Software Engineer Lead

Leidos

$87K — $157K *
Aerospace & Defense
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or Computer Science from an ABET-accredited institution with 4-8 years of relevant software development experience.
  • Experience in software engineering leadership including tasking, mentoring, and technical execution.
  • Proficiency in modern C++ development and real-time Linux environments.
  • Familiarity with ZeroMQ messaging, containerization, and cloud architecture.
  • Capable of obtaining and maintaining a Final Secret Clearance, US Citizenship required.
  • Willingness to relocate to the Huntsville - North Alabama area.

Responsibilities

  • Lead the design, development, and maintenance of health and status monitoring applications for advanced radar technology.
  • Integrate COTS and custom technologies into prototype sensor systems.
  • Conduct field testing of RF sensors and systems and deploy advanced sensor systems.
  • Guide architecture decisions and oversee implementation of scalable monitoring frameworks.
  • Investigate and enhance framework modifications to improve system reliability and performance.
  • Serve as the primary technical authority on health and status monitoring capabilities.
  • Collaborate with engineering teams to identify performance improvement opportunities.

Benefits

  • Opportunities for professional development and career growth in a diverse team.
  • Engagement in high-impact projects in the defense, space, and cyber fields.
  • Access to advanced technology and solutions in engineering and IT.
  • Supportive work environment that encourages innovation and out-of-the-box thinking.
Full Job Description
Leidos Defense Systems is seeking a talented Software Engineer Lead to join a diverse team to create unique solutions for complex sensor and radar orientated problems. We have offices across the United States engaging in the defense, space, cyber and commercial fields, we provide responsive, cost-effective engineering, scientific and IT solutions.

Primary Responsibilities

Candidate will lead the design, development, and sustainment of health and status monitoring applications support advanced technology radar programs including development of software for high-speed data acquisition, distribution, and real-time processing; integration of COTS and custom technologies into prototype sensor systems; field testing of RF sensors and systems; deployment of advanced sensor systems; and development of health and status monitoring user applications.

In this role you will provide technical leadership and direction to a team of engineers, work closely with other skilled engineers as they deep-dive into existing software to find areas for improvement in both performance and processing latency. You will guide architectural decisions, oversee implementation of scalable monitoring frameworks, and investigate and develop framework modifications to improve performance, reliability, and observability across radar programs.

You will also serve as the primary technical authority for health and status monitoring capabilities, ensuring alignment with system requirements, operational needs, and long-term maintainability.

Basic Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or Computer Science degree from an ABET-accredited school with a strong demonstration of the skills listed below plus 4-8 years of experience in software development, including technical leadership experience.
  • Proven experience leading software engineering teams, including tasking, mentoring, code reviews, configuration management, and driving technical execution.


Strong teamwork skills and demonstrated expertise in the following:
  • Modern C++ development
  • Real-time Linux and device driver development
  • ZeroMQ messaging and pub/sub frameworks
  • Higher-level user application development particularly health/status monitoring or visualization tools
  • Containerization
  • Cloud-architecture & networking
  • Candidate must be a US Citizen and possess (as well as maintain) a Final Secret Clearance.
  • Candidate must be a resident of the North Alabama area or willing to relocate to the Huntsville - North Alabama, AL, area


Preferred Qualifications

Candidate with additional skills in the following is preferred:
  • MATLAB
  • Familiarity with Gitlab Pipeline development
  • Experience with system health monitoring frameworks, telemetry pipelines, or observability platforms


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:
May 5, 2026

Pay Range:
Pay Range $87,100.00 - $157,450.00

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 (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.

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