Freelance Distributed Systems Engineer Jobs in Illinois

Description

Job Description:

Lead the Technical Vision. Shape the Future.

Leidos is seeking an experienced Systems Engineer Subject Matter Expert (SME) to provide technical leadership for the Chinook Program supporting the customers’ application. This is a high impact leadership role for an engineering expert who enjoys solving enterprise-scale challenges, influencing technical strategy, and mentoring high-performing engineering teams.

As a Systems Engineering SME, you’ll serve as the technical authority for systems engineering activities, helping shape the architecture and future direction of a mission-critical application while ensuring engineering excellence across the program. You are expected to monitor systems and troubleshoot system anomalies. Systems are monitored throughout the day. You will interact with end users and other contractors that provide support services required for the system. This includes security, cloud provisioning, and external interfaces with other systems.

You’ll also be expected to provide feedback to the system technical development leads and test engineers to make the software and testing more effective and reliable and maintain system documentation and make presentations to end users and Government managers.

Why Join Leidos?

This is more than a systems engineering position, it’s an opportunity to influence the technical direction of a high-visibility program while mentoring exceptional engineers and solving some of today’s most complex engineering challenges. At Leidos, you’ll work in a collaborative environment where innovation, technical excellence, and mission success go hand in hand.

Position may be performed in the following locations below. 

• Gaithersburg, MD

• Alexandria, VA
• Chantilly, VA 
• Englewood, CO
• St. Louis, MO
• Tucson, AZ

Clearance Level Required:

Active Top Secret/SCI with the ability to successfully pass a Polygraph examination.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Serve as the technical lead and systems engineering authority for the customer application.
• Define system architecture, engineering standards, technical roadmaps, and modernization strategies.
• Manage and maintain cloud-based application systems to ensure high availability, reliability, and performance.
• Troubleshoot complex technical issues and develop effective solutions to support system functionality and operational needs.
• Evaluate opportunities in the use of AI tools and how they can be applied to troubleshooting and system monitoring.
• Lead requirements analysis, system design, integration, verification, and validation activities.
• Guide technical decision making across cross-functional engineering teams.
• Evaluate emerging technologies and recommend innovative solutions to improve system capabilities.
• Lead technical risk identification, mitigation planning, and engineering trade studies.
• Mentor systems engineers and promote engineering best practices across the program.
• Partner with program leadership and stakeholders to align technical solutions with mission objectives.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives that enhance system performance, scalability, security, and maintainability.

Basic Qualifications:

• US citizenship is required per contract.
• Bachelor's degree in Systems Engineering, Computer Science, or related field and 12-15 years of prior relevant experience or Master’s with 10-13 years of prior relevant experience. May possess a Doctorate in a technical domain.
• 12+ years of progressive systems engineering experience supporting software-intensive systems or enterprise systems.
• Demonstrated experience leading technical teams and influencing engineering strategy.
• Deep knowledge of systems architecture, integration, lifecycle engineering, and systems thinking.
• Experience leading engineering efforts within Agile and DevSecOps environments.
• Exceptional leadership, communication, collaboration, and technical mentoring skills.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience supporting large-scale government or mission-focused programs.
• Demonstrated use of AI tools to optimize systems or ideas of how AI tools could be deployed to manage tasks described in the job description.
• Expertise in cloud-native architecture, distributed systems, and enterprise modernization.
• Systems Engineering Professional (SEP), INCOSE, CISSP, Security+ certification, or similar credentials.
• Proficient in Python or C++ software development, automation, and system support.
• Experience working with Linux operating systems in support of application deployment, automation, and systems support.
• Proven success leading multidisciplinary engineering teams across complex technical programs.

#Chinook

#NSBA

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:August 5, 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.

About Leidos

Leidos is an industry and technology leader serving government and commercial customers with smarter, more efficient digital and mission innovations. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, with 47,000 global employees, Leidos reported annual revenues of approximately $16.7 billion for the fiscal year ended January 3, 2025. For more information, visit www.Leidos.com.

Pay and Benefits

Pay and benefits are fundamental to any career decision. That's why we craft compensation packages that reflect the importance of the work we do for our customers. Employment benefits include competitive compensation, Health and Wellness programs, Income Protection, Paid Leave and Retirement. More details are available at www.leidos.com/careers/pay-benefits.

Securing Your Data

Beware of fake employment opportunities using Leidos’ name. Leidos will never ask you to provide payment-related information during any part of the employment application process (i.e., ask you for money), nor will Leidos ever advance money as part of the hiring process (i.e., send you a check or money order before doing any work). Further, Leidos will only communicate with you through emails that are generated by the Leidos.com automated system – never from free commercial services (e.g., Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail) or via WhatsApp, Telegram, etc. If you received an email purporting to be from Leidos that asks for payment-related information or any other personal information (e.g., about you or your previous employer), and you are concerned about its legitimacy, please make us aware immediately by emailing us at LeidosCareersFraud@leidos.com.

If you believe you are the victim of a scam, contact your local law enforcement and report the incident to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission.

Commitment to Non-Discrimination

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, race, ethnicity, age, national origin, citizenship, religion, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, pregnancy, family structure, marital status, ancestry, domestic partner status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran or military status, or any other basis prohibited by law. Leidos will also consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories consistent with relevant laws.