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Defense, Government Contracting, Cybersecurity, IT Services, Aerospace, Healthcare Technology

Data Scientist, Sr - Artificial Intelligence, Cloud & Automation (Open)

MarylandOnsiteFull TimeSenior$131,300–$237,350 /yrPosted 1 month agoVisa sponsorship available

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Required skills

  • AI
  • Cloud
  • Automation
  • USCYBERCOM
  • CNMF
  • JTF-ARES
  • USCYBERCOM 2.0
  • National Cyber Strategy
  • USCYBERCOM AI Strategy
  • OCO

Role summary

Leidos is seeking a Senior Data Scientist with expertise in Artificial Intelligence, Cloud, and Automation to support USCYBERCOM's mission. This role involves architecting and operationalizing AI-driven capabilities for full-spectrum cyber operations, including developing automated AI workflows for intelligence gathering, defensive hardening, and offensive effect delivery. The position requires expert proficiency in Python, SQL, and Java, experience with LLMOps and RAG patterns, and secure cloud deployment in AWS/Azure GovCloud using Kubernetes and Terraform. The role is critical for achieving analytic superiority by integrating AI into real-time command-and-control systems. A Top Secret clearance and DoD 8140/8570 compliance are mandatory.

The Cyber & Analytics Business Unit with the Intel Sector at Leidos currently has an opening for a Data Scientist, with a deep understanding of Artificial Intelligence, Cloud, and Automation to support USCYBERCOM. This is an exciting opportunity to use your experience helping the COSS 3.0 mission. In this mission we support the advancement of USCYBERCOM, the CNMF, and JTF-ARES as it transforms to achieve the objectives outlined in USCYBERCOM 2.0, 2026 National Cyber Strategy, and the USCYBERCOM AI Strategy. Moving from opportunistic AI to systemic adoption.


Primary Responsibilities. The Senior Full-Spectrum Cyber AI Engineer will architect and operationalize AI-driven capabilities that bridge the gap between OCO and DCO. You will lead the development of automated, "agentic" AI workflows that synchronize intelligence gathering, defensive hardening, and offensive effect delivery. This role is critical for achieving "analytic superiority" by integrating AI into real-time command-and-control (C2) and mission management across all network tiers.


This posting is for multiple opportunities ranging in years of experience. Level of opportunity including compensation, will be matched to the candidate's experience.


Key Responsibilities

  • Integrated Mission Automation: Design AI agents and LLM-enabled workflows to automate the Joint Operational Planning Process (JOPP), specifically for deconflicting and synchronizing OCO and DCO activities.
  • Full-Spectrum Tool Development: Build AI-powered platforms for both computer network attack and computer network defense, using automated data pipelines to ingest and act on multi-source security telemetry.
  • Secure Cloud Ops: Deploy and scale AI/ML models within secure AWS/Azure GovCloud environments, utilizing Kubernetes and Infrastructure as Code (Terraform) to ensure mission agility and continuous delivery.
  • Operational Intelligence Integration: Synchronize AI-driven intelligence planning with operational timelines to provide actionable, real-time insights for mission execution.
  • Tactical AI/ML Engineering: Develop production-ready software—from vision to deployment—that automates vulnerability remediation and enhances system resiliency against advanced state actors.

Basic Qualifications. Minimum Qualifications

  • Experience: 12+ years in cyber engineering, data science, or software development, with specific experience in full-spectrum cyber operations missions.
  • Technical Skills: Expert proficiency in Python, SQL, and Java; experience with LLMOps, RAG patterns, and vector databases.
  • Operational Knowledge: Deep understanding of OCO/DCO tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) and the USCYBERCOM mission roadmap.
  • Certification: Must meet DoD 8140/8570 IAT Level II/III requirements (e.g., CISSP, GCIH, or CEH).
  • Clearance: Top Secret (TS), SCI and Polygraph, at the time of application, to be considered.
  • This position supports mission-critical operations that may require surge support. While the normal work schedule is an 8-hour day, the role may require extended work hours, including up to 12-hour shifts and/or 7 days per week, during periods of increased operational demand.

Preferred Qualifications.

  • Direct experience supporting USCYBERCOM National Mission Teams (NMT) or Combat Mission Teams (CMT).
  • Knowledge of the Cyber National Mission Force (CNMF) AI roadmap and federal laboratory technology transfer processes.

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 23, 2026

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 $131,300.00 - $237,350.00

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.

Sample Leidos interview questions

  • 1

    What are the key considerations when designing a highly available and consistent service registry?

    system designmedium
  • 2

    Buildings with an Ocean View Find all buildings that have an ocean view. Input: heights = [1,2,3,4] Output: [3] Explanation: Since the ocean is to the right, only the rightmost tallest building (index 3) is not blocked by any others.

    codingmedium
  • 3

    Merge K Sorted Linked Lists Merge K sorted linked lists. Input: lists = [[2,2,3],[1,5]] Output: [1,2,2,3,5] Explanation: Extracts the smallest current node iteratively using a priority queue to build a single merged and sorted linked list.

    codingmedium
  • 4

    Optimal Meeting Point Calculate the optimal meeting point for multiple people on a 2D grid. Input: grid = [[1,0],[0,1]] Output: 2 Explanation: The optimal meeting point is either (0,1) or (1,0), requiring exactly 1 step from each person resulting in a total distance of 2.

    codingmedium
  • 5

    Maximize the minimum distance between aggressive cows in stalls. Input: stalls = [0,4,3,7,10,9], cows = 3 Output: 4 Explanation: Placing the cows at positions 0, 4, and 10 yields a maximum possible minimum distance of 4 between any two cows.

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