C-UAS Tactical Software Systems Engineer

Job Title: Tactical Software Systems Engineer - Counter‑UAS Network Communication System

Locations: Huntsville, AL and Alexandria, VA. Telecommuting may be available.

Clearance: Active Secret with the ability to obtain a Top-Secret security clearance.

This position is contingent upon contract award.

Leidos is seeking a Tactical Software Systems Engineer to develop and modernize software for the Army’s Counter‑UAS Network Communication System (NCS). You’ll build secure, resilient software enabling remote management, cloud integration, and tactical communications for M‑LIDS and FS‑LIDS systems supporting Short‑Range Air Defense (SHORAD) missions.

This role spans full‑lifecycle engineering—architecture updates, secure comms development, contested‑environment cloud integration, remote C2 tooling, integration/test, and cybersecurity support. Your work directly strengthens the Army’s ability to detect and defeat low, slow, small UAS threats in degraded and contested environments.

Primary Responsibilities

• Analyze and upgrade existing C‑UAS software architecture.
• Design/modify tactical software components, interfaces, and data flows.
• Develop secure communication protocols (encryption, MFA, access control).
• Build cloud‑integrated data collection/transfer software for DIL environments.
• Create remote command‑and‑control and monitoring tools (centralized & distributed).
• Integrate, test, and validate software in simulated contested conditions.
• Support cybersecurity, RMF/ATO activities, and patch/security updates.
• Present technical results and maintain system requirements documentation.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s in CS, Software/Computer/Electrical Engineering (or equivalent) + 10+ years tactical/embedded software experience.
• Strong development experience in C, C++, Python, Java.
• Proven background in complex software architecture design/modification.
• Experience with secure network comms, encryption, MFA, access control.
• Experience developing software for DIL/contested cloud environments.
• Experience with remote C2, monitoring, and configuration software.
• Current Secret clearance\ with the ability to obtain a Top Secret security clearance
• Knowledge of DoD cybersecurity, secure coding, and RMF/ATO.
• Strong technical writing and ability to brief Government stakeholders.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with C‑UAS, SHORAD, LIDS, or similar defense systems.
• Experience modifying fielded tactical software.
• Background in DIL cloud/edge architectures and DoD‑approved crypto.
• Experience with ATO packages, DevSecOps, containers, or classified agile development.

This position is contingent upon contract award

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:

September 9, 2026

Pay Range:

Pay Range $107,900.00 - $195,050.00

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.