Real-Time Software Engineer at Leidos
Arlington, VA
$69,550–$125,725from the description
Jul 24, 2026
Arlington, VA
Jul 25, 2026
What this job asks for AI summary
This role centers on designing, developing, and integrating real-time C/C++ software for multi-core systems in the Electronic Warfare domain, translating signal processing algorithms into deployable software. Engineers work in small, cross-disciplinary teams on research and advanced prototyping projects, interfacing with RF hardware, communication protocols, and third-party frameworks. An active Secret clearance is required, and occasional field testing events are part of the work.
Mid level · 2+ years · Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV · Bachelor's required · Secret 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
Rare in this occupation — lead with these, and say what you built with them.
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 (11)
The JD requires 'active Secret level security clearance with the ability to obtain a TS/SCI' — Secret is the hard gate; TS/SCI is an additional obtainability requirement, not a current possession requirement.
The C++/Python/MATLAB requirement is phrased as 'strong experience in programming in Python, MATLAB, or C++' — these are listed as interchangeable options for the core programming gate; C++ is named first and is the primary language throughout the role description, so it is used as the primary skill with Python and MATLAB as alternatives.
Hardware interfaces (PCIe, UART, Ethernet) are listed as interchangeable examples under a single 'experience with hardware interfaces' requirement; PCIe is used as the primary with the others as alternatives.
Build tools (GCC, CMake, Make) are listed as interchangeable examples; GCC is used as primary with CMake and Make as alternatives.
Version control (Git/Subversion) and CI tools (Jenkins) appear together in one bullet but represent distinct technologies — Git and Jenkins are emitted as separate skills.
VxWorks appears in the role description narrative as a contextual example of a real-time OS, not in the formal requirements section — marked preferred.
Redhawk appears in the role description narrative as an example third-party framework, not in the formal requirements section — marked preferred.
GitLab and Bash appear under the 'Bonus education/experience' section — marked preferred.
The pay range ($69,550–$125,725/year) is described as a general guideline, not a guarantee.
The role is on-site in Arlington, VA; no remote option is indicated.
Requires a Secret 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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