Principal Solution Architect, National Solutions Growth

The Intelligence Sector at Leidos has an exciting and strategic opening for a Principal Solution Architect & Innovation Lead to work in our Gaithersburg, MD or Chantilly, VA offices. In this dynamic role, you will be a go-to technical leader, deployed to solve our customers' most pressing problems and to architect their future‑state systems. This is a unique opportunity to use your deep technical expertise and leadership experience to help shape the future of end‑to‑end space and geospatial intelligence systems. We are seeking a visionary technical leader who thrives on complex challenges, takes ownership, and drives success with innovative solutions that push the envelope. If you are passionate about solving the nation's toughest global monitoring challenges and inspiring teams to deliver groundbreaking results, this role is for you.

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.

Primary Responsibilities

• Technical Strategy & Innovation: Champion and architect innovative, next‑generation system solutions. Lead technical planning and Analysis of Alternatives for high‑consequence acquisition decisions, evaluating alternatives based on cost, risk, and supportability for the total system life cycle.
• Proposal & Business Development Leadership: Serve as the technical visionary and lead for high‑priority proposal efforts, including RFPs and RFIs. Shape winning strategies and solutions that align with customer needs and differentiate Leidos in the marketplace.
• Program Execution & Recovery: Act as a technical "first responder" to diagnose and resolve complex issues on challenged programs, providing expert‑level diagnostics, recovery planning, and hands‑on leadership to guide teams back to success.
• Architect Next‑Gen Solutions: Design end‑to‑end solutions that integrate emerging technologies (Generative AI, Computer Vision, Edge Compute) into mission‑critical workflows, spanning from sensor collection to final exploitation.
• Customer Engagement & Inspiration: Engage directly with senior government customers, program managers, and stakeholders to understand their challenges, build trust, and inspire confidence. Translate their mission needs into actionable technical requirements and roadmaps.
• Team Leadership & Mentorship: Lead and mentor dynamic, multi‑disciplinary teams, fostering a culture of innovation, ownership, and technical excellence, coaching other technical staff to elevate their performance.

Required Qualifications

• Education & Tenure: Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or related field with 17+ years of relevant experience, or Master’s degree with 15+ years of relevant experience.
• Modern Technical Fluency: Recent experience (last 5+ years) must demonstrate hands‑on leadership in modern architectures:
  • Cloud Native: Architecting solutions on AWS/Azure (Serverless, Containers/Kubernetes, Microservices)
  • Data & AI: Integrating Data Fabrics, AI/ML pipelines, or automated processing of overhead sensor data
• Capture & Proposal Experience: Demonstrated track record of leading technical responses for federal acquisitions. Must be able to deconstruct an RFP L&M (Section L and M) and architect a compliant, winning technical solution.
• Large Development Program Experience: Proven leadership experience in technical planning, system design, and full life cycle systems engineering (requirements analysis, functional analysis, integration, verification, and validation).
• Clearance: Must possess an active TS/SCI security clearance with a polygraph.

Preferred Qualifications

• Complex Solution Landscapes: Demonstrated experience resolving highly complex, multi‑dimensional problems that require consideration of variables impacting multiple aspects of a program.
• GovCon & Domain Expertise: Deep, proven understanding of the Intelligence Community landscape, specifically space‑based architectures, ground processing, GEOINT, and TCPED missions, and requirements of classified environments.
• Excellent Writing and Communication Skills: Exceptional communication and presentation skills, with a proven ability to engage and influence senior executive leadership and customers.
• Mission Domain Experience: Direct, hands‑on experience supporting satellite ground systems, mission management, or geospatial intelligence programs.
• Large Program Solutioning: Demonstrated success leading the solutioning of capture and proposal efforts for major government contracts.
• Modern Engineering Skills: Experience with modern engineering methodologies such as Model‑Based Systems Engineering, Agile, and DevSecOps.
• Deep Technical Skills: Familiarity with key technology areas such as cloud architectures (AWS, Azure), AI/ML, data analytics, and cybersecurity.
• Strong Software Development / R&D Experience: Hands‑on experience developing innovative solutions in a modern language (e.g. Java, C++), preferably in both program and R&D settings.

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

Pay Range

Pay Range: $154,050.00 – $278,475.00. 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 responsibilities, education, experience, knowledge, skills, abilities, internal equity, market data, applicable bargaining agreement (if any), or other law.

Pay and Benefits

Employment benefits include competitive compensation, Health and Wellness programs, Income Protection, Paid Leave and Retirement. More details are available at

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 application process, nor will it advance money as part of the hiring process. Leidos will only communicate through emails generated by the Leidos.com automated system—never from free commercial services (e.g., Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail) or messaging apps. If you received an email purporting to be from Leidos that asks for payment‑related information or any other personal information, please email us at View email address on click.appcast.io. If you believe you are a victim of a scam, contact local law enforcement and report 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.