Chief Architect, Software Engineering & Containerization

Leidos•Colorado Springs, CO

20h•Onsite

About The Position

At Leidos, we tackle complex challenges that matter. Our teams deliver innovative, mission-driven solutions powered by diverse talent, technical excellence, and a shared commitment to doing what’s right—for our customers, our people, and our world. If you thrive at the intersection of deep technical work and strategic influence, this role offers the chance to shape the future of a major mission-critical system. We’re seeking a Chief Architect to lead the engineering and design strategy for containerizing software components within the Missile Warning system. Reporting directly to the Program Manager, you will guide a multidisciplinary systems engineering team—spanning systems, software, and test engineering—responsible for the SysML and UML models that enable migration of legacy code into a modern, containerized environment. This is a high‑impact technical leadership role where you will define the architectural vision, drive modernization strategy, and mentor teams through a complex, multi‑phase transformation.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in computer science, software engineering, or related discipline with 12+ years of relevant experience (Additional experience, training, or certifications may substitute for degree)
US Citizen; currently possessing an active DoD Secret clearance.
Understanding of C++/Java in containerized environments
Experience with requirements management and traceability tools (IBM DOORS/DOORS Next, Jama, Polarion)
Demonstrated experience decomposing or modernizing monolithic applications through analysis, planning, and phased migration
Strong knowledge of container technologies (e.g., Docker) and orchestration platforms (e.g., Kubernetes)
Experience designing APIs and contract‑first integration patterns (REST, WSDL‑first SOAP, gRPC, event‑driven messaging)
Ability to produce migration roadmaps with cost/benefit analysis, risk assessment, and measurable success criteria

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in computer science, software engineering, or related discipline with 10+ years of relevant experience.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills
Understanding of missile defense systems
Experience with stateful workloads on Kubernetes (operators, StatefulSets, CSI drivers, backup/restore strategies)
Deep familiarity with data migration strategies (strangler fig, anti‑corruption layers, CQRS, event sourcing, change‑data‑capture)
Proven track record mentoring engineering teams and building platform capabilities
Experience translating JMS message formats into named streams for record publication
Hands‑on experience with model repositories and collaboration platforms (Teamwork Server, Cameo Collaborator, etc.), including model versioning and branching strategies

Responsibilities

Lead and mentor a team of system engineers, software engineers, test engineers, and supporting roles
Ensure successful contract execution and on‑schedule delivery
Validate test procedures and plans to ensure alignment with customer requirements
Drive the conversion of a non‑containerized environment into a fully containerized architecture (primary focus)
Interpret and guide SysML and UML modeling to support software enhancement delivery
Define and communicate a clear migration vision and architectural strategy that balances mission needs, technical constraints, and stakeholder priorities
Recommend target architectures and phased migration strategies for transitioning from a monolithic system‑of‑systems to a modular, container‑based environment
Design service decomposition patterns and define appropriate service boundaries
Translate strategy into a pragmatic migration roadmap with milestones, success criteria, and risk‑reduction steps
Oversee migration patterns, anti‑corruption layers, and incremental cutover approaches while assessing downstream impacts
Mentor engineering teams on containerization best practices and integration testing strategies
Lead development and governance of canonical system models (logical, behavioral, allocation views) to support contract‑first API and event schema design
Define verification and validation strategies using model‑based test generation, simulation, and scenario‑driven validation for phased migration
Utilize requirements management and traceability tools (IBM DOORS/DOORS Next, Jama, Polarion) and ensure linkage to MBSE artifacts