Entry-Level Software Engineer

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At Leidos, we deliver innovative solutions through the efforts of our diverse and talented people who are dedicated to our customers success. We empower our teams, contribute to our communities, and operate sustainably. Everything we do is built on a commitment to doing the right thing for our customers, our people, and our community. Our Mission, Vision, and Values guide the way we do business.

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Leidos Defense Systems is seeking a talented Entry-Level Software Engineer to develop high-performance applications and backend systems supporting advanced sensor and mission systems. This role is ideal for early career engineers who want to build strong software fundamentals while gaining exposure to high-performance and real-time systems. 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.

If this sounds like the kind of environment where you can thrive, keep reading!

Leidos Defense Systems Sector provides a diverse portfolio of systems, solutions, and services covering land, sea, air, space, and cyberspace for customers worldwide. Solutions for Defense include enterprise and mission IT, large-scale intelligence systems, command and control, geospatial and data analytics, cybersecurity, logistics, training, and intelligence analysis and operations support. Our team is solving the worlds toughest security challenges for customers with cant fail missions. To explore and learn more, click here!

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Primary Responsibilities:

Candidate will support advanced technology radar programs develop user-facing and backend software that interfaces with high-performance sensor and data processing systems. These applications are tightly coupled with real-time data pipelines and hardware systems, requiring strong understanding of performance, data flow, and system behavior.

Engineers in this role will have opportunities to grow into broader system ownership over time, contributing across application, middleware, and real-time components as needed.

• Contribute to development of C++ applications and backend systems
• Support integration, testing, and debugging of software
• Assist in improving performance and reliability of systems
• Collaborate with team members across software, systems, and hardware disciplines
• Learn and apply best practices in systems and performance-oriented software development

Basic Qualifications:

• Candidate must possess a Bachelor's degree or higher in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or Computer Science degree from an ABET-accredited school with a strong demonstration of the skills listed below.
• Candidate must be a resident of the North Alabama area or willing to relocate to the Huntsville North Alabama, AL, area.
• Candidate must be a US Citizen.
• Candidate must be able to maintain Secret Clearance.

Candidate must have excellent teamwork skills and possess strong fundamentals in the following:

• Experience with at least one programming language (C++, Java, Python, or similar)
• Understanding of data structures, algorithms, and core computer science fundamentals
• Exposure to Linux, systems programming, or concurrent programming concepts
• Strong problem-solving skills and ability to work effectively in a team environment
• Demonstrated ability to learn new technologies and work across different layers of the software stack
• Academic, internship, or personal project experience developing software

Preferred Qualifications:

Candidate with additional skills in the following is preferred:

• Exposure to messaging frameworks (e.g., ZeroMQ or similar)
• Exposure to containerization and CI/CD pipelines
• Interest in radar, RF, or sensor systems
• Exposure to tools such as MATLAB or similar for analysis or prototyping

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 11, 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 $57,850.00 - $104,575.00

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.