Senior Software Engineer

Leidos Defense Sector offers a senior software engineering role focused on leadership, mentorship, and delivering complex software built with Java, Rust, JavaScript, and React. This onsite position in Virginia offers some telework with on-site collaboration near Arlington or Alexandria, and requires US citizenship with an active Top Secret clearance and the ability to obtain SCI. Salary ranges from USD 107,900 to 195,050 per year.

Benefits

• Shape the technical direction and engineering culture across the organization
• High visibility in a leadership role with meaningful impact
• Collaborative environment that values mentorship, ownership, and continuous learning
• Support for modern tooling, automation, and innovative practices
• Competitive compensation and a comprehensive benefits package

Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership and strategic direction for software solutions using Java, Rust, JavaScript, and React
• Lead and influence multiple Agile scrum teams, ensuring alignment on architecture, standards, and delivery goals
• Own and drive complex, cross‑team technical initiatives from concept through production
• Mentor and coach engineers across experience levels, supporting career growth and technical excellence
• Serve as a technical escalation point for design, implementation, and production issues
• Partner with engineering managers and product owners on roadmap planning, prioritization, and execution
• Promote best practices in automated testing, CI/CD, code quality, and secure development
• Guide teams in leveraging generative AI tools to improve development efficiency and software quality
• Lead architectural reviews, design discussions, and technical decision‑making forums
• Ensure software solutions are scalable, maintainable, performant, and user‑centered
• Incorporate user feedback and operational insights to drive continuous product improvement
• Contribute hands‑on to critical areas of the codebase as needed

Requirements

• US Citizen with an active Top Secret clearance and the ability to obtain SCI
• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field with 8+ years of professional software development experience, or a Master’s degree with 6+ years of experience (additional experience may be considered in lieu of a degree)
• Deep expertise in one or more of Java, Rust, JavaScript, or React, with the ability to guide teams across the full stack
• Proven experience in technical leadership, team leadership, or staff/lead engineering roles
• Strong background in Agile/Scrum environments and leading teams using Jira or similar tools
• Demonstrated experience driving architecture and solution design across teams
• Strong experience with automated testing strategies and continuous delivery
• Excellent communication, collaboration, and mentorship skills
• Technologies: Java, Rust, JavaScript, React, Jira