Systems Engineer SME

Lead the Technical Vision. Shape the Future

Leidos is seeking an experienced Systems Engineer Subject Matter Expert (SME) to provide technical leadership for the Chinook Program supporting the customer’s application. This is a high impact leadership role for an engineering expert who enjoys solving enterprise-scale challenges, influencing technical strategy, and mentoring high-performing engineering teams.

As a Systems Engineering SME, you’ll serve as the technical authority for systems engineering activities, helping shape the architecture and future direction of an application while ensuring engineering excellence across the program. As a SME, you will monitor system performance throughout the day and troubleshoot system anomalies as they arise. You will interact with end users and support contractors responsible for security, cloud provisioning, and external system interfaces. You will also provide feedback to system technical development leads and test engineers to improve the effectiveness, reliability, and overall quality of the software and testing processes.

As a Systems Engineer, you will maintain system documentation and deliver presentations to end users and Government managers as required. You’ll also be expected to provide feedback to the system technical development leads and test engineers to make the software and testing more effective and reliable and maintain system documentation and make presentations to end users and Government managers.

Position may be performed in the following locations below.

• Gaithersburg, MD

• Alexandria, VA

• Chantilly, VA

• Englewood, CO

• St. Louis, MO

• Tucson, AZ

Clearance Level Required:

Active Top Secret/SCI with the ability to successfully pass a Polygraph examination.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Serve as the technical lead and systems engineering authority for the customer application.

• Define system architecture, engineering standards, technical roadmaps, and modernization strategies.

• Manage and maintain cloud-based application systems to ensure high availability, reliability, and performance.

• Troubleshoot complex technical issues and develop effective solutions to support system functionality and operational needs.

• Evaluate and identify opportunities to apply AI tools to enhance troubleshooting, system monitoring, and operational effectiveness.

• Lead requirements analysis, system design, integration, verification, and validation activities.

• Guide technical decision making across cross-functional engineering teams.

• Evaluate emerging technologies and recommend innovative solutions to improve system capabilities.

• Lead technical risk identification, mitigation planning, and engineering trade studies.

• Mentor systems engineers and promote engineering best practices across the program.

• Partner with program leadership and stakeholders to align technical solutions with mission objectives.

• Drive continuous improvement initiatives that enhance system performance, scalability, security, and maintainability.

Basic Qualifications:

• US citizenship is required per contract.

• Bachelor's degree in Systems Engineering, Computer Science, or related field and 12-15 years of prior relevant experience or Master’s with 10-13 years of prior relevant experience. May possess a Doctorate in a technical domain.

12+ years of progressive systems engineering experience supporting software-intensive systems or enterprise systems.

• Demonstrated experience leading technical teams and influencing engineering strategy.

• Deep knowledge of systems architecture, integration, lifecycle engineering, and systems thinking.

• Experience leading engineering efforts within Agile and DevSecOps environments.

• Exceptional leadership, communication, collaboration, and technical mentoring skills.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience supporting large-scale government or mission-focused programs.

• Demonstrated experience using AI tools to optimize system performance, or the ability to identify and articulate practical applications of AI to support the responsibilities outlined in the job description.

• Expertise in cloud-native architecture, distributed systems, and enterprise modernization.

• Systems Engineering Professional (SEP), INCOSE, CISSP, Security+ certification, or similar credentials.

• Proficient in Python or C++ software development, automation, and system support.

• Experience working with Linux operating systems in support of application deployment, automation, and systems support.

• Proven success leading multidisciplinary engineering teams across complex technical programs.

#Chinook

#NSBA

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:

October 15, 2026

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 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.