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 Group 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 Kinetic Effects Business Area at Leidos currently has an opening for a talented Aviation Embedded 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, 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.
Primary Responsibilities
Design and architect full-stack software solutions for airborne systems, including embedded software architecture, code implementation, unit testing, and integration of distributed software modules across subsystems and networks.
Lead technical design decisions and influence solution approaches within the software development lifecycle, utilizing DevOps and CI/CD pipelines.
Develop software tools, test harnesses, and infrastructure to support fully integrated solutions.
Mentor and review work of junior engineers, providing technical guidance on design patterns, coding standards, and best practices.
Communicate directly with customers, end users, internal stakeholders, and cross-functional teams to define requirements, resolve technical issues, and drive project deliverables.
Take ownership of entire software components or subsystems from concept through deployment.
Basic Qualifications
Candidate must possess at least a bachelor’s degree in Software Engineering, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Aeronautical Engineering, Mathematics, or equivalent technical degree with an overall GPA of 3.0 or higher.
Candidate should have 4-8 years of relevant technical experience.
Design and architect full-stack software solutions for airborne systems, including embedded software architecture, code implementation, unit testing, and integration of distributed software modules across subsystems and networks.
Lead technical design decisions and influence solution approaches within the software development lifecycle, utilizing DevOps and CI/CD pipelines.
Develop software tools, test harnesses, and infrastructure to support fully integrated solutions.
Mentor and review work of junior engineers, providing technical guidance on design patterns, coding standards, and best practices.
Communicate directly with customers, end users, internal stakeholders, and cross-functional teams to define requirements, resolve technical issues, and drive project deliverables.
Take ownership of entire software components or subsystems from concept through deployment.
Have excellent teamwork and communication skills.
Preferred Qualifications
Experience establishing, improving, or adapting disciplined software engineering processes and development standards.
Proven ability to coordinate and deliver across multiple products under development by distributed teams, managing technical dependencies and integration points.
Hands-on experience with embedded software including device drivers, board support packages, boot loaders, Real Time Operating Systems (RTOS), and Hardware Description Language (HDL).
Working knowledge of hardware systems including microcontrollers, single board computers, common peripheral interfaces, and hardware test equipment.
Experience with software architecture patterns and design principles for embedded and distributed systems.
Track record of identifying and resolving complex integration issues across hardware/software boundaries.
Experience with configuration management tools, version control systems, and automated build/test frameworks.
Domain knowledge in defense systems, avionics, or guided munitions highly desirable.
Experience mentoring engineers on embedded software best practices or leading technical design reviews.
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.
August 10, 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 $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.
Leidos is a Fortune 500® innovation company rapidly addressing the world’s most vexing challenges in national security and health. The company's global workforce of 48,000 collaborates to create smarter technology solutions for customers in heavily regulated industries. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, Leidos reported annual revenues of approximately $15.4 billion for the fiscal year ended December 29, 2023.
Leidos was cited for the meaningful work employees perform that is challenging, impactful, and aligned with our customers’ missions as reasons professionals want to work and stay at our company. Leidos has also been named to lists including Forbes’ Best Employers for Diversity, Forbes’ America’s Best Employers for Women, Military Times Best for Vets Employers, and Ethisphere Institute’s World's Most Ethical Companies®.
Employees enjoy career enrichment opportunities available through mobility and development and experience rewarding relationships with supportive supervisors and talented colleagues and customers. Employees appreciate our flexible work environment, allowing for and encouraging a true work-life balance. Our professionals are also excited about our Employee Resource Groups, like the Collaborative Outreach with Remote and Embedded Employees (CORE), which strives to create an environment where every employee, regardless of location, feels fully engaged as a valued employee of Leidos.
Your most important work is ahead, visit careers.leidos.com for our latest opportunities.
