{"schemaVersion":"jobsearcher.job.v1","id":"b432b114d4e8c665f7a8138a","url":"https://jobsearcher.com/jobs/b432b114d4e8c665f7a8138a","canonicalUrl":"https://jobsearcher.com/jobs/b432b114d4e8c665f7a8138a","title":"Principal Software Developer Kafka","description":"Description Leidos is seeking a Principal Software Developer / Kafka Architect to join a high performing team, leading the digital modernization of the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Terminal Flight Data Manager (TFDM) platform. TFDM is a critical FAA NextGen program that improves aircraft surface and terminal operations by enabling more efficient runway and airspace management, helping reduce congestion across the National Airspace System (NAS).\r\nWe are a team of forward-looking professionals in need of a strong candidate with these key required skills: Software Development (Java/C++/Python), Kafka, Containerization, , AI/AI Assisted Development.\r\nThis position can be remote, however, preference will be given to those who are local to and can work 3 days a week in one of the following locations: Gaithersburg, MD; Atlantic City, NJ; or Eagan, MN.\r\nResponsibilities: Architect, design, develop, and implement next-generation application using software engineering best practices in the latest technologies:\r\nAI-Leveraged Development (agentic coding tools like Claude Code, multi-agent orchestration, MCP-based tool integration, RAG, context engineering, AI evals/guardrails)\r\nData Streaming (Apache Flink, Kafka Streams, ksqlDB, Kafka Connect, real-time data processing)\r\nInfrastructure-as-Code (CloudFormation / Terraform, Ansible)\r\nContainerization and Platform-as-a-Service (Docker, OpenShift/Kubernetes)\r\nUse extensive knowledge in multiple development languages, software development and system design best practices, Kafka/data streaming, automation and configuration tools, testing, tool integrations, AI, and communication to modernize TFDM platform.\r\nProvide architectural oversight to support the development team's software development, Kafka/data streaming, integration, test automation, security testing, and deployments.\r\nProvide architectural oversight, hands-on software expertise, and mentoring in these areas: modern application integration, Kafka/data streaming, service oriented architectures (SOA), security, business process management/business rules processing, CI/CD pipeline and containerization, reporting, and user experience (UX).\r\nInvestigate and repair application defects regardless of component: Kafka/data streaming, CI/CD pipeline, front-end, business logic, middleware or backend.\r\nBrief executive leadership (internally or client) regarding matters of significant importance to the organization/project using written or oral skills at appropriate technical level for audience.\r\nAll other duties as assigned or directed.\r\nFOUNDATION FOR SUCCESS (Basic Qualifications) Bachelor's degree in computer science, software engineering, mathematics, engineering, or related technical discipline. Master's or Doctorate degree may substitute for required experience.\r\n12+ years of experience with full lifecycle development\r\n3+ years of combined hands-on experience designing, developing, and supporting Apache Kafka or other streaming data solutions in production environments, including event-driven architectures, topic design, scalability, reliability, and performance optimization.\r\n7+ years of combined experience of software development (Java, C++, or Python)\r\nExperience with AI-Leveraged Development (agentic coding tools like Claude Code, multi-agent orchestration, MCP-based tool integration, RAG, context engineering, AI evals/guardrails)\r\nExperience working in Agile software development environments.\r\nMust be able to obtain and maintain a Public Trust clearance.\r\nMust be a US Citizen or Permanent Resident\r\nWillingness to travel up to 25% as needed\r\nFACTORS TO HELP YOU SHINE (Required Skills) These skills will help you succeed in this position:\r\nExtensive understanding and experience with designing and developing software with Java and at least one additional language such as C++, or Python\r\nStrong understanding of object-oriented design, software architecture, design patterns, distributed systems, and modern software engineering best practices.\r\nExperience modernizing legacy applications using containerized solutions on OpenShift / Kubernetes\r\nHands-on experience developing event-driven applications and at least one event processing framework, such as Kafka Streams, Apache Flink, or ksqlDB.\r\nExpert-level hands-on production experience designing, deploying, tuning, and troubleshooting Apache Kafka or other Kafka platforms.\r\nExperience designing high-volume event-driven systems with low latency and high availability.\r\nStrong knowledge and experience with Event Driven Architecture (EDA), including designing and implementing EDA solutions for large-scale systems.\r\nExperience applying AI-assisted software development practices to improve developer productivity, code quality, test automation, and delivery predictability using tools such as GitHub Copilot, ChatGPT, Claude, or equivalent AI development platforms.\r\nProven expertise in architecting, designing, and implementing solutions adhering to best practices for operational excellence, security, reliability, performance, cost optimization, and sustainability.\r\nExperience identifying requirements, evaluating technical alternatives, and leading solution design and implementation for complex enterprise systems.\r\nExperience architecting and deploying cloud-native applications to a cloud service such as Amazon Web Services (AWS)\r\nExperience identifying requirements, researching options, designing and implementing solutions at a leadership level\r\nExperience with monitoring, scalability, application reliability tools\r\nExcellent written, verbal, and presentation skills with the ability to communicate technical strategy and architectural decisions with technical teams, executive management, and customers.\r\nHOW TO STAND OUT FROM THE CROWD (Desired Skills) Showcase your knowledge of modern development through the following experience or skills:\r\nAn in-depth knowledge of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) development environment\r\nPreferred experience with AI spec-driven development.\r\nPreferred experience in Secrets/Configuration Management/Scripting\r\nPreferred experience with network engineering and security engineering\r\nPreferred experience in Service Mesh technologies such as Istio or OpenShift Service Mesh.\r\nPreferred experience with automated unit testing, TDD, BDD, and associated technologies (Junit, Mockito, Cucumber, Selenium, Sikuli)\r\nPreferred experience with PaaS using RedHat OpenShift (or other Kubernetes platforms), Docker/Podman containers, and Helm\r\nPreferred experience in architecting and developing DevOps/GitOps solutions at an enterprise level using CI/CD tools such as GitLab, Argo CD, Argo Workflow Argo Rollout, Argo Events, and Git\r\nPreferred experience with configuration management tools (Ansible, CloudFormation / Terraform)\r\nAWS Cloud certifications.\r\nOriginal Posting: July 31, 2026\r\nFor U.S. Positions: While subject to change based on business needs, Leidos reasonably anticipates that this job requisition will remain open for at least 3 days with an anticipated close date of no earlier than 3 days after the original posting date as listed above.\r\nPay Range: Pay Range $131,300.00 - $237,350.00\r\nThe Leidos pay range for this job level is a general guideline onlyand not a guarantee of compensation or salary. Additional factors considered in extending an offer include (but are not limited to) responsibilities of the job, education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity, alignment with market data, applicable bargaining agreement (if any), or other law.\r\nAbout Leidos Leidos is an industry and technology leader serving government and commercial customers with smarter, more efficient digital and mission innovations. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, with 47,000 global employees, Leidos reported annual revenues of approximately $16.7 billion for the fiscal year ended January 3, 2025. For more information, visit www.Leidos.com.\r\nPay and Benefits Pay and benefits are fundamental to any career decision. That's why we craft compensation packages that reflect the importance of the work we do for our customers. Employment benefits include competitive compensation, Health and Wellness programs, Income Protection, Paid Leave and Retirement. More details are available at www.leidos.com/careers/pay-benefits.\r\nCommitment 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.\r\nJ-18808-Ljbffr","company":"Leidos","rawCompany":"leidos","city":"Eagan","state":"MN","isRemote":false,"isActive":false,"createdAt":"2026-08-08T01:59:34.986Z","occupations":[{"code":"15-1252.00","title":"Software Developers","slug":"software-developers"},{"code":"15-1299.08","title":"Computer Systems Engineers/Architects","slug":"computer-systems-engineers-architects"},{"code":"15-1211.00","title":"Computer Systems Analysts","slug":"computer-systems-analysts"}],"industries":[{"code":"541511","title":"Custom Computer Programming Services","slug":"custom-computer-programming-services"},{"code":"541512","title":"Computer Systems Design Services","slug":"computer-systems-design-services"},{"code":"513210","title":"Software Publishers","slug":"software-publishers"}],"jobPosting":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"JobPosting","title":"Principal Software Developer Kafka","description":"Description Leidos is seeking a Principal Software Developer / Kafka Architect to join a high performing team, leading the digital modernization of the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Terminal Flight Data Manager (TFDM) platform. TFDM is a critical FAA NextGen program that improves aircraft surface and terminal operations by enabling more efficient runway and airspace management, helping reduce congestion across the National Airspace System (NAS).\r\nWe are a team of forward-looking professionals in need of a strong candidate with these key required skills: Software Development (Java/C++/Python), Kafka, Containerization, , AI/AI Assisted Development.\r\nThis position can be remote, however, preference will be given to those who are local to and can work 3 days a week in one of the following locations: Gaithersburg, MD; Atlantic City, NJ; or Eagan, MN.\r\nResponsibilities: Architect, design, develop, and implement next-generation application using software engineering best practices in the latest technologies:\r\nAI-Leveraged Development (agentic coding tools like Claude Code, multi-agent orchestration, MCP-based tool integration, RAG, context engineering, AI evals/guardrails)\r\nData Streaming (Apache Flink, Kafka Streams, ksqlDB, Kafka Connect, real-time data processing)\r\nInfrastructure-as-Code (CloudFormation / Terraform, Ansible)\r\nContainerization and Platform-as-a-Service (Docker, OpenShift/Kubernetes)\r\nUse extensive knowledge in multiple development languages, software development and system design best practices, Kafka/data streaming, automation and configuration tools, testing, tool integrations, AI, and communication to modernize TFDM platform.\r\nProvide architectural oversight to support the development team's software development, Kafka/data streaming, integration, test automation, security testing, and deployments.\r\nProvide architectural oversight, hands-on software expertise, and mentoring in these areas: modern application integration, Kafka/data streaming, service oriented architectures (SOA), security, business process management/business rules processing, CI/CD pipeline and containerization, reporting, and user experience (UX).\r\nInvestigate and repair application defects regardless of component: Kafka/data streaming, CI/CD pipeline, front-end, business logic, middleware or backend.\r\nBrief executive leadership (internally or client) regarding matters of significant importance to the organization/project using written or oral skills at appropriate technical level for audience.\r\nAll other duties as assigned or directed.\r\nFOUNDATION FOR SUCCESS (Basic Qualifications) Bachelor's degree in computer science, software engineering, mathematics, engineering, or related technical discipline. Master's or Doctorate degree may substitute for required experience.\r\n12+ years of experience with full lifecycle development\r\n3+ years of combined hands-on experience designing, developing, and supporting Apache Kafka or other streaming data solutions in production environments, including event-driven architectures, topic design, scalability, reliability, and performance optimization.\r\n7+ years of combined experience of software development (Java, C++, or Python)\r\nExperience with AI-Leveraged Development (agentic coding tools like Claude Code, multi-agent orchestration, MCP-based tool integration, RAG, context engineering, AI evals/guardrails)\r\nExperience working in Agile software development environments.\r\nMust be able to obtain and maintain a Public Trust clearance.\r\nMust be a US Citizen or Permanent Resident\r\nWillingness to travel up to 25% as needed\r\nFACTORS TO HELP YOU SHINE (Required Skills) These skills will help you succeed in this position:\r\nExtensive understanding and experience with designing and developing software with Java and at least one additional language such as C++, or Python\r\nStrong understanding of object-oriented design, software architecture, design patterns, distributed systems, and modern software engineering best practices.\r\nExperience modernizing legacy applications using containerized solutions on OpenShift / Kubernetes\r\nHands-on experience developing event-driven applications and at least one event processing framework, such as Kafka Streams, Apache Flink, or ksqlDB.\r\nExpert-level hands-on production experience designing, deploying, tuning, and troubleshooting Apache Kafka or other Kafka platforms.\r\nExperience designing high-volume event-driven systems with low latency and high availability.\r\nStrong knowledge and experience with Event Driven Architecture (EDA), including designing and implementing EDA solutions for large-scale systems.\r\nExperience applying AI-assisted software development practices to improve developer productivity, code quality, test automation, and delivery predictability using tools such as GitHub Copilot, ChatGPT, Claude, or equivalent AI development platforms.\r\nProven expertise in architecting, designing, and implementing solutions adhering to best practices for operational excellence, security, reliability, performance, cost optimization, and sustainability.\r\nExperience identifying requirements, evaluating technical alternatives, and leading solution design and implementation for complex enterprise systems.\r\nExperience architecting and deploying cloud-native applications to a cloud service such as Amazon Web Services (AWS)\r\nExperience identifying requirements, researching options, designing and implementing solutions at a leadership level\r\nExperience with monitoring, scalability, application reliability tools\r\nExcellent written, verbal, and presentation skills with the ability to communicate technical strategy and architectural decisions with technical teams, executive management, and customers.\r\nHOW TO STAND OUT FROM THE CROWD (Desired Skills) Showcase your knowledge of modern development through the following experience or skills:\r\nAn in-depth knowledge of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) development environment\r\nPreferred experience with AI spec-driven development.\r\nPreferred experience in Secrets/Configuration Management/Scripting\r\nPreferred experience with network engineering and security engineering\r\nPreferred experience in Service Mesh technologies such as Istio or OpenShift Service Mesh.\r\nPreferred experience with automated unit testing, TDD, BDD, and associated technologies (Junit, Mockito, Cucumber, Selenium, Sikuli)\r\nPreferred experience with PaaS using RedHat OpenShift (or other Kubernetes platforms), Docker/Podman containers, and Helm\r\nPreferred experience in architecting and developing DevOps/GitOps solutions at an enterprise level using CI/CD tools such as GitLab, Argo CD, Argo Workflow Argo Rollout, Argo Events, and Git\r\nPreferred experience with configuration management tools (Ansible, CloudFormation / Terraform)\r\nAWS Cloud certifications.\r\nOriginal Posting: July 31, 2026\r\nFor U.S. Positions: While subject to change based on business needs, Leidos reasonably anticipates that this job requisition will remain open for at least 3 days with an anticipated close date of no earlier than 3 days after the original posting date as listed above.\r\nPay Range: Pay Range $131,300.00 - $237,350.00\r\nThe Leidos pay range for this job level is a general guideline onlyand not a guarantee of compensation or salary. Additional factors considered in extending an offer include (but are not limited to) responsibilities of the job, education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity, alignment with market data, applicable bargaining agreement (if any), or other law.\r\nAbout Leidos Leidos is an industry and technology leader serving government and commercial customers with smarter, more efficient digital and mission innovations. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, with 47,000 global employees, Leidos reported annual revenues of approximately $16.7 billion for the fiscal year ended January 3, 2025. For more information, visit www.Leidos.com.\r\nPay and Benefits Pay and benefits are fundamental to any career decision. That's why we craft compensation packages that reflect the importance of the work we do for our customers. Employment benefits include competitive compensation, Health and Wellness programs, Income Protection, Paid Leave and Retirement. More details are available at www.leidos.com/careers/pay-benefits.\r\nCommitment 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.\r\nJ-18808-Ljbffr","datePosted":"2026-08-08T01:59:34.986Z","dateModified":"2026-08-08T01:59:34.986Z","hiringOrganization":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Leidos","sameAs":"https://jobsearcher.com"},"jobLocation":{"@type":"Place","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","addressLocality":"Eagan","addressRegion":"MN","addressCountry":"US"}},"identifier":{"@type":"PropertyValue","name":"JobSearcher","value":"b432b114d4e8c665f7a8138a"},"url":"https://jobsearcher.com/jobs/b432b114d4e8c665f7a8138a"}}