Senior Systems Engineer

Leidos•Bethesda, MD

7d•Hybrid

About The Position

Leidos is seeking a mission-driven Senior Systems Engineer (Data Engineering) to join their high-impact team supporting the National Media Exploitation Center (NMEC) DOMEX Technology Platform (DTP). This role will help modernize and centralize Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) operations across the Department of Defense (DoD) and Intelligence Community (IC). The position is on a 10-year, multi-task order contract, directly supporting the DOMEX Data Discovery Platform (D3P) Modernization program and DIA-OSIC’s mission. The Senior Systems Engineer will act as a key technical leader, collaborating with engineers, product owners, and government stakeholders to design, develop, and deploy innovative software solutions. The role offers the opportunity to shape architecture, drive technical direction, and mentor others in a collaborative, agile, and growth-oriented environment.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Systems Engineering, or related field and 12–15 years of relevant experience, or Master’s with 10–13 years of experience.
Active Top Secret/SCI security clearance with the ability to obtain and maintain a TS/SCI with Polygraph.
Strong software development experience in Java or Python.
Proven experience as a Systems Engineer, Product Owner, or similar role in an Agile software development team.
Hands-on experience with data engineering, data models, and data quality initiatives.
Experience with requirements and design documentation, including process flow diagrams.
Demonstrated ability to break down complex problems into actionable steps and manage/prioritize product backlogs.
Deep understanding of Agile methodologies and experience with tools such as GitLab, Jira, and Confluence.
Experience facilitating Agile ceremonies and supporting team delivery.
Excellent communication skills, with the ability to articulate technical and non-technical concepts to diverse audiences.
Proven ability to work cross-functionally and manage stakeholder expectations.

Nice To Haves

Experience with Kafka or other message-passing systems.
Cloud infrastructure experience (especially AWS).
Experience with Appian or other low-code platforms.
Familiarity with PostgreSQL, containerization (Docker), and DevOps/CI/CD tools (GitLab, Jenkins).
Experience with GraphQL, Keycloak, and security best practices (authN/Z, secrets management).
Experience building and maintaining microservices in Kubernetes.
Understanding of Elasticsearch internals, including sharding, performance tuning, analyzers, query DSL.
Experience with infrastructure-as-code (CloudFormation, Terraform, Pulumi).
Knowledge of distributed systems concepts (idempotency, eventual consistency).
Experience leading technical projects and mentoring engineers.
Strong testing discipline with a focus on automation and CI/CD pipelines.
Hands-on development and/or scripting experience in Java and Python.

Responsibilities

Lead all aspects of the team’s software development efforts.
Plan, design, and oversee the implementation of software development solutions through systems engineering activities such as feature/requirements analysis, design, implementation planning, integration and test, sustainment, documentation, deployment, and system assessment.
Collaborate with government data team to integrate new data sources.
Lead engineering data model changes, API integrations, and data quality efforts.
Develop a working knowledge of government business processes and provide recommendations accordingly.
Decompose high-priority requirements from the product roadmap into actionable solutions, managing risks and driving continuous process improvement.
Own and manage the Agile backlog, prioritize work items, perform backlog refinement, and facilitate Agile ceremonies (stand-ups, planning, reviews, retrospectives).
Support SAFe program increment planning and execution, including work ticket creation and system documentation.
Foster a culture of innovation, collaboration, and professional development within the team.
Act as a mentor to mid-level and junior engineers, sharing best practices and supporting career growth.
Ensure sound engineering practices, compliance with policies, and delivery of high-quality software.
Coordinate with test teams to develop and monitor automated system integration tests.
Engage with cross-functional teams to identify and develop high-value integrations with other systems/applications.
Provide specific input to the software components of system design to include hardware/software trade-offs, software reuse, use of COTS/GOTS in place of new development, and requirements analysis and synthesis from system level to individual software components.