The Leidos Cyber Accelerator is seeking a hands-on applied researcher to invent, prototype, and operationalize agentic AI systems, and the automation required to deploy them in enterprise environments. You will evaluate emerging agentic patterns (multi-agent coordination, tool use, human-in-the-loop oversight), implement them as working systems, and build reusable automation and integration patterns (e.g., LLM-driven tool connectors/protocols) that enable secure, observable, repeatable paths for deployment, validation, and security testing.
Primary Responsibilities:
-Comfortable with modern tools to support configuration and software development (examples: Codex, Claude Code).
-Research, prototype, and evaluate multi-agent architectures (supervisor/worker, hierarchical, HITL) and translate successful patterns into reusable libraries/services.
-Agent/orchestration frameworks (examples: LangGraph-style state machines, AutoGen-style agent teams, CrewAI-style workflows)
-Build secure agent-to-tool integrations using open connectivity standards.
-Agent tool-integration protocols (examples: Model Context Protocol (MCP), structured tool/function calling patterns)
-Create deployment automation for agentic services: reproducible environments and repeatable enterprise releases on Kubernetes.
-IaC & environment provisioning (e.g., Terraform)
-Kubernetes packaging & configuration management (examples: Helm, Kustomize)
-Stand up production-like stacks on AWS + Kubernetes and codify them into repeatable, automated, tooling.
-Debug and refine AI-driven workflows, ensuring that work can be generalized.
-Create trials and collect metrics for demonstrating success of automated deployments and connectivity between enterprise components.
-Build observability-first agent systems (tool-call telemetry, step tracing, eval hooks).
-Research and apply nonhuman/workload identity patterns for agentic services and integrate into deployment automation.
-Model serving/inference platforms (examples: Ollama, vLLM, Ray Serve)
-Observability/instrumentation standards (examples: OpenTelemetry) and common backends (examples: Prometheus, Grafana, Jaeger)
(Optional, as mission needs) Experiment with scalable serving patterns for LLM endpoints on Kubernetes.
Basic Qualifications:
-Bachelor’s degree and 8+ years relevant experience (software engineering, applied R&D, platform/DevSecOps, AI/ML engineering, cyber engineering). Additional years may substitute for degree.
-Proven hands-on delivery: prototypes that ran, tools others used, automation others depended on.
-Strong development skills; experience building LLM-enabled systems and/or multi-agent workflows.
-Practical experience with Kubernetes and modern deployment/IaC practices; Terraform, K8s familiarity.
-Must be a US Citizen with the ability to obtain and maintain a Secret clearance.
Preferred Qualifications:
-Experience productizing internal platforms (“paved roads”): templates, reference architectures, golden paths, and guardrails.
-GitOps delivery experience (Argo CD/Flux or similar), and observability pipeline experience (OpenTelemetry or similar).
-Workload identity / service-to-service auth experience (SPIFFE/SPIRE, mTLS, policy enforcement).
-Familiarity with research methodologies, with a focus on establishing validation of techniques (e.g., F1 scores, ROC/AUC, correlation methods).
-Ability to obtain and maintain a TS/SCI clearance.
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:February 6, 2026For 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.
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.
Leidos Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Leidos and has not been reviewed or approved by Leidos.
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Healthcare Strength — Healthcare coverage is described as comprehensive, with multiple plan options, low office-visit copays in some plans, and access to mental health and wellness support tools. The availability of HSA/FSA options and employer contributions is positioned as a meaningful part of the total package.
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Retirement Support — Retirement benefits are framed as a strong component of total rewards, highlighted by a 401(k) match and immediate vesting in the standard package. The Employee Stock Purchase Plan is also presented as an additional long-term wealth-building feature.
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Wellbeing & Lifestyle Benefits — Wellbeing and lifestyle supports extend beyond core insurance, including wellness programs, fitness-related stipends, and assistance resources. Work flexibility and related perks are also included as part of the broader rewards experience.
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We Are Leidos For 50 years we have been tackling some of the biggest problems that face our nation and our world. OUR MISSION Through our culture of innovation and history of performance, we develop deep customer trust built on integrity and create enduring solutions that improve our world. Leidos is a science and technology solutions leader working to address some of the world’s toughest challenges in the defense, intelligence, homeland security, civil, and healthcare markets. The company’s 43,000 employees support vital missions for government and commercial customers. Headquartered in Reston, Va., Leidos reported annual revenues of approximately $11.09 billion for the fiscal year ended January 3, 2020. Leidos was cited for the meaningful work employees perform that is challenging, impactful, and aligned with our customers’ missions as reasons professionals want to work and stay at our company. Leidos has also been named to lists including Forbes’ Best Employers for Diversity, Forbes’ America’s Best Employers for Women, Military Times Best for Vets Employers, and Ethisphere Institute’s World's Most Ethical Companies®. Employees enjoy career enrichment opportunities available through mobility and development and experience rewarding relationships with supportive supervisors and talented colleagues and customers. Employees appreciate our flexible work environment, allowing for and encouraging a true work-life balance. Our professionals are also excited about our Employee Resource Groups, like the newly launched Collaborative Outreach with Remote and Embedded Employees (CORE), which strives to create an environment where every employee, regardless of location, feels fully engaged as a valued employee of Leidos. Your most important work is ahead.
