Lead Software Developer

Description

We are seeking a Lead Software Developer who will be a member of a dynamic team Air Traffic Management program - SkyLine-X™

SkyLine-X™ provides an array of advanced air traffic management capabilities to improve aircraft safety, performance, and efficiency across the world’s airspace.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Design, develop, and maintain software components both independently and as a key contributor within a SW team
• Actively participate in SW planning, estimation, statusing, and technical discussions, providing input on design and implementation approaches
• Analyze system and subsystem requirements and translate them into robust software designs using sound engineering principles
• Lead implementation of moderately complex features, ensuring code is scalable, maintainable, efficient, and aligned with system architecture
• Leverage AI-assisted development tools (e.g., Roo Code, Claude, ChatGPT, or similar) to enhance productivity across coding, debugging, testing, and documentation
• Exercise strong technical judgment in evaluating AI-generated outputs, identifying subtle defects, edge cases, performance issues, and security risks
• Develop, standardize, and promote effective prompting strategies and AI-assisted development workflows within the team
• Contribute to and help enforce best practices for responsible AI usage, including code validation, traceability, and compliance with project and security standards
• Perform code reviews, providing constructive feedback on both human- and AI-generated code
• Troubleshoot and resolve complex software issues and support integration and system-level testing activities
• Contribute to continuous improvement of development processes, tooling, and team efficiency, including integration of AI capabilities into workflows

Basic Qualifications:

• Must be able to obtain and maintain a Public Trust security clearance (US Citizenship required)
• Bachelor’s degree in computer science or a related field and a minimum of 4 years of prior relevant experience
• Proficiency in C++ experience developing and maintaining production-quality code
• Proficiency in Python and Qt is a plus
• Demonstrated experience using AI-assisted software development tools (e.g., GitHub Copilot, ChatGPT, Roo Code, or similar) to improve development efficiency and code quality
• Strong ability to evaluate, validate, and refine AI-generated code, including identifying logical errors, edge cases, and security considerations
• Solid understanding of software design principles, debugging techniques, testing methodologies, and code quality practices
• Experience participating in code reviews and contributing to team development standards
• Ability to work independently on moderately complex tasks and provide technical guidance to less experienced developers
• Strong communication skills and ability to collaborate effectively in a team environment
• Demonstrated initiative in improving development workflows, tools, and practices, including the adoption of AI-assisted techniques

(Optional) Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience helping define or standardize AI-assisted development practices within a team or project
• Experience integrating AI tools into development pipelines, testing frameworks, or documentation processes
• Familiarity with secure coding practices and validating AI-generated code in regulated or mission-critical environments
• Prior experience mentoring junior developers or onboarding new team members

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:

Pay Range:

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

Leidos is an industry and technology leader serving government and commercial customers with smarter, more efficient digital and mission innovations. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, with 47,000 global employees, Leidos reported annual revenues of approximately $16.7 billion for the fiscal year ended January 3, 2025. For more information, visit www.Leidos.com.

Pay and Benefits

Pay and benefits are fundamental to any career decision. That's why we craft compensation packages that reflect the importance of the work we do for our customers. Employment benefits include competitive compensation, Health and Wellness programs, Income Protection, Paid Leave and Retirement. More details are available at www.leidos.com/careers/pay-benefits.

Securing Your Data

Beware of fake employment opportunities using Leidos’ name. Leidos will never ask you to provide payment-related information during any part of the employment application process (i.e., ask you for money), nor will Leidos ever advance money as part of the hiring process (i.e., send you a check or money order before doing any work). Further, Leidos will only communicate with you through emails that are generated by the Leidos.com automated system – never from free commercial services (e.g., Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail) or via WhatsApp, Telegram, etc. If you received an email purporting to be from Leidos that asks for payment-related information or any other personal information (e.g., about you or your previous employer), and you are concerned about its legitimacy, please make us aware immediately by emailing us at LeidosCareersFraud@leidos.com.

If you believe you are the victim of a scam, contact your local law enforcement and report the incident to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission.

Commitment to Non-Discrimination

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, race, ethnicity, age, national origin, citizenship, religion, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, pregnancy, family structure, marital status, ancestry, domestic partner status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran or military status, or any other basis prohibited by law. Leidos will also consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories consistent with relevant laws.