Mission Systems Software Engineer

Build software for UUVs that navigate in the dark think independently and must complete the mission. Failure is not an option.

Leidos is seeking a Mission Systems Software Engineer to help build the command control and mission-planning software that directs uncrewed underwater vehicles and other maritime autonomous platforms. This role is focused less on low-level vehicle control and more on the systems that plan missions communicate intent manage execution and adapt in real time across contested RF environments.

Youll work on software that sits at the intersection of operators autonomy and communications. Your code will orchestrate missions manage intermittent and degraded links and translate human intent into executable plans for vehicles operating far beyond continuous control. This is real-world C2 software supporting national security missions not lab demos or slideware.

This team values execution over ceremony rapid iteration with discipline and engineers who understand that software must perform under imperfect conditions. We prioritize progress accountability and outcomes.

Why This Role Is Different

• Youll build mission software not just UI or middleware.
• Youll work where RF realities shape software design.
• Youll support real operators running real missions.
• Youll own outcomes across planning execution and integration.
• Youll help define how command-and-control software is built for autonomy at scale.

If you want to build software that directs autonomous systems rather than just riding along with them this is the role.

Primary Responsibilities

• Design and build mission command-and-control software primarily in Java supporting planning execution monitoring and control of autonomous maritime systems.
• Develop and evolve mission planners enabling operators to define objectives constraints and behaviors that can be executed by autonomous vehicles operating independently.
• Engineer RF-aware systems building software that operates across unreliable intermittent and bandwidth-constrained communication links.
• Implement robust messaging state management and coordination logic that synchronizes vehicles operators and mission systems despite latency and packet loss.
• Translate operational and system-level requirements into clear testable software behaviors that support real mission workflows.
• Integrate with vehicle autonomy stacks acting as the bridge between mission intent and platform-level execution.
• Participate deeply in technical design contributing to architecture decisions interface definitions and trade studies that balance performance reliability and usability.
• Support system integration and test analyzing mission data debugging distributed interactions and validating end-to-end behavior across software and hardware boundaries.
• Collaborate across disciplines working with RF engineers autonomy developers systems engineers and test teams to deliver cohesive mission capability.
• Continuously improve tools and processes helping refine how mission software is designed tested and delivered in an Agile environment.

Basic Qualifications

• Education & Experience - Bachelors degree in Computer Science Software Engineering or related field with 8-12 years of experience or a Masters degree with 6-10 years of experience.
• Security Eligibility - Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Secret clearance.
• Primary Language Expertise - Strong proficiency in Java development including experience building complex modular systems in Linux-based environments.
• Distributed Systems Fundamentals - Experience designing software that communicates across networks handles partial failure and maintains consistent state under imperfect conditions.
• Systems & Mission Thinking - Ability to reason about how software supports operators missions and larger system objectives not just individual components.
• Development Environments - Experience developing and deploying software in virtualized or containerized environments (e.g. Docker VMware).
• Process & Collaboration Tools - Experience working in Agile or iterative environments and using tools such as Jira Confluence Bitbucket or similar platforms.
• Communication Skills - Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to explain technical concepts to engineers operators and systems teams.
• Professional Integrity - Ownership accountability and respect for teammates and mission outcomes.

Preferred Qualifications

• RF & Comms Awareness - Experience working with RF-based communication systems or software designed for degraded intermittent or contested links.
• Mission Planning Systems - Hands-on experience developing mission planners orchestration layers or command-and-control software for autonomous or distributed systems.
• Polyglot Engineering - Experience across multiple languages (C# Java Python Rust etc.) and comfort adapting to new stacks quickly.
• Messaging & Data Models - Familiarity with messaging frameworks publish/subscribe systems and data serialization technologies (e.g. Protocol Buffers).
• Autonomy Integration - Experience interfacing mission-level software with autonomy or control systems even if not implementing autonomy directly.
• Testing Distributed Systems - Proven ability to test and debug multi-component systems where failures emerge from interactions not just individual modules.
• Domain Experience - Background in autonomous remotely operated or mission-critical platforms especially maritime or undersea systems.

Toolchain Familiarity - Experience with ROS Protocol Buffers SCons VS Code and cross-platform build systems is a strong plus.

SUBSEAMSS

At Leidos we dont want someone who fits the moldwe want someone who melts it down and builds something better. This is a role for the restless the over-caffeinated the ones who ask whats next before the dust settles on whats now.

If youre already scheming step 20 while everyone else is still debating step 2 good. Youll fit right in.

Original Posting:

Pay Range:

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.