Principal Solutions Architect
Role details
Job location
Tech stack
Job description
Leidos is seeking a Principal Solutions Architect to join the Air Traffic Business Area within the Homeland Sector, supporting the development of the Leidos Common Automation Platform (L-CAP) and Common Baseline. L-CAP is a mission-critical, future-ready automation solution built on a hybrid cloud data mesh architecture. As a member of a large-scale, Scaled Agile software development organization, you will play a central role in shaping next-generation air traffic automation capabilities by bridging mission needs, systems engineering rigor, and Agile software delivery.
In this role, you will serve as the Solution Architect and will use your deep expertise in service-based architectures (SOA/microservices) to support mission-critical programs. This role will lead the design of scalable, secure, and resilient architectures that align with federal standards, cloud-first strategies, and zero trust principles, while enabling rapid delivery and modernization. This position is intended for experienced practitioners who can balance innovation with discipline in a highly regulated, safety-critical environment.
This position is located in Gaithersburg, MD. This is an opportunity to contribute to projects that impact millions of air travelers.
This is a hybrid position requiring 3 days onsite and 2 days working from home., * Lead architecture design for service-based and microservices solutions supporting federal mission systems
- Define and enforce architecture standards, reference architectures, and design patterns across programs
- Partner with program managers, engineers, and customers to translate mission needs into scalable technical solutions
- Design and guide implementation of API-first, loosely coupled, and event-driven architectures
- Support cloud adoption and migration efforts (AWS, Azure, GCP), including hybrid and multi-cloud environments
- Ensure compliance with federal security requirements (e.g., NIST, FedRAMP, Zero Trust Architecture)
- Provide technical leadership in DevSecOps, CI/CD pipelines, and infrastructure as code (IaC)
- Conduct architecture reviews, trade studies, and technology evaluations
- Mentor engineering teams and promote best practices in distributed systems and integration patterns
- Support capture and proposal efforts by contributing to technical volumes and solutioning
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field (additional experience may be considered in lieu of degree)
- 12+ years of experience in software development or systems engineering (or 10+ years of experience with a Master's degree) and 5+ years in architecture roles
- Demonstrated experience designing and implementing service-based architectures (SOA, microservices)
- Strong experience with API design (RESTful services), service integration, and messaging frameworks
- Hands-on experience with at least one major cloud platform (AWS, Azure, or GCP)
- Knowledge of containerization and orchestration (Docker, Kubernetes/OpenShift)
- Familiarity with DevSecOps practices, CI/CD tools, and automation frameworks
- Understanding of federal security frameworks (NIST 800-53, RMF, FedRAMP)
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, including customer engagement
- Ability to obtain and maintain a Public Trust
- U.S. citizenship required
- Successful completion of background investigations as required by the government customer
Preferred / Desired Qualifications
- Experience supporting federal civilian, DoD, or Intelligence Community customers
- Knowledge of event-driven architectures and streaming technologies (e.g., Kafka)
- Cloud certifications (e.g., AWS Solutions Architect, Azure Solutions Architect)
- Familiarity with Zero Trust Architecture and identity-based security models
- Experience with Agile/SAFe development environments
- Background in data architecture, analytics platforms, or AI/ML integration
- Agile certifications (CSPO, SAFe POPM)
Why Leidos?
You'll work on systems where performance, precision, and reliability matter - every second. This is not experimental AI for prototypes. This is disciplined, responsible AI applied to mission-critical software that supports national infrastructure.
If you're excited by solving complex problems in regulated, real-world environments - and using AI as a force multiplier rather than a shortcut - we'd like to talk.
Benefits & conditions
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 .
