Associate Software Engineer

Associate Software Developer

Leidos is seeking an Associate Software Developer to join the Air Traffic Business Area within the Homeland Sector, supporting the development of the Leidos Common Automation Platform (L-CAP). L-CAP is a mission-critical, future-ready automation platform built on a hybrid cloud data mesh architecture, enabling next-generation air traffic management capabilities. We are building with an AI-first engineering mindset, embracing emerging AI capabilities and modern development practices to accelerate delivery, improve software quality, and continuously evolve how we design and build mission-critical systems. This role operates within a SAFe/Agile framework as part of an Agile Release Train (ART) delivering iterative value across the program. This position supports government programs and requires the ability to obtain and maintain a favorable Public Trust investigation. This role is part of a growing program, and hiring will depend on available funding. We review applications on a rolling basis, but the timeline for interviews and offers may vary. In some cases, we may extend contingent offers that become active once funding is confirmed. This position is located in Gaithersburg, MD; Egg Harbor Township, NJ; or Eagan, MN. This is a hybrid position requiring 3 days onsite and 2 days remote work. Candidates should reside a commutable distance to one of the above locations.

What You'll Do

• Develop microservices under the guidance of senior developers, contributing to L-CAP platform capabilities
• Write unit tests and participate in test-driven development practices to ensure code quality
• Participate in code reviews, providing and receiving constructive feedback to improve team output
• Engage in Agile ceremonies including sprint planning, daily stand-ups, retrospectives, and PI planning
• Utilize CI/CD pipelines to build, test, and deploy software in a continuous delivery environment
• Integrate with RESTful APIs and event-driven messaging systems within the data mesh architecture
• Collaborate with cross-functional team members including testers, systems engineers, and DevOps
• Learn and navigate large, complex codebases spanning multiple services and repositories
• Document code, design decisions, and technical approaches for team knowledge sharing
• Support troubleshooting and debugging of issues identified during integration and testing phases
• Develop and maintain services within distributed microservice architectures following established patterns and interface contracts
• Write comprehensive automated tests including unit, integration, and contract tests for distributed service components
• Gain understanding of legacy ATC system functionality to support accurate modernization into new service implementations
• Leverage AI-assisted development tools and modern engineering practices to improve personal productivity, code quality, and accelerate learning within the team.

Core Technical Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related technical discipline with 0–2 years of experience (or equivalent experience in lieu of education)
• Proficiency in at least one: Java / C++ Understanding of object-oriented programming and software design principles
• Familiarity with Agile/Scrum development methodologies
• Experience with version control systems (Git)
• Basic understanding of microservices architecture concepts
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Willingness to learn new technologies, frameworks, and domain-specific concepts
• Effective written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to obtain and maintain a Public Trust
• U.S. citizenship required
• Successful completion of background investigations as required by the government customer
• Foundational knowledge of distributed systems concepts and microservice architecture patterns
• Experience writing automated tests (unit, integration) in continuous integration environments

Preferred / Desired Qualifications:

• Exposure to containerization technologies (Docker, Kubernetes)
• Python Development
• Familiarity with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure)
• Experience with CI/CD tools (Jenkins, GitLab CI, GitHub Actions)
• Coursework or projects involving distributed systems or event-driven architectures
• Knowledge of SQL and/or NoSQL databases
• Experience with AI-assisted development tools (e.g., code generation, automated testing, intelligent debugging)
• Exposure to legacy system modernization or migration projects
• Interest in aviation systems or safety-critical software development

Why Leidos: You'll contribute to software systems where reliability, performance, and precision are essential. This is an opportunity to work on mission-critical infrastructure supporting national airspace operations — collaborating with experienced engineers to modernize complex, real-world systems. If you are motivated by solving technically challenging problems in regulated, operational environments, we encourage you to apply.

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.