Principal Systems Engineer​/Technical Program Manager

Looking for an opportunity to make an impact? At Leidos, we deliver innovative solutions through the efforts of our diverse and talented people who are dedicated to our customers’ success. We empower our teams, contribute to our communities, and operate sustainably. Everything we do is built on a commitment to do the right thing for our customers, our people, and our community.

Our Mission, Vision, and Values guide the way we do business. Your greatest work is ahead! Leidos Defense is seeking a highly skilled, visionary Principal Systems Engineer / Technical Program Manager role to join our multi-disciplinary engineering organization. This role, you will encompass aspects of both senior technical leadership and program management by helping customers define complex problem spaces, drive system architecture in multi-contractor environments, define/help 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 a primary technical liaison with government stakeholders and contractor collaborators, translating complex customer concepts into executable architectures. You will provide strategic technical direction across multi-functional Integrated Product Teams (IPTs), identify communication bottlenecks, manage high-level engineering complexities, and guide teams through the entire lifecycle from theoretical development to the production floor. If this sounds like the kind of environment where you can thrive, keep reading!

Leidos Defense Systems Sector provides a diverse portfolio of systems, solutions, and services covering land, sea, air, space, and cyberspace for customers worldwide. Solutions for Defense include enterprise and mission IT, large-scale intelligence systems, command and control, geospatial and data analytics, cybersecurity, logistics, training, and intelligence analysis and operations support. Our team is solving the world’s toughest security challenges for customers with “can’t fail” missions.

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…