Sr. Software Architect

Leidos has a new and exciting opportunity for a Sr. Software Architect in our INTEL Sector's Cyber & Analytics Business Area (CABA).  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! 

The Senior Software Architect will lead the development of new capabilities for a complex, high‑performance system. This role oversees a team of developers, drives high‑level architectural decisions, and manages the full software development process in an Agile environment. The architect collaborates daily with program management, integration, testing, and information assurance teams, serving as the technical expert for system design. Responsibilities include defining architectural direction, evaluating requirements against cost and schedule constraints, and establishing strategies for application monitoring, infrastructure, interfaces, and critical business functions.

Position responsibilities will include: 

• Designs, develops, documents, tests and debugs applications software and systems that contain logical and mathematical solutions. 

• Conducts multidisciplinary research and collaborates with equipment designers and/or hardware engineers in the planning, design, development, and utilization of electronic data processing systems for product and commercial software. 

• Determines computer user needs; analyzes system capabilities to resolve problems on program intent, output requirements, input data acquisition, programming techniques and controls; prepares operating instructions; designs and develops compilers and assemblers, utility programs, and operating systems.  

• Formulate software designs that create solutions meeting various desired outcomes (both current and future) while balancing the goals and constraints on the solutions (i.e. customer environment, cybersecurity, continuous integration/continuous delivery (CI/CD), etc.). 

• Manage change to the software architecture and control software complexity.  

• Make software architecture and solutions as flexible as possible.  

• Defend against, when appropriate, suggested changes to the software architecture that introduce undue complexity or future supportability issues.  

• Assist with trade off analyses of increased complexity. 

• Oversee and support the coaching and training of team members to ensure all necessary employees are confident in the use of software applications. 

• Participate and lead discussions at customer meetings, working groups, and technical interchange meetings associated with the work performed in this project.  

• Option to work a 9/80 work schedule (i.e., 9-hour days, then work 8 hours on first Friday and off the second Friday). 

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or Information Systems or a related field and at least 12+ years of related experience or Master’s Degree with at least 10+ years of relevant experience. Additional experience may be substituted for a Degree. 

• Security + Certification or will need to achieve within 90 days. 

• Must have an active Secret clearance and the ability to obtain a TS/SCI

• Minimum of 12+ years of experience designing and developing large integrated classified systems. 

• Minimum of 10+ years of experience leading development teams.  

• Possess a solid understanding of secure systems architecture and development. 

• Proven professional experience analyzing code for weaknesses and errors, and overseeing plans to improve them. 

• Must be comfortable working on multiple systems and components simultaneously in various configurations. 

• Experience with code development software tools to include: JetBrains CLion, Visual Studio Code, Git and Gitlab Enterprise (repository hosting).

• Experience with build and deployment (CI/CD) to include: GitLab Enterprise (CI/CD), CMake and vcpkg.

• Experience with application software stacks to include: Qt/QML, C++17, SQLite, NNG and Google Protocol Buffers

• Experience with Testing and Quality Assurance to include: Catch2, Clang-Format, CPPLint, FlawFinder, Valgrind and Clang-Tidy.

• Experience with database management software, such as MySQL, Oracle RDBMS, and Microsoft SQL Server. 

• Scripting skills with knowledge of programming languages, such as Perl, Ruby, and Python. 

• Must be able to effectively plan and prioritize tasking and communicate clearly regarding technical options and trade-offs. 

• Must be capable of performing systems architecture activities in support of Agile/SCRUM teams. 

Desired Qualifications: 

• Good knowledge of networking protocols, such as TCP, IP, and OSI models. 

• Understanding of Cryptography

• Familiarity with SKLs and ECUs

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 17, 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.