R&D Solutions Engineer (Transportation Simulation & Computer Vision)

Are you interested in shaping the future of transportation? Consider joining the Leidos team operating FHWA’s Saxton Transportation Operations Laboratory (STOL), a USDOT research lab focused on the improvement of transportation operations, safety, mobility, and environmental impacts.  STOL provides a variety of services to support the advancement and adoption of emerging technologies, including automation and communication in vehicles and on the roadside.  

Learn more about:
•    The Leidos Surface Transportation group: https://www.leidos.com/markets/energy/transportation  https://www.leidos.com/markets/energy/transportation/surface-transportation-research

•    The Saxton Transportation Operations Laboratory:  https://highways.dot.gov/turner-fairbank-highway-research-center/labs/STOL

Location: This role will be expected to work full-time at the customer site in McLean, VA

Candidates MUST:

This position requires candidates be legally authorized to work in the United States without employer sponsorship AND be currently located in the United States for the current three consecutive years and be eligible for a Public Trust Clearance

Position Overview

The R&D Solutions Engineer will be part of the Surface Transportation Group within Leidos, a nationally recognized leader in advancing transportation safety, operations, and innovation. The Surface Transportation Group partners with federal, state, and local agencies to deliver next-generation solutions in intelligent transportation systems, connected and automated vehicles (CAVs), traffic operations, human factors research, and transportation safety. Leidos has played a central role in shaping the future of mobility, including developing national standards for infrastructure-to-vehicle communications, advancing traffic simulation and modeling, and supporting the U.S. Department of Transportation’s vision of zero roadway fatalities.
The position will work with external organizations – including state and local Departments of Transportation (DOTs) – to identify how computer vision technologies can improve transportation safety and operations and to create business development opportunities in these areas. focus on connected and automated vehicle (CAV) technologies, V2X deployments, advanced traffic management, and technology transfer. The successful candidate will combine strong principal investigator skills with technical depth in Computer vision, stakeholder engagement, and simulation testing. This position requires excellent communication skills, the ability to manage complex, multi-stakeholder projects, and a passion for advancing transportation innovation.
 

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and execute strategies for communications, outreach, and technology transfer.
• Lead stakeholder engagement across public, private, and research sectors by translating needs into actionable technical and programmatic requirements, and serve as a trusted liaison aligning research, deployment, and policy objectives.
• Serve as primary liaison with clients, partners, and stakeholders (DOTs, FHWA, MPOs, industry).
• Prepare and deliver high-quality technical reports, presentations, and documentation; ensure risk identification, mitigation, and quality assurance across all deliverables.
• Support business development and technology transfer by contributing to proposals, advancing communities of practice, and transitioning research outputs into real-world deployment and operational use.
• Execute innovative solutions involving the development and integration of ITS, CDA, and V2X/CV applications through the implementation of cutting-edge and emerging technologies.
• Lead delivery of software and system engineering components that incorporate object recognition and automation for transportation applications, ensuring solutions meet both technical requirements and compliance standards.
• Serve as a technical lead on medium-to-large, complex projects in partnership with state and local Departments of Transportation (DOTs), providing oversight on design, development, and delivery.
   

Required Education & Experience

•  Master’s degree with 5+ years of relevant engineering degree; OR Bachelor’s degree with 7+ years of experience transportation technology.
• Several years of experience with object recognition and automation in the transportation/automotive domain, including applied use in prototype and/or production systems with at least one of the following types of sensors: camera, lidar, and/or radar.
•  Hands-on expertise with programming languages such as Python, Java, or C++.
• Experience with technology transfer, including training, outreach, and adoption strategies.
•  Familiarity with systems engineering principles and solutions architecture.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with ability to translate technical concepts for non-technical stakeholders.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment with travel up to 20% for stakeholder engagement, testing, and site visits.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a Public Trust clearance (which includes three years of immediate residency in the US).   
•  All applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States without company sponsorship.

Preferred Qualifications
•    Master’s degree or PhD. in a relevant field.
•    Experience with CAV R&D, V2X communications, and deployment of large-scale ITS infrastructure.
•    Familiarity with cloud-based data architectures, edge computing, and AI/ML applications in transportation.
•    Established relationships with public agencies and industry stakeholders.
 •    Ability to design and implement pilot projects and proof-of-concept demonstrations.
•    Knowledge of open-source and commercial ITS software platforms.
•    Commitment to continuous learning and staying current with industry trends.

Anticipated Salary for this position is $95k - $125k

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:

Pay Range:

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.