Join Leidos and Shape the Future of Cybersecurity InnovationLeidos, a FORTUNE 500 company, is a global leader in delivering innovative technology solutions to customers in national security, engineering, and health industries. At Leidos, we are driven by a commitment to excellence, empowering our teams, contributing to our communities, and operating sustainably. Guided by our Mission, Vision, and Values, we are dedicated to doing the right thing for our customers, our people, and the world.
We are seeking a highly qualified and trained Active Cyber Defense Engineer SME to join our Digital Modernization Sector and support the groundbreaking CYBERTRON Program at Aberdeen Proving Grounds, MD. This program is at the forefront of research and development (R&D) and engineering services for the U.S. Army, delivering cutting-edge solutions to combat emerging cyber threats and advance the capabilities of Army technologies. As a key member of the leadership team, you will play a pivotal role in driving innovation and ensuring mission success.
Why Join Us?- Impactful Work: Be part of a team that develops secure, modern technology solutions to protect national security and defeat cyber threats.
- Leadership Opportunity: Serve as a key leader, mentor, and technical expert, shaping the future of Army technologies.
- Collaborative Environment: Work alongside talented professionals in a dynamic and innovative setting.
- Professional Growth: Leverage your expertise while advancing your career through challenging and rewarding projects
Your Role and Responsibilities As a Cyber Security Engineer SME- Develop and implement R&D strategies aligned with the U.S. Army C5ISR mission objectives.
- Evaluate and integrate emerging technologies and methodologies to drive innovation.
- Monitor industry trends to identify opportunities for advancement.
- Lead, mentor, and inspire the R&D team, fostering technical excellence and career development.
- Oversee all aspects of R&D projects, ensuring alignment with DoD Cyber Security Strategy and architecture requirements.
- Support may include physical testing, analyzing data, and interpreting information.
- Prepare recommendations and solutions for specific areas in question.
- Prepare and present detailed reports on project progress, findings, and outcomes to stakeholders.
- Collaborate with customer stakeholders, functional leaders, subcontractors, and support personnel to achieve program goals.
Basic Qualifications - 12+ years of comprehensive cyber security, with a minimum 8 years of experience in Crypto Modernization and Key Management, possessing expertise across the entire key lifecycle. Core competencies including: Full Key Lifecycle Management: Proven experience in the generation, secure distribution, and consumption of cryptographic keys at the unit level. Key Distribution Technologies: Deep understanding and practical experience with Key Management Infrastructure (KMI), KMI Management Client (MGC), KMI Over-the-Network Keying (OTNK), iApp, MPMSS, and modern fill devices. Cryptographic Expertise: Proficient in Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), NSA High Assurance standards, cryptographic protocols (CMS), and emerging Post-Quantum Cryptography technologies.
- Bachelor's degree in engineering, computer science, electronics engineering, or a related technical discipline.
- Familiarity with Government security policies and security-related technologies and auditing tools.
- U.S. Citizenship and possession of a TS/SCI Clearance.
Preferred Qualifications:- Experience in heterogeneous computer networking technology and work in protocol and/or interface standards specification.
- General experience includes system engineering; electrical design, software engineering; program design and implementation; configuration management; or maintenance.
- Experience supporting Army programs
Clearance Required:- Must possess an active DoD TS/SCI at time of consideration
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 2, 2026
For U.S. Positions: While subject to change based on business needs, Leidos reasonably anticipates that this job requisition will remain open for at least 3 days with an anticipated close date of no earlier than 3 days after the original posting date as listed above.
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. 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.
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