[Hiring] Principal Systems Engineer Air Traffic Management @Leidos

Role Description

Leidos is seeking a Principal Systems Engineer with strong Air Traffic Control (ATC) domain experience, particularly in Oceanic and En Route air traffic operations and systems. This is an opportunity to bring deep operational and technical expertise to programs shaping the future of air traffic management.

The Principal Systems Engineer will join a dynamic team supporting the Air Traffic division under Homeland, contributing to domestic and international air traffic management initiatives. The successful candidate will help define and advance the next generation of mission-critical Air Traffic Management (ATM) capabilities.

This role is ideal for someone who understands today's ATC environment but is excited about the future of air traffic management. The engineer will serve as a bridge between operational users and engineering teams as new technologies and capabilities are introduced.

Key Responsibilities:

• Apply Oceanic and En Route Air Traffic Control domain expertise to the development, modernization, integration, and sustainment of current and future air traffic management systems.
• Help define and shape future ATM capabilities by translating operational experience, emerging needs, and new concepts into system requirements and engineering solutions.
• Develop, analyze, document, and manage system and functional requirements, ensuring technical requirements accurately reflect operational ATC needs.
• Develop and maintain system documentation, system requirements, interface requirements, operational concepts, and related engineering artifacts.
• Translate air traffic controller and operational requirements into clear, testable technical requirements for software development, integration, and test teams.
• Work closely with software engineering, systems integration, test, human factors, and operational stakeholders to ensure a common understanding of system functionality and expected operational behavior.
• Participate in requirements reviews, design reviews, test readiness activities, technical interchange meetings, and other systems engineering lifecycle activities.
• Support verification and validation activities to ensure delivered capabilities satisfy both technical requirements and operational ATC needs.
• Contribute to the evolution of air traffic management by supporting modernization, interoperability, and the introduction of new technologies across domestic and international airspace environments.
• Provide technical and domain leadership to multidisciplinary engineering teams and mentor less-experienced engineers as appropriate.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Systems Engineering, Computer Science, Engineering, or a related technical field, or equivalent experience.
• 12+ years of related systems engineering experience, air traffic systems engineering, or directly relevant ATC domain experience, or 10+ years with a Master's degree.
• Demonstrated knowledge or experience with Oceanic and En Route Air Traffic Control operations, procedures, automation, or supporting systems.
• Experience translating operational concepts and user needs into system and software requirements.
• Experience supporting complex systems through development, integration, test, deployment, and/or sustainment.
• Demonstrated ability to investigate complex operational or system issues and collaborate across engineering disciplines to identify and implement solutions.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to communicate effectively with air traffic operational personnel as well as technical engineering teams.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a Public Trust clearance.
• US citizenship is required.
• Successful completion of any required government background investigations.

Preferred / Desired Qualifications

• Hands-on experience with FAA En Route or Oceanic Air Traffic Control operations or automation systems.
• Experience with the FAA Advanced Technologies & Oceanic Procedures (ATOP) system.
• Experience with FAA En Route automation environments or other large-scale air traffic management systems.
• Experience with international Oceanic or En Route Air Traffic Management (ATM) systems, Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs), or international ATM interoperability.
• Knowledge of Oceanic operations, including flight data processing, aircraft separation, surveillance, controller tools, and air-ground communications.
• Familiarity with FAA modernization initiatives and technologies such as NextGen, System Wide Information Management (SWIM), Data Communications (Data Comm), and Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B).
• Experience working on programs involving both development and sustainment of operationally deployed, mission-critical systems.
• Experience working within Agile/Scrum development environments.
• Experience supporting requirements development, system integration, verification, validation, and operational issue resolution.

Pay Range

Pay Range $131,300.00 - $237,350.00. The Leidos pay range for this job level is a general guideline only and not a guarantee of compensation or salary.