Lead Software Engineer - Computer Vision & Automation (McLean)

Description

Are you interested in improving and shaping the transportation industry with a group of intelligent and motivated individuals? Consider joining the Leidos team operating the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)'s Saxton Transportation Operations Laboratory (STOL), a USDOT research lab focused on the improvement of transportation operations, safety, mobility, and environmental impacts. STOL champions the integration of emerging technologies such as cooperative driving automation (CDA) and Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) to revolutionize transportation.

Learn about STOL here : https : / / highways.dot.gov / turner-fairbank-highway-research-center / labs / STOL.

Location : This role will be expected to work full-time at the customer site in McLean, VA.

Role Overview :

Leidos is seeking a Lead Software Engineer - Computer Vision & Automation to join a highly successful team in researching and developing Connected and Automated Vehicle (CAV) technologies to shape the future of transportation. We are looking for someone who is motivated by variety, thrives in a challenging environment, seeks professional growth, and will be a key part of a team developing and extending a variety of applications and components to improve results that impact the transportation industry.

The successful candidate will engage in various projects aiming to develop and optimize the use of advanced technologies (such as intelligent transportation systems (ITS), CDA, C-V2X, CAV and AI-driven predictive modeling) to improve the safety and operation of multimodal transportation systems.

Primary Responsibilities :

• Participate in the full software development lifecycle, including requirements analysis, design, implementation, testing, deployment, and sustainment, in alignment with agency standards and contractual obligations.
• Lead delivery of software and system components that incorporate object recognition and automation, ensuring solutions meet both technical requirements and compliance standards.
• Serve as a technical lead on medium-to-large, complex projects in partnership with state and local agencies, providing oversight on design, development, and delivery.
• Break down program and project-level requirements into actionable engineering tasks, supporting efficient execution by the development team.
• Collaborate with program managers, contracting officers, and agency stakeholders to align technical solutions with mission objectives and regulatory frameworks.
• Ensure adherence to Agile processes, DecSecOps practices, and agency-mandated security and compliance guidelines.
• Develop and maintain documentation, reporting artifacts, and deliverables required by contract and oversight authorities.
• Mentor engineers in applying advanced technologies, automation practices, and secure development principles to government solutions.
• Proactively identify and resolve technical or programmatic issues that could impact contractual deliverables, working closely with leadership and stakeholders to remove barriers.
• Provide accurate cost, schedule, and performance estimates for development tasks; support reporting and audit activities to meet agency and contractual requirements.

Required Qualifications :

Preferred Qualifications :

Anticipated salary range for this role is $95,000-$130,000

Come break things (in a good way). Then build them smarter.

We're the tech company everyone calls when things get weird. We don't wear capes (they're a safety hazard), but we do solve high-stakes problems with code, caffeine, and a healthy disregard for how it's always been done.

Original Posting : October 3, 2025

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 $85,150.00 - $153,925.00

The Leidos pay range for this job level is a general guideline onlyand 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.