Principal Software Engineer (SWE-4)
Leidos· Defense· Jul 21, 2026 · 3mo agoPosted 98 days ago
3325 Fort George G. Meade MD
In office
Full-time
Principal
$131K–$237K
Before you apply
Ghost Signal:
Open since July 21, 2026 — 98 days, and still accepting applications.
Job description
Leidos has a new and exciting opportunity for a Principal Software Engineer in our INTEL Sector. Our talented team is at the forefront in Security Engineering, Computer Network Operations (CNO), Mission Software, Analytical Methods and Modeling, Signals Intelligence (SIGINT), and Cryptographic Key Management. At Leidos , we offer competitive benefits , including Paid Time Off, 11 paid Holidays, 401K with a 6% company match and immediate vesting, Flexible Schedules, Discounted Stock Purchase Plans, Technical Upskilling, Education and Training Support, Parental Paid Leave, and much more. Join us and make a difference in National Security!
Job Summary:
Our program provides our customer s Operations organization with the best possible solutions for their mission needs. We achieve this through rapid prototyping, new development, and advanced technology research. From leading-edge visualizations to analytic development, we re always pushing the boundaries to find new and better data sources and tradecraft to answer intelligence questions. With a focus on collaboration and a fast-paced environment, our prototype development program is the ideal place to grow your skills and make a real impact. Click here to learn more about how this program “Delivers Mission Success!”
Seeking a motivated Principal Software Engineer to support the exciting Advanced Analytics Team mission. The engineer will work closely with mission stakeholders to analyze software requirements, design innovative technical solutions, develop software applications, and implement high-performance capabilities supporting advanced mission objectives.
Qualified candidates are eligible for enhanced incentives including up to a $25K cash sign on bonus or a paid time off bonus.
Job Responsibilities/Qualifications:
Mission Focus : Design, develop, test, debug, and maintain software applications supporting mission requirements. Analyze customer needs, develop software prototypes, engineer technical solutions, implement algorithms, and translate conceptual designs into scalable software architectures.
Technical Proficiency : Develop and debug software using object-oriented programming languages; perform software engineering and technical design activities; analyze and understand legacy code; develop efficient algorithms utilizing data structures, dynamic programming, heuristics, and modeling techniques; conduct software testing and troubleshooting; work at the operating system level, including file I/O, system interfaces, and low-level programming concepts; and develop advanced tools for binary analysis, shellcode detection, malware analysis, function identification, and reverse engineering of compiled software.
Qualifications : Bachelor s degree plus eleven (11) years of relevant experience or equivalent. Proficiency with Python, and ability to read/understand C/C , and Assembly (x86). Experience with software architecture, operating system design, compilers, and debugging. Comfortable working with operating system internals, low-level software development, file I/O, system APIs, memory management, and executable program analysis.
Security Clearance : Active TS/SCI with Polygraph required to be considered for this role.
Desirable Skills : Familiarity with malware analysis, reverse engineering, and protocol analysis.
At Leidos, the opportunities are boundless. We challenge our staff with interesting assignments that allow them to thrive professionally and personally. For us, helping you grow your career is good business. We look forward to learning more about you – apply today!
Careers.leidos.com
CONMD
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: June 30, 2026
For U.S. Positions: While subject to change based on business needs, Leidos reasonably anticipates that this job requisition will remain open for at least 3 days with an anticipated close date of no earlier than 3 days after the original posting date 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 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.
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Benefits
Benefits detected in the listing.
401k
Pto
Paid Time Off