Description
Summary:
Leidos is seeking a Team Lead – Principal Software Engineer to provide strategic technical leadership, people management, and delivery accountability for software products.
Highlights:
1. Lead multiple Agile teams and drive technical success
2. Define and drive long-term technical strategy and architectural direction
3. Develop engineering leaders and shape long-term technical direction
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Description
The Defense Sector Leidos is currently seeking a Team Lead – Principal Software Engineer with 12+ years of professional experience to lead multiple Agile teams and drive the technical and organizional success of our software development efforts. In this role, you will provide stregic technical leadership, people management, and delivery accountability for software products built using Java, Rust, JavaScript, and React.
You will be responsible for developing engineering leaders, shaping long-term technical direction, and partnering with product, design, and executive stakeholders to ensure the continuous delivery of high-quality, user-centered software.
This position does allow the ability to telework, but the chosen candide must be within a reasonable driving distance to either Arlington, VA or Alexandria, VA. In addition, the chosen candide must be able to be on site when asked.
Primary Responsibilities:
Organizional & Technical LeadershipDefine and drive long-term technical stregy and architectural direction across teams
Oversee the design and delivery of scalable, secure, and maintainable software solutions
Serve as a senior technical authority and escalion point for cross-team and cross-domain issues
Champion engineering excellence, including automed testing, CI/CD, reliability, and security
Establish standards, best practices, and governance for software development
Guide the responsible adoption of generive AI tools across engineering teams
People Management & Leadership DevelopmentLead, manage, and develop engineering managers and senior engineers
Own performance management, career development, succession planning, and talent growth
Build and sustain a high-performing, inclusive engineering culture
Partner with leadership on hiring stregy, workforce planning, and organizional design
Coach leaders on effective team management, delivery, and technical decision-making
Delivery & ExecutionOwn delivery outcomes across multiple Agile teams, ensuring predictability and quality
Partner with product and business stakeholders to align roadmaps, priorities, and execution
Ensure effective Agile practices, metrics, and continuous improvement using Jira
Balance near-term delivery with long-term plform and technical investments
Incorpore customer feedback, operional insights, and da to drive product improvements
Cross-Functional & Executive CollaborionAct as a key engineering representive in cross-functional and leadership discussions
Communice technical vision, risks, and progress to senior leadership
Influence product stregy through deep understanding of users and technical constraints
Drive alignment across engineering, product, design, and operions
Basic Qualificions:
US Citizen with least an active Top Secret clearance with the ability to obtain a SCI
Bachelor's degree in a relevant field and 12+ years of professional software development experience or a Master’s degree with 10+ years of experience. Additional experience may be considered in lieu of a degree
Strong technical foundion in Java, Rust, JavaScript, and/or React
Proven track record of leading multiple teams and delivering complex software systems
Deep experience with Agile development and tools such as Jira
Demonstred experience driving architecture and solution design across teams
Strong background in automed testing, CI/CD, and modern software delivery practices
Exceptional leadership, communicion, and stakeholder management skills
Preferred Qualificions:
US Citizen with an active TS/SCI security clearance
Experience in senior engineering leadership roles
Experience owning large plforms or mission-critical systems
Experience with cloud-nive, distributed, or high-availability architectures
Experience formalizing engineering processes, metrics, and career ladders
Experience scaling or governing the use of AI-assisted development tools
Strong understanding of usability, accessibility, and user-centered design
Wh We Offer
Senior leadership role with broad influence over technology and engineering culture
Opportunity to shape long-term technical and organizional stregy
Collaborive executive environment with high visibility and impact
Investment in modern engineering practices, tools, and innovion
Competitive compension and comprehensive benefits package
If you're looking for comfort, keep scrolling. At Leidos, we outthink, outbuild, and outpace the stus quo — because the mission demands it. We're not hiring followers. We're recruiting the ones who disrupt, provoke, and refuse to fail. Step 10 is ancient history. We're already step 30 — and moving faster than anyone else dares.
Original Posting:
April 27, 2026
For U.S. Positions: While subject to change based on business needs, Leidos reasonably anticipes th this job requisition will remain open for least 3 days with an anticiped close de of no earlier than 3 days after the original posting de as listed above.
Pay Range:
Pay Range $131,300.00 - $237,350.00
The Leidos pay range for this job level is a general guideline only and not a guarantee of compension or salary. Additional factors considered in extending an offer include (but are not limited to) responsibilities of the job, educion, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity, alignment with market da, applicable bargaining agreement (if any), or other law.
About Leidos
Leidos is an industry and technology leader serving government and commercial customers with smarter, more efficient digital and mission innovions. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, with 47,000 global employees, Leidos reported annual revenues of approximely $16.7 billion for the fiscal year ended January 3, 2025. For more informion, visit www.Leidos.com.
Pay and Benefits
Pay and benefits are fundamental to any career decision. Th's why we craft compension packages th reflect the importance of the work we do for our customers. Employment benefits include competitive compension, Health and Wellness programs, Income Protection, Paid Leave and Retirement. More details are available www.leidos.com/careers/pay-benefits.
Securing Your Da
Beware of fake employment opportunities using Leidos’ name. Leidos will never ask you to provide payment-reled informion during any part of the employment applicion process (i.e., ask you for money), nor will Leidos ever advance money as part of the hiring process (i.e., send you a check or money order before doing any work). Further, Leidos will only communice with you through emails th are genered by the Leidos.com automed system – never from free commercial services (e.g., Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail) or via WhsApp, Telegram, etc. If you received an email purporting to be from Leidos th asks for payment-reled informion or any other personal informion (e.g., about you or your previous employer), and you are concerned about its legitimacy, please make us aware immediely by emailing us LeidosCareersFraud@leidos.com.
If you believe you are the victim of a scam, contact your local law enforcement and report the incident to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission.
Commitment to Non-Discriminion
All qualified applicants will receive considerion for employment without regard to sex, race, ethnicity, age, nional origin, citizenship, religion, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic informion, pregnancy, family structure, marital stus, ancestry, domestic partner stus, sexual oriention, gender identity or expression, veteran or military stus, or any other basis prohibited by law. Leidos will also consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories consistent with relevant laws.
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