Program Quality Engineer Lead

Leidos has an opening for a Program Quality Engineer Lead to support the U.S. Army C5ISR Center, Defensive Cyber Solutions Branch (DCSB) Cerberus Defensive Cyber Operations (DCO) Support program in Adelphi, Maryland.POSITION SUMMARY:This is an opportunity to lead Quality Engineering and Mission Assurance for a complex, mission-critical cyber program supporting the U.S. Army and Department of Defense. As the program's senior quality subject matter expert and primary quality advisor to the Program Manager, you will help ensure contractual and mission requirements are translated into effective quality controls, measurable performance, and objective evidence of successful execution. You will partner with program leadership, technical teams, functional leads, subcontractors, and Leidos QEC leadership to identify performance risks early, drive effective corrective action, strengthen program execution, and lead continual improvement across the program.Location: Must be local to travel frequently to customer site.Clearance: Must have an active Secret clearance; US Citizenship requiredPRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES:Serve as the program's lead Quality Engineering and Mission Assurance subject matter expert and primary independent Quality advisor to the Program Manager, maintaining appropriate reporting and escalation channels through Leidos Mission Assurance leadership.Lead the implementation, execution, maintenance, and continual improvement of the DCSB DCO II – Cerberus Quality Control Plan (QCP), ensuring effective quality controls, documented procedures, objective evidence, and compliance with applicable contractual and enterprise requirements.Establish and maintain requirements traceability among the PWS, Performance Requirements Summary (PRS), Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP), Contract Data Requirements Lists (CDRLs), program Quality controls, applicable EENG processes, performance measures, and supporting objective evidence.Independently assess program performance against applicable contractual PRS requirements and internal Quality Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), identifying adverse trends, requirement escapes, recurring deficiencies, and emerging Mission Assurance risks before they affect contractual compliance or mission execution.Plan, conduct, and report risk-based internal Quality audits, process assessments, product reviews, inspections, and compliance evaluations to verify implementation and effectiveness of applicable contractual requirements, EENG processes, and Quality Management System (QMS) controls.Coordinate independent Quality reviews of contractual deliverables and CDRLs before Government submission, evaluating completeness, accuracy, traceability, compliance, and readiness for customer acceptance.Lead and facilitate ISO 22301:2019 Business Continuity Management System (BCMS) gap assessments and certification-readiness activities in coordination with the Government Cybersecurity Service Provider (CSSP), PMO, and designated operational owners. Evaluate applicable BCMS requirements, business impact analyses, continuity risk assessments, recovery strategies, exercises, documented evidence, and improvement opportunities.Identify, evaluate, document, and escalate significant Quality nonconformities, requirement escapes, recurring performance deficiencies, customer concerns, and material Mission Assurance risks requiring management attention or corrective action.Lead or facilitate Causal Analysis and Root Cause Analysis (CA/RCA), develop corrective and preventive actions, track implementation, and independently verify effectiveness before recommending formal closure.Support subcontractor Quality and performance oversight in coordination with Program Management, Contracts, and Subcontract Management, including supplier compliance assessments, performance trends, deficiencies, corrective actions, and applicable contractual deliverables.Lead data-driven continual improvement initiatives using Lean Six Sigma, DMAIC, Kaizen, Root Cause Analysis, Value Stream Mapping, and other appropriate improvement methodologies to reduce rework, improve process effectiveness, strengthen controls, and achieve measurable program outcomes.Maintain accurate, current, and configuration-controlled Quality records, assessment results, corrective-action documentation, performance measures, and objective evidence within approved program repositories and enterprise systems.Support internal and independent QMS assessments, enterprise process evaluations, customer surveillance activities, and third-party audits in coordination with Leidos Enterprise Accreditations and Continual Improvement (EA&CI) and other applicable stakeholders.Develop and execute a structured Quality/Mission Assurance maturity and improvement roadmap, including initial program assessments, prioritized improvement actions, measurable success criteria, and progress reporting to program and Mission Assurance leadership.Exercise delegated Quality authority consistent with Leidos policies and the applicable Responsibility, Accountability, and Authority (RAA) framework, including initiating appropriate escalation or work-stoppage actions when product integrity, system safety, or other defined critical conditions warrant.BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:Bachelor’s degree in a related discipline with 8+ years of professional experience; additional experience may be considered in lieu of degree.Demonstrated experience in Quality Engineering, Quality Assurance, Mission Assurance, program quality management, or a related discipline.Experience implementing or managing a Quality Management System (QMS) or program Quality Control Plan.Experience interpreting contractual requirements, PWS requirements, performance standards, and deliverable requirements.Experience with performance measurement, metrics, trend analysis, and management reporting.Experience conducting quality audits, assessments, reviews, or inspections.Demonstrated experience with nonconformity management, corrective action, causal/root cause analysis, and effectiveness verification.Strong analytical, problem-solving, facilitation, and written/verbal communication skills.Ability to work effectively with Program Managers, technical SMEs, functional leads, subcontractors, customers, and senior leadership.Ability to independently identify, communicate, and escalate significant quality and performance risks.Proficiency developing executive-level quality and performance reporting using Microsoft Office and applicable collaboration/data-management tools.Ability to satisfy applicable Government security, access, and badging requirementsPREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:Quality or Mission Assurance leadership experience on DoD, Army, cybersecurity, IT, software/systems engineering, or other mission-critical Government programs, including DCO, CSSP, IT service management, or DevSecOps environments.Experience establishing or maturing program-level QMS, QCPs, and performance-based Quality/Mission Assurance operating models.Working knowledge of ISO 9001:2015, CMMI, EENG or comparable enterprise process frameworks, and internal auditing, including Tailored Process Baseline development and process tailoring.Experience with ISO 22301:2019 BCMS gap assessments, audits, business impact analysis, recovery strategies, and certification readiness.Experience applying PWS, QASP, PRS, and CDRL requirements to establish measurable Quality controls.Experience leading audits, requirement-escape investigations, RCA (5 Whys, Fishbone, Pareto), and Corrective Action Requests with effectiveness verification.Experience building executive Quality dashboards and PRS/KPI reporting using Power BI, SharePoint, Power Automate, Jira, Confluence, or similar tools, and facilitating QMRs and governance meetings.Experience leading continual improvement initiatives (Lean Six Sigma, DMAIC, Kaizen, Value Stream Mapping) with measurable results, and supporting subcontractor Quality oversight.Relevant certifications such as ASQ CQE, CMQ/OE, ISO 9001 or ISO 22301 Lead Auditor/Implementer, or Lean Six Sigma Green/Black Belt.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:October 14, 2026For 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 $92,300.00 - $166,850.00The 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.SummaryLocation: Adelphi, MDType: Full time