Java Kafka Developer Jobs in Maryland (NOW HIRING)

The Leidos Digital Modernization Group is seeking a Software Developer to support the Global Solutions Management - Operations II (GSM-O II) contract as part of the Global Automations & Intelligent Network Solutions (GAINS) Team. This position offers the opportunity to work in a fast-paced, mission-focused environment supporting large-scale enterprise monitoring, data integration, and automation initiatives across distributed infrastructure environments.

The selected candidate will serve as a hands-on developer focused on building, integrating, troubleshooting, and sustaining enterprise monitoring and data pipeline solutions leveraging the Elastic Stack (ELK) and Confluent Kafka platforms. The role emphasizes software development, platform integration, operational monitoring, troubleshooting, automation, and performance optimization across complex network and cloud environments.

As a key Agile scrum team member, the candidate will collaborate closely with software developers, systems engineers, network engineers, operations personnel, and partner scrum teams to deliver scalable and resilient integration, monitoring, and observability solutions supporting enterprise operational users and mission requirements. The candidate will work across teams to coordinate dependencies, support integration efforts, and ensure successful delivery of shared capabilities within an Agile development environment. The role requires strong troubleshooting skills, operational awareness, and the ability to independently resolve complex software, infrastructure, and platform issues.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Support implementation, integration, monitoring, and troubleshooting of the ElastiFlow NetObserv application to provide network flow visibility, telemetry analytics, and operational monitoring across enterprise and cloud network environments.
• Apply Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) practices to improve observability, monitoring automation, incident response, platform reliability, and operational support for Elastic-based services and enterprise network monitoring platforms.
• Support modernization and sustainment of a multi-vendor enterprise network infrastructure, including network monitoring, performance management, security management, and authentication solutions migrating into AWS cloud environments.
• Design, develop, and maintain scalable software and automation solutions supporting enterprise network operations, monitoring, and analytics capabilities.
• Analyze operational, functional, and performance requirements to support system design, testing, integration, and deployment activities.
• Collaborate with systems engineers, architects, and development teams to ensure deployments align with approved designs, security requirements, and operational objectives.
• Develop, test, and deploy software applications, APIs, and automation tools using Python, JavaScript, Java, SQL, and related technologies.
• Monitor, troubleshoot, and maintain Kafka and Elastic clusters across development, test, and production environments.
• Build and maintain CI/CD pipelines using Jenkins, Bitbucket, Docker, Kubernetes, Artifactory, and Ansible.
• Support system integration, deployment validation, troubleshooting, and operational sustainment activities across distributed environments.
• Participate in Agile development activities including sprint planning, daily standups, demonstrations, retrospectives, and backlog refinement.
• Troubleshoot and resolve software, infrastructure, network, and system integration issues.
• Independently identify, communicate, and mitigate technical risks and implementation challenges.
• Collaborate effectively with geographically distributed teams, stakeholders, and mission partners to support successful delivery of project objectives.

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or related field with 4+ years of relevant experience; additional experience may be considered in lieu of degree.
• Experience supporting enterprise network infrastructure environments, including network monitoring, authentication, security, and operational support technologies.
• Experience developing software applications and automation solutions using Python and at least one additional language such as JavaScript, Java, or SQL.
• Experience with Elastic Stack technologies (Elasticsearch, Logstash, Kibana), Kafka platforms, and observability or monitoring solutions.
• Experience building and supporting CI/CD pipelines and DevSecOps toolchains using Jenkins, Docker, Kubernetes, Ansible, Bitbucket, and Artifactory.
• Experience troubleshooting Linux-based systems, distributed applications, and enterprise platform integrations.
• Experience working in Agile software development environments and collaborating within cross-functional technical teams.
• Experience creating and maintaining technical documentation for software deployments, operational procedures, infrastructure integrations, and DevSecOps processes.
• Strong analytical, troubleshooting, communication, and collaboration skills.
• Ability to obtain an interim Secret DoD Security clearance prior to start date.
• Ability to obtain Security+ certification or equivalent DoD 8570 IAT II certification within 14 days of start date.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience supporting AWS cloud-based infrastructure, services and security policies
• Experience with network automation and enterprise monitoring platforms.
• Experience supporting secure government or DoD environments.
• Familiarity with Infrastructure as Code (IaC), SaaS and cloud-native architectures.
• Strong understanding of Agile methodologies, including Scrum and SAFe.
• Experience developing and deploying software in a DoD environment (DISA experience is a plus), including experience building and deploying software applications that meet DoD security standards, including updating applications and code to meet security scans and meeting security implementation guidelines (e.g. STIGs).

This role offers the opportunity to work on advanced integration projects, combining software engineering with data integration in a dynamic environment. If you meet the qualifications and are passionate about integration engineering, we encourage you to apply.

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:June 4, 2026Pay Range:Pay Range $87,100.00 - $157,450.00

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.