control documents, operational procedures, configuration baselines, and technical standards.
• Provide technical leadership during architecture reviews, operational readiness reviews, technology evaluations, and executive briefings while mentoring systems engineers and infrastructure specialists.
• Support Agile planning, backlog refinement, sprint execution, and release management.
• Coordinate with cross-functional teams to resolve technical issues and improve delivery performance.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or related field.
• Eight (8) or more years of progressively responsible experience relevant to the position, including at least six (6) years specialized experience includes superior functional knowledge of task specific requirements or developing functional requirements for complex integrated systems.
• Experience supporting large Federal IT modernization or systems integration programs.
• Experience working in Agile development environments and with DevSecOps practices.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to obtain and maintain required Federal suitability or security requirements.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a Public Trust / ADPII Clearance.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting HHS, NIH, CDC, or other Federal health agencies.
• Experience with Microsoft Azure, Azure DevOps, Kubernetes, REST APIs, Git, CI/CD, and cloud-native architectures.
• Knowledge of Section 508, NIST guidance, FISMA, and Zero Trust principles.
• Relevant professional certifications appropriate to the role (e.g., PMP, Scrum, AWS/Azure, Security+, ISTQB).

Desired Characteristics

• Strong customer focus and mission orientation.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to lead cross-functional teams in a collaborative environment.
• Commitment to quality, innovation, and continuous process improvement.
• Ability to communicate effectively with both technical and executive audiences

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

August 25, 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 $107,900.00 - $195,050.00

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.

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.