Director of Innovation - Information and Data Sciences

The Information and Data Sciences Division within the Leidos Innovation Center (LInC) is seeking an energetic, visionary leader to head our Innovation Group. This is a unique opportunity to drive cutting-edge R&D programs and lead transformative efforts in Trusted AI, Perception, Data Analytics, Autonomy, Resilient Software Systems, Cybersecurity, Information Warfare, Advanced Networking, and Quantum Information Systems.

As Director of Innovation, you’ll play a pivotal role in shaping the future of research and development for defense and intelligence communities. You’ll interface directly with key stakeholders and business campaigns to develop capabilities, secure advanced research funding, and oversee programs with high-impact potential. This position puts you at the forefront of thought leadership, empowering you to guide teams in transforming ideas into groundbreaking solutions.

In this role, you will:

• Lead ideation and execution of innovative R&D initiatives.
• Serve as a principal investigator, growing and mentoring dynamic research teams to deliver from ideation to proof-of-concept in agile environments.
• Communicate complex ideas across disciplines—mathematics, physical sciences, and data science—to a wide range of internal and external audiences.
• Cultivate a collaborative center of excellence, driving innovation across Leidos’ enterprise sectors and business campaigns.

We’re seeking a leader with a proven track record of success, capable of mentoring junior and mid-level scientists into high-performing innovators and principal investigators. A broad understanding of cutting-edge technologies and experience in agile development and business processes are critical to this role.

The Innovation Group thrives in a fast-paced, high-performance environment, bringing together diverse, multidisciplinary teams to solve complex problems. If you’re passionate about leveraging groundbreaking science and technology to make a significant impact on national security—and enjoy collaborating with exceptional talent—this is your opportunity to lead.

Join us to shape the future of innovation and make a difference where it matters most!

Primary Responsibilities.

• Lead innovation and R&D initiatives that provide immediate value to business campaigns and mature technologies within a long-term strategic vision.
• Strategic and thought leadership balancing near-term technical development with long-term objectives.
• Team building and mentorship to achieve technical objectives at scale.
• Project oversight and principal investigator role within high-value strategic programs.
• Cross-disciplinary communication that promotes teamwork and diversity of thought.
• Foster a collaborative center of excellence that serves as a template for producing multi-disciplinary innovation.
• Program development and funding acquisition from both internal and external partners and funding agencies. 
• High-impact problem solving that helps drive teams to think beyond their belief in the possible.
• Support business campaigns in efficiently matching technical solutions and talent to business capture requirements.
• Maintain a high-performance culture that seeks to solve the hard problems.

Basic Qualifications

• Master’s degree in a relevant scientific or engineering discipline with 15–20 years of prior relevant experience
• Demonstrated mastery of highly advanced technologies, scientific principles, theories, and concepts in the physical sciences, engineering, or data science fields.
• Proven ability to research, develop theories, and devise innovative methods to solve complex scientific problems.
• Experience serving as a principal investigator on complex projects or programs.
• Strong ability to resolve highly complex, multi-dimensional problems by considering various interrelated factors.
• Experience leading the development of highly innovative products and solutions through collaboration with other experts in the field.
• Exceptional communication skills with the ability to engage with senior executive leadership, both internally and externally.
• Demonstrated ability to negotiate and influence acceptance of new concepts, practices, and approaches.
• Proven experience in mentoring and coaching technical staff, fostering growth and developing expertise in others.
• Ability and willingness to obtain a DoD Top Secret clearance; U.S. Citizenship is required.

Preferred Qualifications

• Doctorate in a relevant scientific or engineering discipline with 13–16 years of prior relevant experience.
• Recognized as a subject matter expert within the physical sciences, engineering, or data science field, both internally and externally.
• Proven track record of providing technical advice/input that impacts strategic client deliverables and organizational business outcomes.
• Experience serving as a principal investigator, program manager, or director under DARPA, IARPA, or equivalent advanced research projects agencies.
• Proven experience in building large and diverse research and development teams
• Substantial contributions to the field, including publishing in scientific literature, presenting at conferences, and/or influencing industry standards.
• Current and active DoD Secret clearance

Original Posting Date:

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:

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.