Software Developer SME at Leidos
Chantilly, VA
$154,050–$278,475from the description
Jul 14, 2026
Chantilly, VA
Jul 21, 2026
What this job asks for AI summary
A senior software developer role on a large government program focused on identity and access management. The core work involves building a new application that uses large language model APIs to normalize data and access policies from disparate sources into a consistent format for compliance evaluation. Day-to-day responsibilities span Java and Python development, AWS-based architecture, RESTful API design, and participation in two-week Scrum sprints, with periodic on-call rotation. Requires an active TS/SCI with Polygraph.
Senior level · 15+ years · Reston, VA (Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV) · TS/SCI clearance · Full-time
“or” means any one of them counts — you don't need all of them.
We read this from the posting text with AI. Skim the description below before ruling yourself out.
How this req sits in the market our data
Most people in this occupation already list these. Still required — just not what gets you shortlisted.
What the occupation pays Median $158,337 (middle half $126,441–$180,105). This posting is about at that midpoint.
Estimated from BLS employment for this occupation and area, per-skill prevalence across our listing corpus, and published wage benchmarks — as of Jul 28, 2026. It is a model, not a headcount.
Why we read it this way (9)
Active TS/SCI with Polygraph is a hard gate — candidates must already hold this clearance.
The degree requirement is a Master's degree, but the JD explicitly accepts 'additional experience in lieu of degree,' so no minimum degree is flagged as a hard gate.
Java and Python are listed together with 'and/or' — either language satisfies the requirement; both are captured as a single gate with the other as an alternative.
Jenkins and Rundeck are listed together under required qualifications as alternatives for the CI/CD/orchestration tool requirement.
Jira is mentioned in the role narrative (backlog grooming) rather than a formal requirements section, but it is described as a firm operational practice ('Developers actively participate in … grooming the Jira backlog'), so it is treated as required.
The desired qualifications section covers: GPT/foundation AI models, prompt engineering, LangChain (or similar AI libraries), DynamoDB/PostgreSQL, IAM concepts, design patterns, microservices, integration testing frameworks, and open-source/certification credentials — all marked as preferred.
The pay range ($154,050–$278,475/year) is described as a general guideline, not a guarantee.
Location is not explicitly stated in the posting; Leidos is headquartered in Reston, VA, and the program context (government sponsor support) is consistent with the DC metro area — CBSA assigned accordingly.
Requires a TS/SCI clearance — the cleared population is a small fraction of this occupation, so the real candidate pool is materially smaller than the estimate below, which does not model clearance.
Read the full posting
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