SME DevOps Engineer Lead

SME DevOps Engineer Lead

This Department of War enterprise data and analytics program delivers mission-critical capabilities that enable leaders across the Department to make faster, better-informed decisions using trusted data at scale. Leidos Digital Modernization sector is seeking an experienced SME DevOps Engineer Lead to support the delivery, enhancement, and adoption of enterprise data and analytics products used across multiple DoD organizations.

In this role, you will work alongside government partners, engineers, and other industry teammates to translate operational and strategic requirements into scalable, production-ready solutions. You will contribute directly to product planning, execution, and continuous improvement—helping ensure capabilities are delivered efficiently, aligned to mission priorities, and positioned for sustained success. This position offers the opportunity to work on a high-visibility, enterprise program at the intersection of data, analytics, and emerging AI technologies. Ideal candidates are motivated by mission impact, comfortable operating in complex stakeholder environments, and interested in building deep domain expertise while delivering capabilities with real-world national security outcomes.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Lead the design, implementation, and maintenance of CI/CD pipelines to ensure efficient and reliable software delivery.
• Automate and streamline development, deployment, and operations workflows to enhance productivity and reduce manual intervention.
• Manage infrastructure as code (IaC) and configuration as code (CaC) to ensure consistent and repeatable deployments.
• Oversee the development and integration of software for the System, including infrastructure, data tools, customer tools, cybersecurity, and user interfaces.
• Implement and maintain DevSecOps processes, documentation, policies, and automated pipelines for continuous integration and delivery.
• Coordinate with infrastructure teams for capacity planning and automate service monitoring, reporting, and lifecycle management.
• Develop and maintain software testing tools, processes, and procedures, including automated test pipelines for unit, regression, security, integration, compliance, performance, and acceptance testing.
• Prepare, maintain, and execute a Software Engineering Plan (SWP) for managing all aspects of the System software lifecycle.
• Establish and operate a SAFE Agile development process, prioritizing product backlog items and scheduling them into Agile sprint cycles.
• Ensure the reliability and continuous improvement of support systems such as ticketing, monitoring, alerting, and dashboards through automation and integration.
• Conduct configuration management operations to control, identify, record, and report IT components, versions, and relationships for the System.
• Establish and maintain development, test, integration, staging, and production environments for supporting the System software lifecycle.
• Deliver and maintain all software artifacts, including source code, IaC, CaC, binaries, and containers, on Government-owned software repositories.
• Manage a team of 8-15 direct reports, providing leadership, mentorship, and performance management.

Basic Qualifications:

• Active Top Secret (TS) clearance with SCI eligibility.
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems, or related technical discipline and 12 years of relevant experience OR Master's degree in a related field and 10 years of relevant experience.
• At least one of the following foundational qualification pathways consistent with DoD 8140 requirements:
• Current DoD 8570/8140 baseline certification appropriate for Advanced System Administrator roles (e.g., CASP+, CCNP Security, GCED, or equivalent),
• Offerings listed in the DoD 8140 Training Repository,
• Demonstrated equivalent training and experience qualifying under DoD 8140 foundational qualification alternatives.
• Minimum of 10 years of experience in software engineering, DevOps, or related fields.
• Experience designing and implementing enterprise CI/CD pipelines in secure DoD or Federal environments.
• Experience implementing Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) using tools such as Terraform, CloudFormation, or equivalent.
• Strong knowledge of IaC and configuration as code (CaC) tools and practices.
• Experience managing containerized environments (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes) and cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, or GCP).
• Proven experience with CI/CD pipeline development and maintenance.
• Experience integrating automated security scanning, compliance validation, and continuous monitoring into DevSecOps pipelines.
• Strong understanding of configuration management operations and tools.
• Experience operating within SAFe or large-scale Agile frameworks supporting enterprise systems.
• Demonstrated experience leading and mentoring technical teams.
• Experience with software testing tools and automated test pipelines.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively with cross-functional teams.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Active TS/SCI with CI Poly clearance.
• SAFe Agilist (SA) or related SAFe certification.
• Experience supporting DevSecOps across NIPRNet, SIPRNet, and JWICS environments.
• Experience implementing Zero Trust and automated compliance enforcement in cloud-native environments.
• Experience supporting enterprise-scale data, AI/ML, or analytics platform deployments.
• Experience with cloud-based data, analytics, and AI capabilities.
• Familiarity with the platform and its associated tools and services.
• Experience with managing software repositories and delivering software artifacts.
• Experience with DoD Security Technical Implementation Guides (STIGs) and container hardening standards.
• Advanced cloud or DevOps certification (e.g., AWS DevOps Engineer – Professional, Azure DevOps Engineer Expert, or equivalent).