Senior Software Engineer

Description

The Defense Sector at Leidos is currently seeking a Senior Software Engineer with 8+ years of professional experience to join a collaborative, product‑focused engineering team. In this role, you will shape technical direction, mentor engineers at all levels, and help drive the successful delivery of complex software products built with Java, Rust, JavaScript, and React. You will act as a trusted technical partner to product management and engineering leadership, balancing hands‑on development with team leadership, mentorship, and delivery ownership.

This role plays a key part in fostering a culture of quality, continuous improvement, and user‑focused development. This position does allow the ability to telework, but the chosen candidate must be within a reasonable driving distance to either Arlington, VA or Alexandria, VA and must be able to be on site when asked.

• Provide technical leadership and strategic direction for software solutions using Java, Rust, JavaScript, and React
• Lead and influence multiple Agile scrum teams, ensuring alignment on architecture, standards, and delivery goals
• Own and drive complex, cross‑team technical initiatives from concept through production
• Mentor and coach engineers across experience levels, supporting career growth and technical excellence
• Serve as a technical escalation point for design, implementation, and production issues
• Partner with engineering managers and product owners on roadmap planning, prioritization, and execution
• Promote best practices in automated testing, CI/CD, code quality, and secure development
• Guide teams in leveraging generative AI tools to improve development efficiency and software quality
• Lead architectural reviews, design discussions, and technical decision‑making forums
• Ensure software solutions are scalable, maintainable, performant, and user‑centered
• Incorporate user feedback and operational insights to drive continuous product improvement
• Contribute hands‑on to critical areas of the codebase as needed

• US Citizen with at least an active Top Secret clearance with the ability to obtain an SCI prior to your start date
• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field and 8+ years of professional software development experience or a Master’s degree with 6+ years of experience. Additional experience may be considered in lieu of a degree
• Deep expertise in one or more of Java, Rust, JavaScript, or React, with the ability to guide teams across the full stack
• Proven experience in technical leadership, team leadership, or staff/lead engineering roles
• Strong background working in Agile/Scrum environments and leading teams using Jira or similar tools
• Demonstrated experience driving architecture and solution design across teams
• Strong experience with automated testing strategies and continuous delivery
• Excellent communication, collaboration, and mentorship skills

• Experience managing or heavily influencing multiple teams or large initiatives
• Experience partnering closely with engineering managers or performing light people‑management duties
• Experience with cloud‑native, distributed, or large‑scale systems
• Familiarity with frontend and end‑to‑end testing frameworks
• Experience operationalizing AI‑assisted development tools across teams
• Strong understanding of usability, accessibility, and user‑centered design

• Opportunity to shape technical direction and engineering culture across the organization
• High‑impact leadership role with visibility and influence
• Collaborative environment that values mentorship, ownership, and continuous learning
• Support for modern tooling, automation, and innovation
• Competitive compensation and comprehensive benefits package

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.