Flight Software Engineer

Leidos is dedicated to making the world a safer place. This starts with helping our customers in the Defense Industry achieve their critical missions. Our dedicated Defense Sector employees are solving critical challenges across the globe. At Leidos, we deliver innovative solutions through the efforts of our diverse and talented people who are dedicated to our customers’ success.  We empower our teams, contribute to our communities, and operate sustainably. Everything we do is built on a commitment to do the right thing for our customers, our people, and our community. Our Mission, Vision, and Values guide the way we do business. With offices across the United States engaging in the defense, space, cyber and commercial fields, Leidos provides responsive, cost-effective engineering, scientific and IT solutions. Leidos is well known for our people-oriented culture, positive work environment, technical excellence, and resilient business ethics. 

Within the Defense Sector, the Airborne Systems Business Area at Leidos currently has an opening for a talented Flight Software Engineer to work in our Huntsville office. This is an exciting opportunity to use your experience to help develop software for tactical strike, sensors, autonomy, CUAS, and UAS solutions.  

​This position focuses on the development of robust, innovative software frameworks, as well as the fielding, support, and maintenance of software products. Software products range from analysis tools/simulations, mission planning software, and components of mission-critical systems.  This position may include development using embedded computing technologies such as drivers, flash memory, bootloaders, board support packages, PCBs, JTAG, real-time operating system (RTOS), single board computers, system-on-chip (SoC), and hardware interfaces and protocols.

Primary Responsibilities

• Design and develop robust C/C++ embedded software under the oversight of a senior software developer.
• Assist with creating and executing unit and integration tests on software components.
• Perform as part of an agile software development team for tasking and progress reporting.
• Participate in code reviews to maintain code quality and share knowledge with the team.
• Troubleshoot and resolve application issues and bugs in a timely manner.
• Other software development duties as assigned.
• Use GitLab software pipeline for performing configuration management, continuous integration, and automated testing.
• Direct communication with customers, end users, and team members will be required on a frequent basis.

Basic Qualifications

• Candidate must possess at least a bachelor’s degree in software engineering, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Mathematics, or equivalent technical degree with an overall GPA of 3.0 or higher.
• The candidate must have 8+ years of relevant technical experience or 6+ with a MS degree. 
• Have a proven track record of implementing software development principles. 
• Candidate must demonstrate a strong competency in software development in either C/C++, Java, C#, Rust, or Python programming languages. 
• Candidate is expected to participate in peer reviews and accept constructive feedback from more senior software team members. 
• Have experience writing unit and integration tests with unit test frameworks. 
• Possess an aptitude for the technical skills required for software development, configuration management, and software quality engineering concepts. 
• Have strong analytical and process improvement skills along with a personal drive for details and quality workmanship. 
• Possess an aptitude for the technical skills required for software test and software quality engineering concepts. 
• Aptitude with Linux and Windows operating systems and their respective development tools/IDEs, scripts, debuggers, and administrative features is also expected.
• Familiarity with Agile development methodologies and use of one or more Agile tools, such as Gitlab Ultimate, Atlassian Jira, Trello, or Monday.com.
• Demonstrate familiarity with Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint). 
• Have good verbal and written communication skills.
• Must be a resident of North Alabama or willing to relocate to the Huntsville-North Alabama area.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with applicable industry standards (IEEE 12207, CMMI, DO-178C and/or DO-278, RMF) is a plus.
• Interest and/or experience in software development using AI tools is also a plus.
• The ability to work across multiple products under development by multiple small teams is highly desirable. 
• Experience with the design and implementation of time-sensitive software for integrated systems, such as real-time software, hardware-in-the-loop simulation, vehicles, medical devices, or IoT components.

Security Clearance Qualifications:

Must be a U.S. Citizen with the ability to obtain and maintain a Secret Security Clearance.

AppKinetic

If you're looking for comfort, keep scrolling. At Leidos, we outthink, outbuild, and outpace the status 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 at step 30 — and moving faster than anyone else dares.

Original Posting:

September 11, 2026

Pay Range:

Pay Range $107,900.00 - $195,050.00

The Leidos pay range for this job level is a general guideline only and 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.