Junior Software Engineer at Leidos in Arlington, VA

The Defense Sector at Leidos is currently seeking a Junior Software Engineer with 2+ years of professional experience to join a collaborative, product-focused engineering team. In this role, you will contribute to the design, development, testing, and delivery of software products written primarily in Java, Rust and JavaScript. You will work within an Agile development environment, partnering closely with other engineers, product managers, and stakeholders to deliver high-quality software that meets user needs.

This position does allow the ability to telework, but the chosen candidate must be within a reasonable driving distance to either Arlington, VA or Alexandria, VA. In addition, the chosen candidate must be able to be on site when asked.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Design, develop, and maintain software components and services using Java, Rust, and JavaScript
• Build and enhance user-facing features using React
• Collaborate with a cross-functional Agile team using Jira for planning, tracking, and execution
• Contribute to continuous delivery pipelines with a strong emphasis on automated testing
• Write and maintain unit, integration, and system tests to ensure software quality and reliability for backend and frontend systems
• Leverage generative AI tools to assist with development, testing, documentation, and problem-solving where appropriate
• Participate in code reviews, design discussions, and sprint ceremonies
• Work closely with product and user-facing teams to incorporate feedback and improve functionality and usability
• Support ongoing improvements to development practices, tooling, and processes

Basic Qualifications:

• US Citizen with at least an active Top Secret clearance with the ability to obtain an SCI prior to your start date
• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field and 2+ years of professional software development experience or a Master’s degree with 1+ years of experience. Additional experience may be considered in lieu of a degree
• Proficiency in Java, Rust, and/or JavaScript, with willingness to work across both languages
• Experience working in Agile/Scrum environments
• Familiarity with Jira or similar Agile project management tools
• Experience with automated testing frameworks and test-driven or test-focused development practices
• Strong problem-solving skills and attention to detail
• Ability to work effectively as part of a larger engineering team

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with CI/CD pipelines and continuous delivery practices
• Exposure to cloud-based or distributed systems
• Experience using or experimenting with AI-assisted development tools
• Understanding of software usability and user-centered design principles

What We Offer

• Opportunity to work on impactful software products delivered continuously to users
• A collaborative team environment that values learning, feedback, and improvement
• Support for modern development practices, automation, and emerging tools
• Competitive compensation and comprehensive benefits package

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:

February 20, 2026

Pay Range:

Pay Range $69,550.00 - $125,725.00

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.