Project Engineer SME

Leidos National Security Sector combines technology-enabled services and mission software capabilities in the areas of cyber, logistics, security operations, and decision analytics to support our defense and intel customers’ mission to defend against evolving threats around the world. Our team’s focus is to ensure our customers have the right tools, technologies, and tactics to keep pace with an ever-evolving security landscape and succeed in their pursuit to protect people and critical assets.

The Intelligence Production Solutions Division (IPSD), part of the Decision Advantage Solutions Business Area, is currently seeking a highly experienced Project Engineer who will be responsible for engineering technical aspects of the Chinook Program, providing expert guidance to the team and stakeholders. You will develop, manage, and align Task Order 2 (TO2) activities with program-level objectives. You will be working directly with senior leadership, cross-functional teams, and external stakeholders to ensure program success.

You will play a critical role in planning, monitoring, and controlling the execution of multiple mission-focused efforts, providing transparency into progress, risks, and performance to enable effective decision-making at both project and program levels.

Position may be performed in the following locations below.  Please note Gaithersburg, MD is the program’s primary work location.

• Gaithersburg, MD
• Alexandria, VA
• Chantilly, VA
• Denver, CO
• St. Louis, MO
• Tucson, AZ

Clearance Level Required:

Top Secret with the ability to obtain SCI, as well as a Polygraph.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Participate as a Configuration Control Board (CCB) reviewer on all items, providing comments and editing work products as needed.
• Serve as a reviewer in all Engineering Review Board (ERB) meetings and occasionally chair meetings. Review agenda items in advance when possible.
• Coordinate preparation of all Program Management Reviews (PMRs), including chart preparation, meeting planning, chart review meetings, and comment resolution.
• Lead critical reviews of PMR content to ensure clarity and grammatical accuracy, aiming for charts to be self-explanatory.
• Responsible for specific PMR chart sections such as schedule, government furnished property, and travel.
• Oversee the CCB Review/Approval process and delivery process for PMR charts; ensure presenters are prepared and available.
• Record notes during PMR meetings, document off-chart discussions and customer feedback, and prepare meeting minutes for review and delivery.
• Set up Weekly Program Review (WPR)/Risk Opportunity Management Board (ROMB) chart packages, distribute links for edits, update facility status and AIs, run meetings, and update charts in real time.
• Facilitate group risk reviews during WPR/ROMB, add comments for each risk, prompt for new risks, and draft new risk items as needed.
• Act as point of contact (POC) with the customer for government furnished property questions and coordinate with Asset Custodians.
• Compile the Material List CDRL, consolidating inputs from Asset Custodians.
• Liaise with customer contacts for software procurement, acting as a go-between for program procurement and submitting SRW requests for SAM-acquired software.
• Lead the Configuration Management (CM) team in tracking required deliveries, ensuring all CDRLs are delivered on time, and reviewing delivery and SBU emails for accuracy.
• Participate in customer and management meetings, record notes on action items, review and provide input on weekly meeting charts, and support the program management team as needed.
• Develop travel plans and coordinate updates for ODC Plan CDRLs; ensure understanding of each system at a high-medium level to support PMR input and ask critical questions.
• Function as a people manager, with responsibility for performance management, professional development, mentorship, and career path development.
• Conduct regular 1:1s, biannual performance check-ins, and professional development planning with direct reports, proactively address employee relations and morale.

Basic Qualifications:

• US citizenship is required per contract.
• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Business, Management, or related field and 12-15 years of prior relevant experience or Master’s with 10-13 years of prior relevant experience.
• Proven experience with NGA systems, programs, or mission objectives, particularly in relation to the Chinook Program or similar intelligence community programs.
• Expertise in program and project management processes, including risk analysis, requirements definition, and technical specifications.
• Proficiency with Confluence, Jira, Microsoft PowerPoint, and Project.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to present technical concepts clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Project Management Professional (PMP), Project Management Institute Scheduling Professional (PMI-SP) certification, or equivalent certification.
• Prior experience supporting NGA or other Intelligence Community (IC) programs, particularly in Geospatial Intelligence (GEOINT).
• Experience with advanced engineering tools and methodologies such as Agile, DevSecOps, and Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE).
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to build consensus and foster teamwork across diverse technical groups.  

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:

September 30, 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 $112,450.00 - $203,275.00

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.