Senior Software Developer

Leidos’ High Fidelity Simulation Business Area designs and delivers cutting-edge system-of-systems solutions that power world-class simulation, training, and analysis products for the U.S. Navy.

In this role, based at a U.S. Government facility in Bethesda, MD, you will work with state-of-the-art technologies to develop advanced sonar tactical decision aids (TDAs) that directly support the Fleet. You’ll be part of a high-performing team whose mission-critical work shapes the Navy’s tactical edge—making a tangible impact on national security.

At Leidos, we empower our engineers to do meaningful work while continually building new skills to grow the career they want to achieve.

What You’ll Work On

• Develop and enhance Tactical Signature Guidance (TSG) systems, including sonar TDAs across multiple code baselines.
• Troubleshoot and resolve complex software challenges while contributing innovative solutions.
• Learn and apply new programming languages and technologies, with mentorship and support from experienced teammates.
• Occasionally support hardware system configuration and build-out, gaining exposure to full system integration.

This opportunity is ideal for developers who thrive on solving complex problems, want to expand their technical expertise, and are motivated by work that directly supports the U.S. Navy’s operational readiness.

Primary Responsibilities

• Mentor a de-centralized team of 15+ developers, applying agile methodologies within a larger 50+ member program.
• Collaborate in an agile environment to design, develop, and deliver complex mission system software.
• Own and deliver solutions built with Java, C++, and other modern technologies.
• Explore and apply new frameworks and languages such as Angular, Rust, or Scala to meet evolving mission needs.
• Troubleshoot and resolve complex technical challenges with creativity and efficiency.
• Make informed decisions even with limited information in dynamic, fast-paced environments.
• Recognize when to adapt or pivot during implementation to ensure the best technical and mission outcomes.
• Drive process improvements and introduce innovative workflows that enhance team performance.
• Influence positive change through collaboration, initiative, and technical leadership.
• Balance multiple priorities and adapt quickly to urgent or shifting requirements.
• Communicate clearly across teams, stakeholders, and leadership.
• Apply agile best practices to deliver high-quality, iterative results that make an impact.
• Travel occasionally to Manassas, VA for integration efforts and direct team collaboration.

Basic Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Mathematics, Physical Science, or Computer Science, or another degree providing equivalent software development expertise.
• Experience: Minimum of 7 years in some combination of:
  • Designing, developing, and implementing real-time acoustic signal processing algorithms
  • Developing parallel processing implementations
  • Working with service-oriented architectures (SOA)
  • Developing signal processing, real-time data analysis, or visualization/simulation systems
  • Java and C++ are required for this role
• Domain Expertise: At least 5 years of development and integration experience with sonar and/or Navy Command and Control (C2) systems.
• Security: Ability to obtain a U.S. security clearance.
• Certification: Possess an IAT Level I or higher certification, or willingness to obtain one within 30 days of hire.

Desired Qualifications

• Education: Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, or Physical Sciences.
• Experience: ~11 years designing, developing, and implementing signal processing, real-time data analysis, or visualization/simulation systems.
• Technology Leadership: ~8 years evaluating and integrating new technologies, maintaining modern software architectures, and mentoring development teams.
• Big Data & Cloud: Experience with Scala, NoSQL/NewSQL databases, Cassandra, Kafka, Spark, and AWS cloud environments.
• UI/Visualization: Proficiency with HTML5, Angular, TypeScript, Cesium, and related toolsets.
• Containers & Microservices: Strong background in Kubernetes, Docker, REST APIs, and containerized microservice architectures.
• Collaboration & Agile: Proven experience contributing to open-source projects and leading or participating in agile/scrum teams.

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.