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Leidos

Builds technology for defense and civil agencies

Principal Cybersecurity Engineer

Full-TimeUpdated on 10/21/2026
$131.3k - $237.3k
Expert
Bachelor's, Master's
McLean, VA, USA+1 moreMore locations: Bethesda, MD, USA
In Person
CybersecuritySecurity Engineering & Architecture
No H1B Sponsorship
US Top Secret Clearance Required

About the job

Requirements
  • A BS degree with 12 or more years of prior relevant experience, or an MS degree with 10 or more years of prior relevant experience; additional years of experience may be substituted in lieu of a degree.
  • Must have an active Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information clearance with a polygraph.
  • Experience implementing and managing Security Information and Event Management tools such as Splunk or similar platforms.
  • Experience working with endpoint and network security technologies, including Intrusion Detection Systems/Intrusion Prevention Systems, HBSS/Trellix or Carbon Black Endpoint Detection and Response, and related defensive security tools.
  • Experience reviewing and analyzing cybersecurity event logs to identify indicators of compromise or suspicious activity.
  • Experience supporting incident response plans, vulnerability management programs, risk management plans, and Plans of Action and Milestones.
  • Experience conducting or supporting technical cybersecurity assessments and security audits.
  • Experience identifying system vulnerabilities and instances of non-compliance with cybersecurity standards and regulatory requirements.
  • Experience collaborating with DevSecOps teams to review vulnerability scan results and support remediation of findings.
  • Experience supporting the Risk Management Framework authorization process by reviewing security documentation and providing risk-based recommendations to stakeholders regarding system risk posture as part of Authority to Operate activities.
  • Experience managing and tracking Plans of Action and Milestones for customer-sponsored systems, coordinating with Information Systems Security Officers, Information Systems Security Engineers, Information Systems Security Managers, and Security Control Assessors.
  • Experience applying system security engineering principles in system security design, lifecycle engineering, authentication and authorization mechanisms, cryptography, intrusion detection, contingency planning, incident handling, auditing, configuration management, and change control.
  • Professional cybersecurity certifications such as Security+, CISSP, CySA+, CEH, or GCIH.
Responsibilities
  • Plan, implement, manage, monitor, and upgrade security controls and tools used to protect enterprise systems and networks, and identify opportunities to automate repeatable operations tasks.
  • Design, configure, implement, troubleshoot, and maintain security technologies including firewalls and security groups, endpoint protection tools such as HBSS/Trellix and Carbon Black EDR, and SIEM platforms such as Splunk.
  • Monitor system and network security using SIEM tools such as Splunk Enterprise Security to detect, analyze, and respond to potential threats or anomalous activity.
  • Support the investigation and remediation of cybersecurity incidents, including system or network breaches and malware infections.
  • Participate in change management processes to ensure system changes maintain security compliance and do not introduce new vulnerabilities.
  • Audit systems and configurations to ensure compliance with established cybersecurity policies, standards, and secure configuration baselines.
  • Collaborate with engineering, development, and operations teams to integrate security controls into DevSecOps pipelines and system architectures.
  • Continuously monitor security advisories, bulletins, and industry threat intelligence to stay informed of current vulnerabilities, threats, and trends.
  • Assist with the implementation and enforcement of secure system configurations and cybersecurity compliance requirements.
  • Support vulnerability management by reviewing scan results, assessing risk, and coordinating remediation efforts with system owners and technical teams.
Desired Qualifications
  • Experience with cybersecurity tools such as Rapid7, Tenable/Nessus, SonarQube, Fortify, Chainguard, or Endpoint Detection and Response platforms, and using STIG viewers and compliance tools to assess systems against established security configuration baselines.
  • Experience implementing and managing network and application firewalls, incident detection platforms, and digital forensic tools.
  • Experience with automation tools such as Ansible or CloudFormation to support infrastructure and security automation.
  • Experience with Agile software development environments and scripting or programming languages such as Python or PowerShell, including React.
  • Familiarity with cloud computing environments, including AWS, Oracle Cloud, or Google Cloud Platform.
  • Experience with system monitoring and health tools such as SolarWinds.
  • Experience working with DevSecOps pipelines and Continuous Integration/Continuous Delivery security tools.
  • Experience administering or securing systems in Linux environments, including Red Hat.

About the company

Leidos develops technology and runs services for defense, intelligence and civilian agencies, as well as healthcare and commercial customers. It combines software and engineering work with systems integration, building secure networks and equipment used in demanding operations. Its portfolio includes medical services, energy infrastructure design and technology that supports military missions, linking specialist businesses under one parent. Customers pay through contracts for delivered systems and services, with payment tied to labor, costs or agreed project milestones. Leidos traces its roots to a company founded in 1969 and is headquartered in Reston, Virginia.

Company Size

10,001+

Company Stage

IPO

Headquarters

Reston, Virginia

Founded

1969

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Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • Recognized sales are growing: Leidos reported fiscal Q2 revenue of $4.56 billion, up 7%, in August 2026.
  • Technical study gets support: Leidos lists 4,092 certification prep courses and tuition assistance for full time employees.
  • Future work includes funded contracts: Leidos reported $10.2 billion of funded backlog in August 2026.

What critics are saying

  • Federal budgets dominate demand: Leidos' February 2026 filing attributed 87% of fiscal 2025 revenue to U.S. government work.
  • Cleared cyber roles restrict access: Leidos' live Fort Meade analyst posting requires active Top Secret clearance with a polygraph.
  • Cost overruns threaten margins: firm fixed price work accounted for 43% of Leidos' fiscal 2025 revenue.

What makes Leidos unique

  • Runway capacity improves through software: Leidos and UK navigation provider NATS optimize landing spacing with Intelligent Approach.
  • Leidos reaches patients directly: its QTC medical exam business connects over 15,000 providers with more than 90 clinics.
  • Leidos builds battlefield hardware: it is the Army's prime contractor for Enduring Shield, a mobile air-defense launcher.

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Benefits

  • Medical, dental, & vision insurance
  • Health Savings account
  • Income protection
  • PTO
  • Paid parental leave
  • Jury duty pay
  • Bereavement leave
  • 401(k) Retirement Plan
  • Employee Stock Purchase Plan
  • Family Benefits

Growth & Insights and Company News

Headcount

6 month growth

8%

1 year growth

8%

2 year growth

8%
PR Newswire
Oct 14th, 2026
Leidos wins one-year MOD logistics extension to 2029, building on $508M in benefits

Leidos has won a one-year extension to its Logistics Commodities and Services Transformation (LCST) contract with the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD). The deal continues logistics support to the UK Armed Forces through June 2029. Leidos has been prime contractor since 2015. It manages more than 70,000 commodity NATO Stock Numbers, supports distribution to more than 600 locations worldwide, and runs the £83 million Defence Fulfilment Centre at MOD Donnington. The company estimates it has delivered £400 million in benefits to the MOD. During the extension, Leidos will work on supply chain resilience, inventory visibility, and digital capability. The programme supported the MOD through the COVID-19 pandemic and urgent needs related to Ukraine.

INSURASALES
Oct 13th, 2026
Blackstone leads $1B financing for Analogic merger with three Leidos units

Blackstone Credit & Insurance (BXCI) is leading a $1 billion financing package for the merger of Analogic Corporation with three Leidos units: Security Enterprise Solutions, Ports & Borders, and Industrial Automation. The combined business will make imaging and detection technology for sectors such as aviation security and healthcare. BXCI is lead lender and joint lead arranger, alongside HPS, Bank of America, and Wells Fargo. Brad Colman, BXCI's head of healthcare investing, called the deal proof of its strength in building large credit strategies with flexible solutions. Analogic is based in Salem, New Hampshire. Leidos employs 50,000 people and earned $17.2 billion in fiscal 2026. BXCI managed $443 billion in assets at the end of 2025. Roughly 75% of Blackstone's credit assets are backed by institutional and insurance clients.

GFM Limited
Oct 13th, 2026
Blackstone leads $1bn private credit financing for Leidos-Analogic security merger

Blackstone is leading a $1bn private credit financing to support the combination of the security enterprise solutions businesses of Leidos Holdings and Analogic Corporation, Bloomberg reported. Blackstone Credit & Insurance is reportedly lead lender and joint lead arranger, alongside HPS Investment Partners, Bank of America, and Wells Fargo. Leidos, a listed engineering and technology services company based in Virginia, serves government and commercial clients. It generated $17.2bn in revenue in 2025. Analogic develops imaging, detection, artificial intelligence, and automation technologies. Private equity firm Altaris acquired it in a $1.1bn take-private deal in 2018. Blackstone was reportedly also among the lenders in a recent financing for Waymo, which was increased to $5bn.

PR Newswire
Oct 12th, 2026
Leidos joins US Army's Reveille Forge, a "permanent hackathon" for early tech integration testing

Leidos is taking part in Reveille Forge, the US Army's new permanent integration and testing environment, to help spot technology integration problems sooner. The Army set up the site after its Operation Jailbreak exercise earlier this year. Reveille Forge replaces periodic events with a continuous "integrate-first" approach. Government, industry, and academia can test how technologies work together before they reach soldiers in the field. Leidos recently completed Jailbreak Sprint 1.5 at Redstone Arsenal in Alabama. It followed the first sprint at Fort Carson, Colorado, in June, where the company tested its IFPC Inc 2, MXR, and ALPS systems. "Now, Reveille Forge gives the Army and industry an enduring environment to integrate early, test together and mature capabilities faster," said Matt Becker, a Leidos vice president.

PR Newswire
Oct 12th, 2026
Leidos picks X-Bow to supply rocket motors for US Army's low-cost cruise missile

X-Bow Systems, a US maker of solid rocket motors, has been selected by Leidos to develop and produce booster motors for the US Army's new Low-Cost Containerized Munition (LCCM), a low-cost cruise missile. The company announced the deal on October 12, 2026, at the Association of the United States Army annual meeting in Washington. X-Bow will handle design, qualification testing, and static fires before full-rate production in 2027. Leidos will build the munitions in large quantities under the Department of War's "Arsenal of Freedom" initiative. "Modern conflict is decided by how many rounds you can put downrange, not how exquisite each one is," said chief executive officer Jason Hundley. It is the sixth new propulsion program X-Bow has won in 2026. The company recently completed its first major production contract, delivering more than 2,100 rocket motors.