R&D Engineering Technician -Transportation

Leidos is seeking an innovative and hands‑on problem‑solver to join our Saxton Lab Team as a Lead R&D Engineering Technician
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Our team operates the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) Saxton Transportation Operations Laboratory (STOL), a USDOT research lab. STOL is a research and development center advancing the science of connected and automated vehicle technologies and digital roadway infrastructure. Our mission is to improve transportation safety, mobility, and environmental outcomes through innovation, testing, and real‑world demonstrations.

We work at the intersection of engineering, data, and policy‑developing and evaluating cutting‑edge systems for vehicle‑to‑vehicle (V2V) and vehicle‑to‑infrastructure (V2I) communication. The lab’s culture values initiative, curiosity, collaboration, and a strong sense of public purpose. Learn more about STOL here
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This role will be expected to work full‑time at the customer site in McLean, VA

All applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States with proof of legal status and be eligible for a Public Trust Clearance, which includes three consecutive years in the United States within the last five years.

The Lead R&D Engineering Technician plays a critical leadership role in ensuring that STOL’s infrastructure testbed, vehicle fleet, and technical systems operate reliably, safely, and efficiently
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This is a hands‑on role for an experienced technician who thrives in complex environments, takes ownership of systems end‑to‑end, and brings calm, practical judgment to high‑visibility testing and demonstration activities. Your work directly enables cutting‑edge research and national transportation initiatives.

• Serve as a technical authority supporting day‑to‑day lab operations
• Lead troubleshooting and resolution of complex, cross‑disciplinary technical issues
• Apply systems‑engineering approaches to integrate hardware, software, and operational constraints

• Own the management and day‑to‑day operations of the lab’s Smart Garage and Infrastructure Testbed facilities
• Manage, maintain, and upgrade lab fleet vehicles and specialized research equipment
• Diagnose and resolve issues involving vehicle power, communications, sensors, and control systems, and physical network connectivity supporting testbed and lab operations

• Design, fabricate, and install technical solutions to support evolving research needs.
• Integrate electrical components, computing hardware, sensors, communications equipment, and test instrumentation into lab and field environments.
• Support configuration, diagnostics, and scripting activities (not full software development).

• Coordinate safety training, documentation, and operational compliance.
• Partner with facilities teams on space management, infrastructure readiness, and logistics.
• Identify operational risks and implement mitigations before they impact research or demos.

• Lead technical preparation and execution of lab tours, demos, and testing events.
• Interface with engineers, program managers, government clients, vendors, and partners.
• Serve as a steady technical lead during live demonstrations and high‑pressure scenarios.

• Lab vehicles, systems, and facilities are consistently reliable and well‑documented.
• Demos and testing events execute smoothly with minimal last‑minute escalation.
• Safety processes are clear, effective, and consistently applied.
• You are recognized as a trusted technical leader across the lab.

• Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related technical discipline with 5+ years of progressively responsible, hands‑on technical experience in R&D, automotive, industrial, or field‑deployed systems environments
• Vocational associate’s degree with 8+ years of equivalent hands‑on technical experience demonstrating increasing responsibility and technical…