Lead AI Software Developer

Description Leidos is seeking a Lead AISoftware Developer to join the Air Traffic Business Area within the Homeland Sector , supporting the development of the Leidos Common Baseline . Common Baseline is a mission‐critical, future‐ready automation solution built on a hybrid cloud data mesh architecture. As a member of a Scaled Agile software development organization, you will contribute to the technical execution of a program that integrates proven, globally deployed technologies with modern cloud‐native and AI‐enabled capabilities. You will work alongside cross‐functional teams and technical leaders to deliver predictable outcomes in a highly regulated, safety‐critical environment. This position is located in Gaithersburg, MD . This is a hybrid position requiring 3 days onsite and 2 days working from home. This role focuses on building and modernizing real‐time, safety‐critical systems using a combination of traditional systems engineering and AI‐augmented software development practices. You'll work on software that directly supports national air traffic operations, applying AI tools to accelerate development, improve quality, and enhance system reliability. What You'll Do Design, develop, and maintain microservices‐based applications using modern software engineering best practices Collaborate with product owners, architects, and engineers in an Agile/SAFe environment Participate in sprint planning, daily standups, reviews, and retrospectives Collaborate with systems engineering and program teams to translate requirements into working software solutions Develop clean, maintainable, and testable code following CI/CD and DevSecOps practices Contribute to system design discussions and technical decision‐making Integrate services with databases, messaging systems, and external APIs Support troubleshooting, performance tuning, and continuous improvement Work closely with QA, DevOps, and platform teams to ensure reliable delivery Implement modern automated testing strategies, including unit, integration, contract, and end‐to‐end testing Use AI‐assisted development tools to accelerate coding, refactoring, debugging, and test creation Core Technical Qualifications Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related technical field (or equivalent experience) 4+ years of relevant experience or a Master's Degree and 2+ years of relevant experience Hands‐on experience building and supporting microservices‐based systems Proficiency in at least one modern programming language (e.g., Java, Python, C++, or similar on a Linux‐based system) Experience or exposure to AI/ML‐enabled systems (Claude‐Code), automation, or intelligent platforms Experience working in Agile environments Understanding of APIs and distributed system concepts Ability to obtain and maintain a Public Trust U.S. citizenship required Successful completion of background investigations as required by the government customer Preferred / Desired Qualifications Experience with Git‐based version control and CI/CD pipelines Familiarity with Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) Experience working with relational and/or NoSQL databases Hands‐on experience with Kafka or other event‐streaming technologies Cloud experience (AWS, Azure, or GCP) Containerization and orchestration experience (Docker, Kubernetes) Experience working in DevSecOps environments Experience with test automation frameworks and integration of automated test suites into CI/CD pipelines Pay Range $87,100.00 - $157,450.00 Pay and Benefits Pay and benefits are fundamental to any career decision. Employment benefits include competitive compensation, Health and Wellness programs, Income Protection, Paid Leave and Retirement. Commitment to Non-Discrimination All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, race, ethnicity, age, national origin, citizenship, religion, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, pregnancy, family structure, marital status, ancestry, domestic partner status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran or military status, or any other basis prohibited by law. Leidos will also consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories consistent with relevant laws. #J-18808-Ljbffr