Software Engineer SME

What if your technical expertise could influence not just an application, but the technology strategy behind a mission that matters? Leidos is seeking a proficient Software Engineer Subject Matter Expert (SME) to join the Chinook Program supporting an Intelligence Community customer and an application supporting important national security objectives.

As a Software Engineer SME, you’ll have the opportunity to shape architecture, drive modernization, solve the most complex engineering challenges, and establish the technical direction for critical capabilities. You’ll work alongside exceptional engineers, architects, program leaders, and mission stakeholders while remaining close to technology and solving problems that demand deep technical expertise.

The Software Engineer SME provides the highest level of technical expertise within the software engineering organization. The SME serves as a technical authority, architect-level contributor, mentor, and problem solver for complex engineering challenges.

The SME is expected to influence technical direction across teams and capabilities while remaining capable of directly designing, developing, reviewing, troubleshooting, and improving software.

• Tucson, AZ
• Gaithersburg, MD
• Alexandria, VA
• Chantilly, VA
• Englewood, CO
• St. Louis, MO

Active Top Secret/SCI with the ability to successfully pass a Polygraph examination.

• Serve as a technical leader and Scrum Master for one or more Agile software development teams, facilitating Scrum ceremonies, removing delivery impediments, and promoting consistent Agile execution.
• Coach and mentor engineering teams on Agile principles, Scrum practices, and continuous improvement while maintaining a strong focus on technical excellence and mission delivery.
• Collaborate with Product Owners, technical leads, and program leadership to align sprint objectives, technical priorities, and software delivery milestones with customer mission requirements.
• Identify and address cross-team dependencies, technical blockers, and delivery risks that could impact sprint commitments or program objectives.
• Champion Agile engineering practices including continuous integration, automated testing, Dev Sec Ops , and incremental delivery of working software.
• Provide technical leadership across the full software development lifecycle.
• Define and influence application architecture, technical strategy, and modernization initiatives.
• Lead resolution of the most complex software engineering and integration problems.
• Design highly scalable, secure, resilient, and maintainable software architectures.
• Establish software engineering standards, patterns, and best practices.
• Lead architecture and technical design reviews.
• Evaluate competing technical approaches and make recommendations based on mission value, risk, cost, and feasibility.
• Guide development of APIs, microservices, data services, integrations, and distributed systems.
• Provide expertise in cloud-native and containerized architecture.
• Lead efforts to improve system performance, scalability, availability, resiliency, and security.
• Provide technical oversight of CI/CD and Dev Sec Ops  implementation.
• Identify and manage technical debt and long‑term engineering risks.
• Develop solutions to complex production and operational problems.
• Provide technical direction and mentorship to junior, mid, and senior engineers.
• Establish and promote effective code review and engineering quality practices.
• Partner with Test Engineering to establish effective automated testing and quality strategies.
• Collaborate with systems engineering, security, Dev Sec Ops , program leadership, and customer stakeholders.
• Translate complex technical issues into clear recommendations for technical and program leadership.
• Evaluate emerging technologies and determine their applicability to the mission.
• Influence engineering roadmaps and modernization strategies.
• Support technical planning across Agile Program Increments.
• Represent the software engineering organization in major technical working groups and customer discussions.
• Help establish a culture of technical excellence, engineering discipline, and continuous improvement.

• US citizenship is required per contract.
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related field and 12-15 years of prior relevant experience or…