Test and Evaluation Lead

The Air Traffic Business Area within the Homeland Sector is seeking a Test and Evaluation (T&E) Lead to define the strategy and lead execution of the test mission for the Leidos Common Automation Platform (L-CAP). L-CAP is a mission-critical, future-ready automation platform built on a hybrid cloud data mesh architecture, enabling next-generation air traffic management capabilities for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). As part of a large-scale Scaled Agile (SAFe) software development organization, you will lead the establishment of T&E processes, strategy, planning, execution, and reporting across the program.

The successful candidate will be responsible for transforming how testing and mission validation are performed on a large-scale, safety-critical system. This role will establish the vision, strategy, tools, automation framework, and organizational approach for validating a continuously evolving platform operating within a highly regulated environment.

The ideal candidate combines deep systems-level testing expertise with experience applying modern quality engineering practices, automation, digital engineering, simulation, and data-driven validation techniques to complex mission-critical systems.

This position supports government programs and requires the ability to obtain and maintain a favorable Public Trust investigation.

This position is located in either Gaithersburg, MD or Egg Harbor Township, NJ. This is an opportunity to contribute to projects that impact millions of air travelers.

This is a hybrid position requiring 3 days onsite and 2 days working from home.

Key Responsibilities

• Define and implement a modern Quality Engineering strategy focused on automation, continuous testing, system monitoring, simulation, and risk-based test planning

• Establish AI-assisted and model-based testing methods to improve test coverage, accelerate testing, and identify defects earlier

• Lead the development of test environments, simulation capabilities, synthetic test data, and digital system models to support validation before deployment

• Develop methods for validating systems in real-world operations using production data, system monitoring, operational replay, and performance analysis

• Promote early and continuous quality practices across systems engineering, software development, cybersecurity, and operations teams

• Establish automated testing pipelines that support continuous integration and continuous software delivery

• Develop resilience testing approaches that verify system behavior during failures, recovery events, degraded operations, and unexpected conditions

• Define quality metrics that measure operational performance, mission success, system reliability, and user experience rather than simply counting completed tests

• Evaluate the use of AI and machine learning to improve test creation, defect prediction, anomaly detection, and system validation

• Lead the development and execution of the T&E strategy for L-CAP, encompassing developmental testing (DT), operational testing (OT), and integrated testing

• Develop and maintain the Test and Evaluation Master Plan (TEMP), test procedures, and associated documentation in alignment with FAA and DoD T&E standards

• Lead a multidisciplinary T&E team, including test engineers, analysts, and lab/field test personnel

• Establish verification and validation (V&V) frameworks that ensure system safety, performance, and compliance with FAA requirements

• Plan and execute test events across lab, simulation, and operational environments

• Interface with FAA stakeholders, providing test status, risk assessments, and readiness recommendations

• Ensure compliance with safety-critical system testing standards, including DO-278A and applicable FAA orders

• Lead test readiness reviews (TRRs), test incident resolution, and lessons-learned processes

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Systems Engineering, or a related field (or equivalent experience)

• 12+ years of experience in test and evaluation for complex systems

• Demonstrated experience performing T&E on large-scale, safety-critical systems

• Strong knowledge of T&E planning and execution methodologies (TEMP, test procedures, test reporting)

• Experience with verification and validation frameworks, requirements traceability, and defect management

• Familiarity with Agile/SAFe development environments and integrating T&E into iterative delivery cycles

• Strong communication skills with the ability to brief leadership, customers, and stakeholders on test readiness and risk

• Experience working with test labs, simulation environments, or operational test infrastructure

• Ability to obtain a Public Trust clearance

• U.S. citizenship required

• Successful completion of background investigations as required by the government customer

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting FAA programs, air traffic management systems, or other aviation safety-critical environments

• Knowledge of DO-278A (CNS/ATM) or equivalent safety assurance standards

• Experience with automated testing frameworks, CI/CD pipeline integration, and DevSecOps practices

• Familiarity with model-based systems engineering (MBSE) and model-based testing

• ISTQB, CTFL, or equivalent test certification

• Experience with test management tools (e.g., Jama, DOORS, Jira/Xray, TestRail)

• Prior experience on large-scale federal modernization or transformation programs

• Active Public Trust or higher clearance

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Why Join Us

• Lead the T&E strategy for a transformational, national-impact air traffic automation platform

• Shape testing practices at the intersection of safety-critical systems and modern Agile delivery

• Grow your career within a large-scale enterprise program

• Work alongside top-tier engineers, systems architects, and mission experts

• Competitive compensation, benefits, and career growth opportunities

ATMC

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:

June 12, 2026

Pay Range:

Pay Range $116,350.00 - $210,325.00

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.