Systems Engineer Lead

Leidos; United States; Hybrid; USD 131,000 - 237,000; Full time

Job summary

Leidos is seeking an experienced Systems Engineer Lead with a Secret clearance to support DoD programs. You will lead systems engineering activities across the lifecycle, owning requirements, architecture, and interfaces while interfacing with customers and partners to ensure feasible objectives.

The role involves coordinating with a technical program manager to develop roadmaps, manage risks, and guide a team across multi-domain systems.

Qualifications

• Must possess Top Secret clearance with ability to obtain SCI clearance.
• BS degree and 12–15 years of prior relevant experience or Masters with 10–13 years of experience.
• Demonstrable knowledge of systems engineering concepts for DoD programs.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills to collaborate with customer representatives and engineers.
• Experience in cross-functional planning and full system integration activities.
• Proven ability to work with multidisciplinary teams in dynamic environments.

Responsibilities

• Provide expertise in the Systems Engineering Lifecycle for all phases.
• Accountable for requirements, architecture, and artifacts for DoD programs.
• Interface with customer and partners to ensure feasible objectives.
• Lead technical information exchange to support program objectives.
• Develop technical roadmaps with the technical program manager.
• Document risks, interfaces, and constraints clearly.
• Provide feedback and guidance to direct reports per plans with PM coordination.
• Foster collaboration and transparency among all stakeholders.

Skills

Top Secret clearance

Clearance with SCI

DoD systems engineering

Strong communication

Cross-functional collaboration

Flexibility/adaptability

Education

BS degree

Masters degree

Tools

SysML

Agile tools

Job description

Description

The Decision Advantage Business Area at Leidos has an opening for an experienced Secret cleared

The Decision Advantage Business Area at Leidos has an opening for an experienced Secret cleared Systems Engineer Lead. Our team supports the Department of the Air Force (DAF) Battle Network and supporting infrastructure. The system administrator will be involved in day to day activities and strategic long-term maturation of complex systems.

Ability to work in Northern Virginia, Dayton, OH, or Orlando, FL is highly preferred. Candidate working from remote locations will also be considered but must be willing and able to go onsite for meetings.

Primary Responsibilities

Systems Engineer Lead responsibilities include the following:

• Provide expertise in the Systems Engineering Lifecycle for all phases of the lifecycle
• Responsible and Accountable for systems engineering artifacts including Requirements, Architecture, and other informative artifacts for product development
• Primary interface with customer and other partners to ensure requirements and operational objectives are technically feasible
• Facilitate and lead technical information exchange in support of program objectives
• Work with technical program manager to develop technical roadmaps to support objectives from customer
• Document risk, requirements, interfaces, constraints in an organized manner
• Provide performance feedback and program execution guidance to direct reports to plans coordinated with the technical program manager
• Build a culture of collaboration and transparency, ensuring all parties are aligned and informed

Basic Qualifications

• Must possess a minimum of Top Secret clearance with the ability to obtain a SCI clearance.
• BS degree and 12 - 15 years of prior relevant experience or Masters with 10 - 13 years of prior relevant experience.
• Demonstrable knowledge of systems engineering concepts and applying these concepts to Department of Defense programs.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills to collaborate with customer representatives, domain experts, and other systems engineers in the development of complex DoD systems.
• Demonstrated ability to participate in cross-functional planning, coordination, and task execution situations involving the full spectrum of system integration activities.
• Ability to work well with people from many different disciplines with varying degrees of technical experience.
• Ability to remain flexible and agile to execute per customer needs
• Experience in SysML and Agile program execution tools.

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior experience support Department of the Air Force programs.
• Previous experience working on complex multi-domain systems.
• Experience with large weapons systems and command and control platforms across the DoD portfolio.

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 $131,300.00 - $237,350.00

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.

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.

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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.