Principal Systems Engineer

Leidos is seeking a Principal Systems Engineer (LEAD) to join the Air Traffic Business Area within the Homeland Sector, supporting the development of the Leidos Common Automation Platform (L-CAP). L-CAP is a mission-critical, future-ready automation platform built on a hybrid cloud data mesh architecture, enabling next-generation air traffic management capabilities. This position supports government programs and requires the ability to obtain and maintain a favorable Public Trust investigation. This role is hybrid, requiring 3 days onsite and 2 days remote work at one of the following locations: Gaithersburg, MD; Egg Harbor Township, NJ; or Eagan, MN. Candidates should reside a commutable distance to one of these locations.

About the role

You will lead systems engineering across a four-ART engineering organization, providing technical governance for requirements, interfaces, integration, verification, and safety analysis. The role embraces an AI-first engineering mindset, applying emerging AI capabilities and modern development practices to accelerate delivery, improve software quality, and evolve mission-critical systems design.

Responsibilities

• Lead cross-program systems engineering activities across four ARTs
• Establish and govern requirements management processes and standards
• Define and manage interface control documents and integration specifications
• Develop verification and validation (V&V) strategy and execution plans
• Maintain requirements traceability from stakeholder needs through implementation
• Lead system integration planning and execution across the platform
• Conduct safety analysis including hazard identification and mitigation
• Support certification activities and regulatory compliance evidence
• Define and enforce SE process standards and best practices
• Lead technical reviews including SRR, PDR, CDR, and TRR
• Ensure cross-ART architectural consistency by establishing shared systems engineering standards and interface governance
• Lead modernization planning from a systems engineering perspective including decomposition strategies and transition sequencing
• Govern interfaces between legacy and modernized services maintaining technical coherence across the program
• Champion an AI-first engineering culture by identifying and applying AI-assisted development capabilities, automation, and emerging software engineering practices that improve developer productivity, code quality, testing, and delivery

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree with 12+ years of relevant experience or Master's degree and 10+ years of experience or equivalent experience
• Systems engineering leadership for large-scale, complex programs
• Requirements management expertise including decomposition and allocation
• Verification and validation planning and execution at the enterprise level
• Interface management across multiple subsystems and teams
• MBSE and SysML modeling experience for complex system architectures
• System integration planning and execution for distributed platforms
• Safety-critical systems engineering including hazard and risk analysis
• Aviation or defense domain systems engineering experience
• Proficiency with DOORS, Jama, or equivalent requirements management tools
• Ability to obtain and maintain a Public Trust clearance; U.S. citizenship required; subject to government background investigation
• Experience ensuring architectural consistency across multiple development teams or release trains
• Demonstrated leadership in systems engineering for large-scale modernization programs

Preferred Qualifications

• FAA certification experience (DO-178C, DO-254, DO-278A)
• DO-178 and DO-254 compliance and evidence development
• INCOSE Certified Systems Engineering Professional (CSEP)
• Large program SE leadership across 100+ engineers
• Model-based systems engineering approaches
• Formal verification and validation methods
• Experience governing interfaces between legacy and modernized services in complex system-of-systems environments

Pay

Pay Range: $131,300.00 - $237,350.00. 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.

Benefits

Pay and benefits are fundamental to any career decision. 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.

Schedule

This is a hybrid position requiring 3 days onsite and 2 days remote work per week.