Senior R&D Software Developer Jobs in Washington, DC

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 sustainable practices.
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. Employees enjoy career enrichment opportunities available through mobility and development and experience rewarding relationships with supportive supervisors and talented colleagues and customers. Your most important work is ahead.
If this sounds like the kind of environment where you can thrive, keep reading!
We have an exciting opportunity for an experienced Sr. Software Engineers to join a high performing agile team using the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) methodology in Annapolis Junction, MD; Alexandria, VA; Aurora, CO; or San Diego, CA!
You will support a nationally significant and fast-paced cryptographic key management program. Program execution follows DEVOPS best practices and employs robust development, test, and production environments. Additionally, the program is using Behavioral Driven Development (BDD) and test automation tools alongside a full suite of team collaboration tools. Leidos is the prime contractor providing system engineering, development, test, integration, and operational support. This new program is focused on injecting new technology and adding advanced capabilities over the coming three years while continuing to support an on-going mission and operational system.
You will perform software development activities as a member of an agile development team. Development includes the full range of turning agile stories into implementable concepts, through development, testing, and deployment of the new capabilities in this complex system. Following the BDD pattern, our developers are responsible for implementing robust testing leveraging DEVOPS automation and, where appropriate, use of test automation commercial tools. There are a range of opportunities for server-side business logic implementation as well as client web application and user interface (UI) development. Java, Python, embedded C/C++, Java cryptographic framework, XML, web UI and special purpose device programming opportunities are available.
You will be responsible for analyzing and resolving highly complex software issues related to multiple aspects and components of the system; collaborate with other experts within the program and in the user community to design, develop, and debug existing software, and to design and develop enhancements that incorporate new capabilities into various components of the existing systems; provide technical leadership for software development activities as a member of an agile team and will actively participate in program increment planning and related team activities. You will perform high-level software development functions including design, development, troubleshooting, and debugging of software programs; analyze system requirements and develop and maintain software infrastructures using Computer Aided Software Engineering (CASE) tools. You will be responsible for using sound software engineering principles to ensure that developed code is modifiable, efficient, reliable, understandable, fault tolerant, and reusable, including providing software process management and control throughout the coding portion of the software development process; work with other Software Engineers and System Engineers in resolving complex technical issues and problems that impact multiple facets of the system.
Basic Qualifications:
Requires a Masters degree with 15 - 20 years of prior relevant experience or Doctorate with 13 - 16 years of prior relevant experience.
Must have demonstrated development experience with Java. Specific experience with one or more of the following: Java/JEE, Python, C/C++, SQL, SOAP, WSDL, WADL. Experience with User Interface development, knowledge of databases and structures, and/or experience working with XHTML, HTML, XML, XSLT
Experience developing on Windows, and/or Linux operating systems. Experience with one or more of the following: Java, Python, PERL, PowerShell, VBS, Eclipse, Postgres, Oracle, Jenkins on a Windows platforms.
Must have a strong understanding of sound software development principles and practices. Must be able to plan and prioritize personal tasking and be able to communicate effectively verbally and in writing. Must be an independent thinker, capable of performing high quality work, both independently and with a team in a fast-moving environment.
Security Clearance Requirement:
Must have possess an active TS/SCI with Polygraph to be considered for this role.
Preferred Qualifications:
Experience with the following: JEE, SQL, application servers (Tomcat, WebLogic, JBoss), scripting; experience with high level requirements management including requirements decomposition, secure systems engineering and development, trade-off analysis, interface control, and testing and continuous integration.
5+ years of experience in software development on Agile teams using Agile Developer practices such as Pair Programming, TDD, Refactoring, and ATDD
Experience with FITNesse, Mockito, Cucumber, Unified Functional Tester (UFT), Selenium
Experience with Behavior Driven Development (BDD) or Test-Driven Development (TDD)
Secure Software development (i.e., Layer 7 Policy)
Experience with the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) methodology, SAFe Agilest Certification, or experience as a member of an agile team.
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:
April 28, 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.