Lead Software Engineer

Leidos•Gaithersburg, MD

5d•Hybrid

About The Position

Leidos is seeking a Software Engineer specializing in System Management for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Terminal Flight Data Manager (TFDM) program. This role is critical for ensuring the seamless integration and functionality of air traffic management systems, contributing to the modernization of air traffic control operations. The TFDM program is a key component of the FAA's NextGen initiative, designed to enhance airport surface and terminal airspace efficiency through an integrated traffic control and management system. The successful applicant will be subject to a government security investigation and must meet eligibility requirements for classified information access. This position is based in Gaithersburg, MD, requiring 3 days in the office and 2 days remote. Approximately 25% travel is expected, involving visits to various airports nationwide for TFDM system deployment to 89 airports, typically lasting 1 to 2 weeks per trip.

Requirements

Deep experience with Ansible playbooks, roles, custom plugins, callbacks, and inventory systems.
Strong scripting, automation, and tool development skills in Python.
Proficiency in Bash/Shell scripting for complex build orchestration and system automation.
Strong foundational Linux system administration skills, including Red Hat Enterprise Linux, package management, and integration of Linux technologies.
Experience with container technology (Podman/Docker), container builds, and orchestration.
Knowledge of Infrastructure & DevOps practices, including Infrastructure as Code (IaC).
Experience with configuration management at scale.
Experience with CI/CD and build automation.
Experience with release management and versioning.
Experience with Git workflows and collaboration.
Understanding of network configuration (VLANs, IP schemes, switch configs).
Experience with physical hardware provisioning (PXE boot, kickstart).
Experience with virtual machine lifecycle management (VMware and KVM).
Experience with multi-environment deployment (dev/test/prod/lab).
Experience with package ecosystem management (RPM, pip, Ansible Galaxy).
Bachelor’s degree in computer science or related field.
4+ years of proven experience in Software Engineering.

Nice To Haves

Ansible best practices
YAML templating and variable hierarchies
Ansible vault and secrets management
Multi-site infrastructure coordination
Custom Ansible plugin development
AI assisted development
Enterprise infrastructure management
Mission-critical system deployment
Multi-processor-type system architectures
Air-gapped or classified environments

Responsibilities

Ensuring the seamless integration and functionality of air traffic management systems.
Contributing to the modernization and enhancement of systems supporting air traffic control operations.
Managing the full lifecycle of systems from bare metal to operational deployment across multiple environments.
Implementing Infrastructure as Code (IaC) practices.
Performing configuration management at scale.
Managing CI/CD and build automation.
Handling release management and versioning.
Utilizing Git workflows and collaboration.
Coordinating across multiple sites and environments.
Debugging across multiple abstraction layers.
Working within constraints of existing architecture.
Testing thoroughly before deployment.