Software Engineer SME

Company: Leidos
Location: Gaithersburg
Posted on: April 2, 2026

Job Description:

Leidos Intelligence Sector combines technology-enabled services and mission software capabilities in the areas of cyber, logistics, security operations, and decision analytics to support our defense and intel customers’ mission to defend against evolving threats around the world. Our team’s focus is to ensure our customers have the right tools, technologies, and tactics to keep pace with an ever-evolving security landscape and succeed in their pursuit to protect people and critical assets. Geospatial Analyst Solutions Directorate, part of the National Solutions Business Area, is currently seeking an experienced Software Engineer Subject Matter Expert (SME) for the Maru Program. The Maru Program delivers mission-critical, modern software solutions across our customer’s enterprise using Agile, DevSecOps, and cloud-native methodologies. We are seeking a highly experienced, hands-on Full-Stack Software Engineer to serve as a senior technical leader within our engineering organization. This role is responsible for designing, developing, and delivering robust, scalable software solutions while providing day-to-day technical leadership across development efforts. The ideal candidate combines deep object-oriented programming expertise with strong backend engineering capability, front-end proficiency, and DevOps maturity. This individual will lead by example—contributing high-quality code, guiding design decisions, mentoring engineers, and ensuring delivery of secure, maintainable, and performant systems across the full software development lifecycle. Clearance Level Required: A current and active TS/SCI clearance with the ability to obtain a Polygraph is required, for consideration. Essential Responsibilities: Object-Oriented Programming: Design, develop, test, troubleshoot, and maintain scalable software applications using strong object-oriented design principles. REST API Development: Architect, implement, and maintain robust RESTful services to support application functionality and system integrations. Front-End Development: Develop and maintain responsive front-end components to enable intuitive user experiences. Database Development: Design and optimize complex SQL queries; contribute to database schema design and performance tuning. Linux Environments: Develop, deploy, and troubleshoot applications within Linux-based environments. CI/CD Pipelines: Design, maintain, and improve GitLab CI/CD pipelines to support automated build, test, and deployment processes. Technical Leadership: Provide hands-on mentorship through code reviews, architectural discussions, and technical guidance to elevate overall team performance. System Troubleshooting: Diagnose and resolve complex cross-stack issues spanning application, database, and infrastructure layers. Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with product owners, engineers, and stakeholders to translate requirements into effective technical solutions. Basic Qualifications: US citizenship is required per contract. Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related field with 12–15 years of relevant experience or Master’s degree with 10–13 years of relevant experience. Java or Python: Advanced professional experience designing and implementing enterprise-level applications. REST APIs: Demonstrated experience designing and developing RESTful services. SQL: Advanced experience writing complex queries, optimizing performance, and working with relational databases. JavaScript: Professional experience developing front-end functionality. Linux: Strong working knowledge of Linux environments for development and deployment. GitLab: Hands-on experience designing and managing GitLab CI/CD pipelines. Containerization (Docker, OpenShift, or similar): Experience developing and deploying containerized applications. Preferred Qualifications: Experience deploying and supporting applications in AWS environments. Experience with modern web frameworks. Experience with Spring Boot, PostgreSQL, Tomcat, or Maven Experience working in Agile development environments. MARU 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: March 17, 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 $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.

Keywords: Leidos, Reston , Software Engineer SME, IT / Software / Systems , Gaithersburg, Virginia