Systems Engineer Lead

Leidos Holding • $107K — $195K *
Education, Government & Non-Profit
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or related field.
  • Eight years of experience in related fields, with six years in specialized systems engineering roles.
  • Experience in large Federal IT modernization or systems integration programs.
  • Familiarity with Agile development environments and DevSecOps practices.
  • Strong communication skills, both written and verbal.
  • Ability to obtain Federal suitability or security clearances.

Responsibilities

  • Provide technical and operational leadership.
  • Collaborate with stakeholders to define project priorities and roadmaps.
  • Lead systems engineering for enterprise applications and cloud platforms.
  • Develop systems architecture and integration strategies in collaboration with SMEs.
  • Design and maintain secure hybrid cloud and on-premises environments.
  • Oversee systems integration across various platforms and services.
  • Lead infrastructure modernization initiatives with a focus on cloud technologies.

Benefits

  • Opportunity to support vital biomedical research initiatives at NIH.
  • Potential for high engagement with government stakeholders and industry experts.
  • Work within a collaborative team environment to solve complex challenges.
  • Involvement in large-scale IT modernization projects with significant impact.
Full Job Description
The Leidos Health & Civil Sector is seeking a Systems Engineer Lead to support the National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Cancer Institute (NCI), Center for Biomedical Informatics and Information Technology (CBIIT) Business Information Technology Solutions Development and Integration Services (BITSDIS) 2 program.

** This posting is for future business - not yet awarded **

The Systems Engineering Lead will oversee systems engineering, enterprise integration, cloud infrastructure, platform operations, and technical implementation activities that enable secure, scalable, and interoperable biomedical research environments.

Working closely with the Program Manager, Technical Lead, Software Engineering Lead, Government stakeholders, and technical Subject Matter Experts (SMEs), the Systems Engineering Lead will ensure that enterprise systems are architected, integrated, and operated to support NCI's biomedical research, clinical research, and administrative missions. The successful candidate will lead cross-functional engineering efforts spanning cloud infrastructure, systems integration, identity management, networking, storage, automation, and platform modernization while ensuring high availability, security, and operational excellence.

Key Responsibilities
  • Provide technical and operational leadership within assigned functional area.
  • Collaborate with Government stakeholders to define priorities, roadmaps, and delivery schedules.
  • Lead systems engineering activities supporting enterprise applications, cloud platforms, research computing environments, and shared services across the NCI enterprise.
  • Collaborate with Government stakeholders and technical SMEs to develop systems architecture, integration strategies, infrastructure roadmaps, and technology modernization plans.
  • Design, implement, and maintain secure, scalable, and highly available hybrid cloud and on-premises environments supporting biomedical research and enterprise operations.
  • Oversee systems integration across applications, data platforms, AI/ML services, identity and access management solutions, and external partner systems using modern APIs, event-driven architectures, and interoperability standards.
  • Lead infrastructure modernization initiatives involving virtualization, containerization, Kubernetes, Infrastructure as Code (IaC), automation, and cloud-native platform services.
  • Ensure enterprise systems meet requirements for performance, resilience, scalability, disaster recovery, business continuity, and operational monitoring.
  • Guide implementation of cybersecurity best practices, Zero Trust principles, identity and access management, encryption, and compliance with NIH, HHS, and federal security requirements.
  • Support deployment and operation of high-performance computing (HPC), cloud-based research environments, data storage platforms, and enterprise collaboration services.
  • Develop and maintain system architecture documentation, interface control documents, operational procedures, configuration baselines, and technical standards.
  • Provide technical leadership during architecture reviews, operational readiness reviews, technology evaluations, and executive briefings while mentoring systems engineers and infrastructure specialists.
  • Support Agile planning, backlog refinement, sprint execution, and release management.
  • Coordinate with cross-functional teams to resolve technical issues and improve delivery performance.


Required Qualifications
  • Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or related field.
  • Eight (8) or more years of progressively responsible experience relevant to the position, including at least six (6) years specialized experience includes superior functional knowledge of task specific requirements or developing functional requirements for complex integrated systems.
  • Experience supporting large Federal IT modernization or systems integration programs.
  • Experience working in Agile development environments and with DevSecOps practices.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
  • Ability to obtain and maintain required Federal suitability or security requirements.
  • Ability to obtain and maintain a Public Trust / ADPII Clearance.


Preferred Qualifications
  • Experience supporting HHS, NIH, CDC, or other Federal health agencies.
  • Experience with Microsoft Azure, Azure DevOps, Kubernetes, REST APIs, Git, CI/CD, and cloud-native architectures.
  • Knowledge of Section 508, NIST guidance, FISMA, and Zero Trust principles.
  • Relevant professional certifications appropriate to the role (e.g., PMP, Scrum, AWS/Azure, Security+, ISTQB).


Desired Characteristics
  • Strong customer focus and mission orientation.
  • Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills.
  • Ability to lead cross-functional teams in a collaborative environment.
  • Commitment to quality, innovation, and continuous process improvement.
  • Ability to communicate effectively with both technical and executive audiences


Original Posting:
August 25, 2026

For 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 $107,900.00 - $195,050.00

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.

About Leidos Holding

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Joining Leidos Holding presents an unparalleled opportunity to advance one's career with a leader in innovation and technology. The company offers a plethora of job opportunities aimed at fostering professional growth and development in a diverse and inclusive environment.

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Leidos Holding is actively seeking skilled professionals who are passionate about leveraging their expertise to drive innovation and leadership in their fields. With a variety of open positions, Leidos Holding provides a platform for individuals to challenge themselves in a dynamic work environment.

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At Leidos Holding, innovation is at the core of everything they do. Employees are encouraged to think creatively and push boundaries. The company supports this drive for innovation through comprehensive professional development and diversity training programs that are designed to enhance skills and foster leadership.

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Leidos Holding is committed to creating a workplace where diversity is not only recognized but celebrated. With a culture that values and promotes diversity, Leidos Holding ensures that all team members have the opportunity to contribute, learn, and grow.

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