Job Description:Position SummaryThe User Engagement Engineer SME is responsible for driving user-centered engagement across the Chinook Program by partnering closely with Intelligence Community stakeholders, system engineers, developers, product managers, and mission users. This role ensures operational requirements are translated into actionable technical solutions while maximizing user adoption, mission effectiveness, and customer satisfaction.
The ideal candidate combines exceptional communication skills with strong technical knowledge, systems thinking, and experience supporting enterprise or Intelligence Community environments.
Position may be performed in the following locations below. Please note Gaithersburg, MD is the program's primary work location.
- Alexandria, VA
- Chantilly, VA
- Englewood, CO
- St. Louis, MO
- Tucson, AZ
Clearance Level Required:Top Secret with the ability to obtain SCI, as well as a Polygraph.
Primary Responsibilities:- Lead the development and execution of user engagement strategies to enhance user adoption and satisfaction for geospatial intelligence solutions within the Chinook Program.
- Work closely with customer stakeholders, mission owners, and technical teams to understand user requirements, workflows, and pain points.
- Design and deliver user training, workshops, and informational sessions tailored to different levels of users, from operational personnel to senior leadership.
- Gather and analyze user feedback, providing actionable insights to drive system improvements, optimizations, and new feature development.
- Champion human-centered design principles and advocate for an exceptional user experience.
- Support Agile ceremonies including sprint planning, backlog refinement, user story development, and acceptance testing.
- Coordinate User Acceptance Testing (UAT) and operational evaluations.
- Develop user engagement strategies to increase adoption of new capabilities across the enterprise.
- Identify usability issues and recommend enhancements based on user feedback and mission priorities.
- Present technical information to both technical, non-technical and executive audiences.
- Act as the primary point of contact for user inquiries, ensuring effective communication and timely resolution of any issues or concerns.
- Collaborate with other subject matter experts and technical teams to translate user needs into system requirements and functional improvements.
- Assist in the creation of user documentation, FAQs, and other support materials to help users navigate and maximize their use of geospatial intelligence systems.
- Stay current with customer missions, technology advancements, and industry trends to provide best practices and recommendations.
- Track user engagement metrics and report on key performance indicators (KPIs) to assess the effectiveness of user engagement efforts.
Basic Qualifications:- US citizenship is required per contract.
- Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Geospatial Science, Information Technology, or related field and 12-15 years of prior relevant experience or Master's with 10-13 years of prior relevant experience.
- 8+ years of experience in user engagement, geospatial intelligence, or related fields, with a focus on our customer or similar intelligence agencies.
- Strong knowledge of geospatial intelligence systems, mapping tools, and geospatial data.
- Proven experience in user training, engagement, and support within complex technical environments.
- Ability to build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders, both internal and external.
- Experience working with agile methodologies and understanding of the development lifecycle.
- Strong communication and presentation skills, with the ability to explain complex concepts to non-technical users.
- Excellent communication, stakeholder engagement, and team leadership skills.
- Proficiency with program management tools and reporting systems (e.g., MS Project, SharePoint, JIRA, Confluence).
Preferred Qualifications:- Experience supporting customer enterprise engineering initiatives.
- Experience in first phase through all source geospatial analysis and reporting.
- Background in Human-Centered Design (HCD), User Experience (UX), or Design Thinking methodologies.
- Experience developing Computer Based Training (CBT) modules.
- Expertise in customer tools and systems such as ArcGIS, Google Earth, or MapInfo.
- Knowledge of cloud technologies, big data analytics, and artificial intelligence in the context of geospatial intelligence.
- Understanding of the customer's enterprise architecture, acquisition framework, and GEOINT mission requirements.
- Familiarity with Agile, SAFe, or other iterative development and management methodologies.
- Ability to lead in a matrixed organization and work across multiple technical domains and stakeholder groups.
#Chinook
Original Posting:July 21, 2026
Pay Range:Pay Range $116,350.00 - $210,325.00
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.
