Flight Software Development Lead

Leidos • Huntsville, AL

8h • Onsite

About The Position

The Kinetic Effects Business Area in the Leidos Defense Sector is seeking a Flight and Mission Software Development Lead to work onsite in Huntsville, AL. This role involves leading a software team through the software development life cycle (SDLC) to create solutions for advanced defense technologies including manned aircraft software, tactical strike systems, sensors, computer vision, uncrewed air systems (UAS), counter UAS, mission planning, command/control/communications (C3), platform autonomy, network collaborative autonomy, aerial refueling, and flight management systems. Leidos is committed to making the world safer by helping customers in the Defense Industry achieve their critical missions. The company focuses on delivering innovative solutions through its diverse and talented people, empowering teams, contributing to communities, and operating sustainably. Leidos provides responsive, cost-effective engineering, scientific, and IT solutions across defense, space, cyber, and commercial fields, and is known for its people-oriented culture, positive work environment, technical excellence, and resilient business ethics.

Requirements

• A Bachelor's Degree or higher degree in Software Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Management Information Systems, Computer Information Systems, Electrical Engineering, Aeronautical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Mathematics, Physics, or a related technical field.
• 12+ years of relevant technical experience or 10+ years with MS degree.
• 3+ years of relevant experience leading teams and managing resources for software development.
• Excellent communication (verbal and written) and team leadership skills.
• Ability to work independently, collaborate closely with team members, discern efficient roles and tasks for team members, think critically, act confidently and judiciously, exercise impeccable judgment, consistently make rational decisions, and impart a productive sense of urgency.
• Experience in development of software products or simulations using C, C++, Rust, C#, or Java.
• Strong competency in development in at least one of these programming languages, object-oriented design principles, and troubleshooting.
• Experience working on one or more final products that went beyond prototypes, demonstrations, test beds, or internal/lab use only, and were released and fielded as either a product itself, used operationally on an integrated system, or released and used independently by individuals other than those who developed it.
• Proficient with efficient use of peer reviews and evaluations of software development plans, specifications, requirements management, architectures, designs, source code, unit tests, verification plans and procedures.
• Familiar with practices associated with successful software supplier or subcontractor management, and basic contract requirements methodology (e.g., SOWs, SLAs, and CDRLs).
• Fundamental and working knowledge of software configuration management, code repositories and build system components, such as DevSecOps, CI/CD pipelines, CMake, GitLab, Docker, and virtualization tools (e.g., VMWare, QEMU, VirtualBox, Hyper-V).
• Fundamental and working knowledge of general-purpose operating systems (Linux, UNIX, and/or Windows) and practical knowledge of their respective development tools/IDEs, scripts, debuggers, and administrative features.
• Understanding of the software development life cycle, its phases, life cycle models, metrics or performance indicators, and techniques for rapid development while ensuring high-quality solutions and on-time results.
• Able to multi-task and willing to work with teammates.
• Basic understanding of software engineering process and the appropriateness of its use, application, and proper methods of tailoring.
• Basic understanding of systems engineering principles and practices relevant to software.
• Must be a U.S. Citizen with the ability to obtain and maintain a Secret Security Clearance (interim and final).

Nice To Haves

• Experience with planning, specification, design, development, integration, installation/deployment, and maintenance of software for airborne systems, mission planning systems, missile/weapon platforms, uncrewed or autonomous systems, and/or ground control/support systems.
• Basic knowledge in one or more programming languages used in applications and front-end software, such as Python, .NET/C#, Java, C++, Qt, Swift/Objective-C, and XML.
• Experience with SAFe as Product Owner, Scrum Master, or Developer performing software product development using Agile development methodologies within one or more Agile tools such as Atlassian Jira, Trello, Monday.com.
• Experience using and influencing the adoption of tools like Anthropic’s Claude Code, OpenAI’s Codex or other coding agents to improve efficiency and productivity.
• Ability to comprehend changes, characterize impact and assess risk to plans or existing solutions, estimate their level of effort and resources, describe (written and verbal) courses of action (COA) or decision analysis, and facilitate team consensus.
• Work responsibly, reliably and independently in a fast-paced, open, collaborative cross-functional cross-organizational environment without direct oversight.
• Elicit, accept, and provide constructive informal feedback amongst other team members to uphold technical excellence and quality workmanship.
• Experience with Agile/Scrum, unmanned aircraft or robotics, embedded development, design and implementation of operational flight software, digital communications, real-time development, and software safety.
• Knowledge of various development tools for software qualification testing, requirements management, build and release, unit testing, regression testing, configuration management, and issue tracking.
• Devise new concepts for computing infrastructure and automation to support ground test facilities, integration labs, data collection and analysis, autonomous logistics, and operator training.
• Understanding of fundamentals of critical or time-sensitive software for integrated systems, such as real-time software, hardware-in-the-loop simulation, vehicles, medical devices, or IoT components.
• Experience with autonomous systems, electrical and software interface design, interface control documents, or avionics.

Responsibilities

• Leading a Software Integrated Product Team (IPT).
• Working across technical functions on cohesive integrated solutions on complex integrated systems.
• Providing software program management.
• Working closely with software and computing hardware architects.
• Overseeing software systems engineers and lead software test engineers.
• Serving as Agile Product Owner.
• Contributing to proposals, including devising technical solutions, determining approach to execution, schedule planning, software size and cost estimation, developing basis of estimates, team sizing, skills and staff planning, computer hardware and software requirements elicitation and analysis, and materiel planning.
• Direct communication with customers, end users, internal stakeholders, and team members.
• Contributing directly to industry events, white papers, and competitive proposals.

Benefits

• Leidos is dedicated to making the world a safer place.
• Our dedicated Defense Group employees are solving critical challenges across the globe.
• 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.
• Leidos provides responsive, cost-effective engineering, scientific and IT solutions.
• Leidos is well known for our people-oriented culture, positive work environment, technical excellence, and resilient business ethics.
• In this position you will enjoy significant influence on positive outcomes and a strong sense of purpose working directly on fieldable systems that are key to the nation’s defense.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior