Leidos is Hiring: Jr. Software Engineer in Gaithersburg ($104K Max)

Leidos is actively hiring a Junior Software Engineer in Gaithersburg, Maryland, offering compensation up to $104K annually. This role is ideal for early-career developers looking to work on mission-critical systems, gain exposure to full-stack development, and collaborate in a high-impact engineering environment supporting national-level programs.

Job Overview

Job Description

As a junior engineer, you will work as part of an agile development team to help design, implement, test, and deploy applications and services. You will receive mentorship from senior engineers while supporting the development of systems that enhance our customer’s data access, visualization, and dissemination capabilities.

Primary Responsibilities

• Engage in the complete software development lifecycle, operating within well-defined parameters.
• Take ownership of delivering enhancements within a system or application.
• Break down sizable tasks into manageable units for execution and provide LOE estimations.
• Collaborate with fellow software engineers to create and document optimal technical designs.
• Ensure team compliance with Agile processes and best practices.
• Build software solutions where the solution is not clearly defined but always prioritizing customer needs.

Basic Qualifications

• US citizenship is required per contract.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a Top Secret/SCI (TS/SCI) clearance and successfully pass a Polygraph examination.
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or equivalent experience and 0+ years of prior relevant experience.
• Hands-on experience with the following technologies:
• Web:HTML, CSS, Django, and REST APIs
• Object-oriented Programming:Python, Java, JavaScript, and REACT
• Relational Database:PostgreSQL with the ability to write SQL statements
• Operating System: Windows, Linux
• Version Control System:Git
• Understanding of modern software design patterns and coding standards.
• Strong, self-motivated desire to learn new programming languages, tools, frameworks, and techniques.
• Ability to complete tasking independently with minimal direct supervision.
• Ability to work and collaborate effectively within a multi-disciplined engineering team.

Preferred Qualifications

• Software Architectures:Client-Server, Microservices, Model-View-Controller.
• Cloud Exposure:
• Multi-cloud architectures: AWS, IBM, Google, Azure, and Oracle.
• Specific AWS Services:S3, SQS, SNS, EC2, CloudFormation and RDS.
• Working knowledge of Agile development and continuous integration/continuous delivery methodologies and tools.
• Knowledge of continuous integration and delivery tools: Jenkins, GitLab, and Docker.
• Demonstrated experience planning and presenting user interface designs.

Selection Process

1. Application Screening – Resume + eligibility (citizenship & clearance readiness)
2. Technical Assessment – Coding, OOP concepts, backend/system basics
3. Technical Interview – Problem-solving + real-world dev scenarios
4. Behavioral Interview – Teamwork, communication, project experience
5. Security Clearance Process – Mandatory for final offer (can be lengthy)

How to Apply

• Visit the official careers page or job platforms like LinkedIn
• Search: “Leidos Junior Software Engineer Gaithersburg”
• Prepare:
  • Updated resume (highlighting backend + API work)
  • Projects (GitHub preferred)
  • Clearance eligibility details (if applicable)
• Apply directly and monitor email for recruiter outreach