C++ Software Engineer (Transportation)

Leidos is seeking a Mid-level Software Engineer (C++) to join our team!

Join us in improving and shaping the future of the smart mobility with a group of intelligent, motivated, and dedicated individuals! Leidos operates the Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) Saxton Transportation Operations Laboratory (STOL), a US Department of Transportation (USDOT) onsite R&D lab located at the Turner Fairbank Highway Research Center. STOL's focus is on improving transportation system operations to achieve USDOT's safety, mobility, sustainability, and equity goals. STOL spearheads a variety of exciting R&D projects involving emerging technologies, including but not limited to infrastructure and vehicle connectivity and automation, everything-in-the loop simulation, and AI/ML modeling.

Location: This role will be expected to work full-time at the customer site in McLean, VA

Learn about STOL here: ;/b>

Candidates MUST:

All applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States with proof of legal status and be eligible for a Public Trust Clearance, which includes THREE (3) consecutive years in the United States WITHIN THE LAST FIVE (5) years.

Primary Responsibilities

• Lead development for research prototypes and proof-of-concepts for various intelligent transportation systems (ITS) applications across a variety of ITS devices, including vehicles, infrastructure, and cloud systems.
• Participate in and help shape our open-source software process, triaging and addressing issues reported by external users and evaluating 3rd party code contributions.
• Identify, document, and formulate approaches to addressing areas of technical debt.
• Conduct hands-on test events and demonstrations, on-site at TFHRC and off-site at test facilities.
• Analyze and assess the team's existing ITS software systems to understand their architecture, and how they can be redesigned into more modular, scalable, and maintainable components.
• Contribute to internal best practices for software development and lead knowledge sharing to support adoption across development teams.
• Work with cross-functional internal team to determine technical feasibility of projects, breakdown project goals into software development tasks, and assist with overall effort and timeline estimation of planned work.
• Lead the execution of planned technical work, including design work, addressing unplanned technical challenges, and being responsive to changes in customer needs.
• Directly interact with on-site customer representatives and external stakeholders to communicate across technical disciplines as needed throughout a project's life cycle.

Minimal Qualifications

• A Bachelor's degree in computer science or engineering with at a MINIMUM of 4 years of professional experience in C++ software development, or a Master's degree with at least 2 years of professional experience in C++ software development.
• Experience using CMake for building C++ packages.
• Experience with Git.
• Experience with Docker (including docker-compose).
• Software development experience with Java and/or Python.
• Experience developing in an Agile framework using toolsets such as JIRA and Confluence.
• Proficiency in software quality techniques and practices (automated unit testing, test-driven design/development, CI/CD pipelines with GitHub Actions, static code analysis tools, etc.).
• Understanding of mathematical fundamentals, including geometry, linear algebra, probability, graph theory, set theory, and statistics.

Preferred Qualifications

• Extensive experience designing, implementing, and maintaining C++ software packages in a Linux environment.
• Experience with Linux build systems and package management systems.
• Software development experience with Java and/or Python.
• Experience with Kafka or similar message broker systems.
• Experience with Robot Operating System (ROS).
• Experience with user interface (UI) and/or front-end development.
• Familiarity with distributed computing and cloud computing concepts.
• Familiarity with one or more robotics concepts such as localization, path planning, perception, or sensor fusion.
• Familiarity with simulation environments such as SUMO or CARLA, or other simulators built in Unreal or Unity.
• Familiarity with existing CDA infrastructure standards and/or hardware, such as those from SAE or IEEE.
• Experience in a fast-paced, dynamic R&D environment.
• Experience as a software engineering team lead.

Anticipated salary range for this role is $95,000-$105,000

At Leidos, we don't want someone who "fits the mold"-we want someone who melts it down and builds something better. This is a role for the restless, the over-caffeinated, the ones who ask, "what's next?" before the dust settles on "what's now."

If you're already scheming step 20 while everyone else is still debating step 2... good. You'll fit right in.

Original Posting:
December 29, 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 $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.