Director of Research, Autonomy & Trusted AI

Description

The Information and Data Sciences Division in the Leidos Innovation Center (LInC) is seeking to hire a Director of Research in Autonomy & Trusted AI. This Director of Research is primarily responsible for assisting the division in defining future research priorities and future research plans for Autonomy, Data Analytics, Perception, and Trusted AI (ADAPT) system technologies. The position will have a range of additional responsibilities that are both internal and external in nature.

Primary Responsibilities

• Collaborate with technology leaders (e.g., CTOs) from across the company to identify existing and future technologies that are relevant to contract research and development (CRAD) focused on customer (e.g., DARPA, IARPA, ARPA-E, Service labs, etc.) opportunities and programs.
• Engage with Customer's technical representatives to develop an understanding of their problem sets and identify and shape potential solutions and technologies that align with Leidos capabilities.
• Work with capture teams in the Leidos Innovation Center (LInC) to integrate these capabilities and technologies into solutions being developed for active pursuits
• Collaborate with capture teams and other senior leaders, engaging with customers at the pre-solicitation stage.
• Support the transition of novel capabilities from Leidos' CRAD programs to Leidos sector programs, helping bring innovative technologies to our operational customers.
• Work with other research scientists and managers to develop innovative technical approaches and solutions that differentiate Leidos in CRAD opportunities as well as cultivate new growth opportunities.
• The Director of Research will also have an outreach role, supporting outreach and engagement to leaders in autonomy and trusted AI research and technology across academia and industry, cultivating and strengthening teaming relationships.

Basic Qualifications:

• Doctorate in a relevant scientific or engineering discipline with 13+ years of prior relevant experience.
• Industrial/academic experience advancing the state of the art in modern AI/ML technologies, especially in the areas of advanced signal processing, autonomy, perception, computer vision. Direct experience formulating, suggesting, and managing complex data-driven development projects involving technical sensor data and modern ML architectures (e.g., Vision Transformers, VLMs, GANs, etc.), devising sophisticated feature extraction techniques from complex, high-dimensional datasets, and developing and utilizing MLOps pipelines to develop/train/test/validate ML models.
• At least 5 years of hands-on experience developing algorithms for time-series sensor data (e.g., CBRN, EO/IR, ASM sensors) and generalized anomaly detection, classification, and tracking (e.g., object detection and tracking in video) with proficiency in python, TensorFlow, PyTorch and various MLOps pipelines deployed in both cloud and on-prem environments.
• Experience in modern AI/ML technologies such as physics informed neural networks, low-shot/no-shot learning, distributed and federated learning models.
• Demonstrated mastery of highly advanced technologies, scientific principles, theories, and concepts in the physical sciences, engineering, or data science fields.
• Proven ability to research, develop theories, and devise innovative methods to solve complex scientific problems.
• Direct experience serving as a principal investigator (preferably for DARPA/IARPA programs) on complex projects or programs involving large interdisciplinary teams.
• Strong ability to resolve highly complex, multi-dimensional problems by considering various interrelated factors.
• Experience leading the development of highly innovative products and solutions through collaboration with other experts in the field.
• Exceptional communication skills with the ability to engage with senior executive leadership, both internally and externally.
• Demonstrated ability to negotiate and influence acceptance of new concepts, practices, and approaches.
• Proven experience in mentoring and coaching technical staff, fostering growth and developing expertise in others.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Recognized as a subject matter expert within the physical sciences, engineering, or data science field, both internally and externally.
• Proven track record of providing technical advice/input that impacts strategic client deliverables and organizational business outcomes.
• Proven experience in building large and diverse research and development teams.
• Substantial contributions to the field, including publishing in scientific literature, presenting at conferences, and/or influencing industry standards.
• An active DoD Secret clearance.

Original Posting: June 18, 2025
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 $148,850.00 - $269,075.00

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.