Principal Systems Engineer / Technical Program Manager

About the role

Leidos Defense is seeking a highly skilled, visionary Principal Systems Engineer / Technical Program Manager to join our multi-disciplinary engineering organization. The role encompasses senior technical leadership and program management, helping customers define complex problem spaces, drive system architecture in multi-contractor environments, define/refine programmatic concerns, and guide high-performance platforms from concept through design-for-manufacturability and production for critical Department of War (DoW) initiatives. As a Principal contributor, you will act as primary technical liaison with government stakeholders and contractor collaborators, translating complex customer concepts into executable architectures, providing strategic technical direction across multi-functional Integrated Product Teams (IPTs), identifying communication bottlenecks, managing high-level engineering complexities, and guiding teams through the entire lifecycle from theoretical development to production floor. Leidos Defense Systems Sector provides a diverse portfolio of systems, solutions, and services covering land, sea, air, space, and cyberspace for customers worldwide, including enterprise and mission IT, large-scale intelligence systems, command and control, geospatial and data analytics, cybersecurity, logistics, training, and intelligence analysis and operations support. The team solves the world’s toughest security challenges for customers with “can’t fail” missions.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with government customers and stakeholders to define complex problem spaces, operational needs, and mission requirements for advanced high-speed atmospheric weapon systems and associated high-performance platforms operating under extreme thermal, aerodynamic, and environmental conditions.
• Lead system architecture definition and integration across multi-contractor collaborative environments, establishing clear interfaces, conducting trade studies, and driving technical consensus among government, prime, and subcontractor teams using systems engineering best practices and MBSE methods.
• Oversee the full program lifecycle from theoretical concepts, requirements negotiation, and early analysis through design maturation, verification, design-for-manufacturability (DFM) implementation, production transition, and factory floor execution while maintaining cost, schedule, and technical performance.
• Identify and resolve communication bottlenecks, interface gaps, and organizational misalignments between government personnel, contractors, and functional teams to ensure efficient decision-making, reduce risk, and maintain program momentum.
• Direct multi-disciplinary Integrated Product Teams (IPTs) and serve as primary technical liaison with government customers; host regular technical interchange meetings, negotiate requirements, ensure traceability, and drive risk/opportunity management to maintain alignment across all partners.
• Partner with systems engineering and Control Account Managers (CAMs) to establish program baselines, develop work breakdown structures, provide rigorous EVM inputs, support competitive proposals, and implement change management processes that prevent scope creep while enabling smooth technology transition from development to full-rate manufacturing.

Requirements

• Active Secret Clearance, with the ability to obtain a Top Secret clearance
• Bachelor’s degree in ABET accredited Engineering discipline with a mix of 12+ years of systems engineering and/or technical program management experience, or a Master’s degree and 10+ years
• Proven background helping customers define complex problem spaces, developing baselines, and managing cost, schedule and performance for high-performance defense platforms operating in extreme thermal, aerodynamic, and environmental conditions
• Comprehensive working knowledge of systems engineering best practices, Risk and Opportunity Management, Earned Value Management, Change management, and requirements negotiation with customers to ensure traceability through all levels
• Demonstrated experience