Senior Software Engineer

Leidos Defense is seeking a Senior Software Engineer to join our team in our San Diego facility, supporting the U.S. Navy’s AN/SQQ-89(V) Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) systems.

Our program helps modernize Navy ships by replacing outdated sonar systems with updated AN/SQQ-89(V)15 systems, supporting the installation, logistics, quality checks, and training needed to prepare ship personnel to operate the new systems.

In this role, you will focus on modernizing the AN/SQQ-89(V) ASW Training System by transitioning Tactical Insertion (TI) hardware-based solutions to a scalable, virtualized Linux training platform. You’ll work with Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), KVM, Open vSwitch, Python, Ansible, and hardware passthrough technologies to support complex Navy training and simulation environments.

What You'll Do

• Design, deploy, and maintain virtualized environments supporting AN/SQQ-89(V)15 training capabilities.
• Migrate software and services from Tactical Insertion hardware platforms to virtualized environments using KVM, libvirt, virsh, and VirtIO.
• Build and maintain RHEL 7/8 system images, templates, and repositories.
• Develop automated deployment and configuration solutions using Ansible.
• Create Python utilities and scripts for system administration, testing, monitoring, and data management.
• Configure and maintain Open vSwitch environments supporting multiple networks and high-throughput virtual machine communications.
• Integrate physical and virtual networking within tactical training environments.
• Troubleshoot complex virtualization, Linux, networking, storage, hardware, and application integration issues.
• Support performance tuning and optimization of virtualized systems, networking, storage, and compute resources.
• Support software integration, system verification, validation, and acceptance testing.
• Collaborate with software developers, systems engineers, cybersecurity personnel, and training system stakeholders.
• Support cybersecurity compliance activities, including STIG implementation, vulnerability remediation, and RMF activities.
• Develop and maintain architecture diagrams, deployment guides, standard operating procedures, and automation documentation.
• Support modernization efforts focused on improving the portability, scalability, and maintainability of training environments.

What We're Looking For

• Bachelor's degree with 4–8 years of relevant experience, or a Master's degree with 2–6 years of relevant experience.
• Experience with Linux systems engineering, virtualization, software development, or platform engineering.
• Experience administering Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) environments.
• Strong experience with KVM, libvirt, and virsh.
• Experience implementing and troubleshooting Open vSwitch (OVS).
• Experience with hardware passthrough technologies, including PCIe passthrough, VFIO, SR-IOV, and IOMMU configuration.
• Experience developing infrastructure automation using Ansible.
• Experience developing software and automation tools using Python.
• Strong understanding of Linux networking concepts, including VLANs, bridges, routing, bonding, and virtual switching.
• Experience troubleshooting integration issues across hardware, operating systems, networking, and applications.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a DoD security clearance.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting AN/SQQ-89(V)15 or AEGIS combat systems.
• Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE).
• Experience with high-performance networking and low-latency virtualized environments.
• Experience supporting GPU, FPGA, capture card, or other specialized hardware passthrough to virtual machines.
• Familiarity with distributed storage, NFS, iSCSI, and SAN technologies.
• Experience with FreeIPA, LDAP, Kerberos, and enterprise Linux identity management.
• Experience supporting RMF, STIG implementation, ACAS, and cybersecurity compliance initiatives.
• Active Secret or Top Secret clearance.

If you have a strong Linux and virtualization background and are interested in applying those skills to modernize U.S. Navy training systems, we encourage you to apply.

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 21, 2026

Pay Range:

Pay Range $87,100.00 - $157,450.00

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.