Systems Engineer (SME)

Location: McLean, VA

Leidos has a new and exciting opportunity for a Systems Engineer - SME in our Intel Sector's (IS) Solutions Analysis Business Area (ASBA). 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!

Systems Engineers on this program monitor operations and collect and evaluate metrics to manage IT infrastructure services and for inclusion into project KPIs and Service Level Agreements (SLA). They perform risk assessments, risk mitigation analysis, vendor trade studies, and prepare appropriate documentation to ensure IT infrastructure services are available according to established SLAs. They are also responsible for ensuring continuity of operations including disaster recovery.

Primary Responsibilities

• Installation, configuration, administration, support, and maintenance of systems, including associated hardware and cloud resources.
• Updating systems with new technologies, tuning performance, defining storage needs, and prioritizing the implementation of critical system patches.
• Maintaining enterprise server infrastructure to ensure proper configuration, availability, performance, capacity, and maintenance (including application of the latest patches and upgrades).
• Monitors technology obsolescence, manages upgrades, and evaluates alternatives across on-premises and cloud IT infrastructures, both virtual and physical.

Basic Qualifications

• Master's degree with 15+ years of prior relevant experience or Doctorate with 13+ years of prior relevant experience. Additional years of experience may be substituted in lieu of a degree.
• Must have an active TS/SCI with a Polygraph, to be considered
• Expert applying expertise and supporting a broad range of assignments requiring originality and innovation in determining how to accomplish tasks.
• Expert in developing methodologies and presenting solutions to problems.
• Mastery in contributing to deliverables and meeting performance metrics.
• Expert with active directory, windows servers, and virtualization technologies
• Ability and availability to provide on-call support
• Experience in architecting, deploying, and maintaining enterprise level Red Had Enterprise Linux and Windows Server (2019/2022) infrastructures, featuring deep expertise in integrating cross-platform environments
• Experience with automating configuration management, provisioning, and orchestration across air-gapped networks using tools such as Ansible, Terraform, Puppet, or Powershell DSC to ensure reproducible environments.

Preferred Qualifications

Experience with automating configuration management, provisioning, and orchestration across air-gapped networks using tools such as Ansible, Terraform, Puppet, or Powershell DSC to ensure reproducible environments.

#CABARESTON

#ASBA

#HALO

#HALOincumbents

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 14, 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 $154,050.00 - $278,475.00

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.

Additional Locations: Bethesda, MD