Leidos is seeking a Data Security Engineer to support defensive cyber operations by building and sustaining cybersecurity data pipelines. In this hybrid role based in Adelphi, Maryland, you will help ingest, normalize, enrich, and manage high-volume security telemetry to enable analytics and detection workflows across modern data and automation platforms.
The position centers on engineering reliable data flows using the Elastic Stack and integrating with Kafka and CI/CD-driven workflows, with a focus on performance, data quality, and traceability across interconnected systems.
Responsibilities
- Design, maintain, and optimize scalable cybersecurity data ingestion and normalization pipelines.
- Develop transformations and enrichments for diverse security log and telemetry sources.
- Configure and optimize Elasticsearch, Logstash, Kibana, and Fleet for high-volume, high-availability operations.
- Maintain index templates, mappings, schemas, and data models that support analytics and detection logic.
- Implement data validation, deduplication, and quality controls to ensure data integrity.
- Automate ingestion, transformation, and engineering workflows using Python, Bash, and related tools.
- Monitor pipeline and indexing performance, troubleshoot data-flow issues, and optimize throughput, storage, and query performance.
- Maintain traceability and troubleshoot dependencies across Kafka, Elastic, and CI/CD tooling.
- Partner with Detection Engineering, Threat Analysis, Endpoint, and other cyber teams to support operational requirements.
- Maintain technical documentation, SOPs, and engineering artifacts.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree and 4–8 years of relevant experience, or additional experience may substitute in lieu of degree.
- 3+ years of data engineering, data analysis, cybersecurity data engineering, or related experience.
- Experience with data ingestion, transformation, normalization, or high-volume data-processing pipelines.
- Experience with technologies such as Elastic Stack, Kafka, Python, Bash, and CI/CD tooling.
- Familiarity with Elastic Common Schema (ECS) or similar cybersecurity data models.
- Required DoD 8570/8140-aligned and CSSP Analyst certifications, as applicable to the position.
- U.S. Citizenship with an active TS/SCI clearance.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills.
Technologies
- Elastic, Elasticsearch, Logstash, Kibana, Fleet
- Elastic Common Schema (ECS)
- Kafka
- Python, Bash
- CI/CD
Benefits
- Health and Wellness programs
- Income Protection
- Paid Leave
- Retirement
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience onboarding and normalizing high-volume cybersecurity telemetry and log sources.
- Experience with Kafka, Python/Bash automation, CI/CD, or DevSecOps practices.
- Experience supporting AWS, Azure, GCP, Oracle Cloud, hybrid-cloud, or multi-cloud environments.
- Knowledge of cybersecurity operations, including SIEM, threat detection, incident response, and security monitoring.
- Experience supporting a DoD CSSP, SOC, or other large-scale defensive cyber operations environment.
- Strong troubleshooting skills across complex data pipelines and interconnected systems.
Location: Adelphi, MD (hybrid)
Salary Range: USD 87,100 - 157,450 per year
Minimum Experience: 3 years
Education: Bachelor’s degree
Original Posting Date: August 13, 2026
SECURING YOUR DATA: Leidos will never ask for payment-related information during any part of the employment application process. Leidos will only communicate through emails generated by the Leidos.com automated system. If you receive an email purporting to be from Leidos that requests payment-related information or other personal information, email LeidosCareersFraud@leidos.com. If you believe you are the victim of a scam, contact local law enforcement and report to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission.
COMMITMENT TO NON-DISCRIMINATION: All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, race, ethnicity, age, national origin, citizenship, religion, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, pregnancy, family structure, marital status, ancestry, domestic partner status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran or military status, or any other basis prohibited by law. Leidos will also consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories consistent with relevant laws.
