Lead Software Developer

Leidos is seeking a Lead Software Developer - Early Systems Integration (ESI) to be based in Gaithersburg, MD; Eagan, MN; or Egg Harbor, NJ. This position will support the United Kingdom National Airspace System Replacement Product Delivery Team - UK NASR PDT. This effort delivers enhanced capabilities to replace and modernize the current operational system supporting UK air traffic services.You will join a dynamic engineering team responsible for building and sustaining real-time, high-availability, safety-critical systems that directly support national airspace operations.LocationThis is a U.S.-based position that offers a balanced 50% hybrid schedule between 2-3 days in the office per week.What You’ll DoDesign, develop, execute integration and test plans, procedures, and cases to verify system functionality, and performance, and maintain software for real-time, high-availability systemsParticipate in agile software development activities as part of a collaborative engineering teamAnalyze complex system requirements and translate them into efficient, maintainable software test plans and cases.Lead and mentor junior integrators, influencing technical direction and promote best practices in integration and verificationParticipate in Agile ceremonies including daily stand-ups, release planning, and sprint reviews as need in support of the SW teams and the build teams.Collaborate with software engineers, system engineers, and program leadership to ensure testability of system design and alignment with project schedulesPromote cross-program collaboration, and sustainable development practicesSupport system integration activities, including hardware and low-level communications interfacesRequired QualificationsBachelor’s degree in Computer Science or related field with 4–8 years of relevant experience. Additional relevant experience may be use in lieu of degree.OR Master’s degree with 2–6 years of relevant experienceStrong object-oriented programming experienceProficiency in Perl, Python and shell scriptingExperience developing real-time, multi-threaded, high-availability systemsExperience leading integration and test activities for complex software systemsStrong hands-on integration experience with large, distributed, or real-time systemsExperience with Linux environments (Red Hat), virtual machines, and hypervisorsExperience with low-level communications protocols (TCP/IP, UDP, SCTP)Experience with hardware or complex system integrationFamiliarity with system maintenance and lifecycle conceptsExperience with source control and configuration management toolsAbility to plan and prioritize work effectively in a fast-paced environmentStrong verbal and written communication skillsDemonstrated ability to work independently and collaborativelyUS Citizenship RequiredAbility to obtain and maintain a Public Trust clearanceSuccessful completion of background investigations as required by the government customerPreferred QualificationsExperience with test automation frameworksFamiliarity with AI/ML tools applied within software development workflowsFamiliarity with Agile life cycleAdvanced integration experience in one or more of the following areas:New system functionality integrationRegression testingProblem determination and root cause analysisData reduction and analysisProblem verification and change validationAir Traffic domain knowledge or experience supporting air traffic programsExperience operating in fast-paced, high-accountability environments requiring independent executionWhy LeidosYou’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.Original Posting:August 21, 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 $87,100.00 - $157,450.00The 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: Gaithersburg, MD; Eagan, MN; Egg Harbor City, NJType: Full time