Junior AI Software Engineer

Leidos is seeking a Junior Software Engineer with AI-enabled development experience based in Gaithersburg, MD;
Eagan, MN; or Egg Harbor, NJ to support the UK National Airspace System Replacement Product Delivery Team (UK NASR PDT)

This role offers the opportunity to work on real-time, safety-critical systems that directly support national air traffic operations for the United Kingdom. You will help modernize a high-availability air traffic management platform using both traditional systems engineering practices and AI-augmented software development techniques.

This is a hybrid schedule with 3 days onsite and 2 days remote.

What You'll Do

* Design, develop, test, and maintain software for real-time, high-availability systems

* Apply AI-assisted development tools to accelerate coding, refactoring, debugging, and automated test generation

* Use AI responsibly across the full SDLC - including requirements analysis, design, implementation, testing, documentation, and code review

* Analyze complex system requirements and translate them into efficient, maintainable designs

* Develop and maintain automation scripts across development, test, and production environments

* Promote code quality, reuse, traceability, and cross-team collaboration

Required Qualifications

AI-Driven Engineering Experience

We are specifically seeking engineers who actively integrate AI into their daily development workflow.

* Hands-on experience using AI-assisted coding tools (e.g., Claude Code, Git Hub Copilot, or similar) for:

* Code generation and refactoring

* Debugging and automated test creation

* IDE-integrated workflows

* Familiarity with large language model platforms (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google Gemini, etc.)

* Experience designing effective prompts and validating AI-generated output

* Understanding of human-in-the-loop development and responsible AI usage

* Ability to evaluate AI-generated outputs for correctness, performance, safety, and bias - especially in regulated or safety-critical environments

* Experience incorporating AI/ML techniques into software engineering workflows

* Experience with automated testing frameworks

Core Technical Qualifications

* Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related field with 4-8 years of relevant experience OR Master's degree with 2-6 years of relevant experience

* Strong object-oriented programming experience

* Proficiency in C, C++, and/or Ada (Ada preferred but not required)

* Experience developing real-time, multi-threaded systems

* Familiarity with Linux (Red Hat), virtual machines, and hypervisors

* Experience with low-level communications protocols (TCP/IP, UDP, SCTP)

* Experience with hardware or complex system integration

* Experience with source control and configuration management tools

* Strong communication skills and ability to work independently and within cross-functional teams

* Ability to obtain and maintain a Public Trust clearance

* US citizenship required

Why Leidos

You'll work on systems where performance, precision, and reliability matter - every second. This is not experimental AI for prototypes. This is disciplined, responsible AI applied to mission-critical software that supports national infrastructure.

If you're excited by solving complex problems in regulated, real-world environments - and using AI as a force multiplier rather than a shortcut - we'd like to talk.

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:

February 18, 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 $69,550.00 - $

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.