Systems Engineer, Simulation and Cooperative Driving Automation

Are you interested in improving and shaping the transportation industry by researching and developing cooperative driving automation software, smart infrastructure technology, and collaborative simulation tools?  Consider joining the Leidos team operating FHWA’s Saxton Transportation Operations Laboratory (STOL), a USDOT research lab and smart garage focused on the improvement of transportation operations, safety, mobility, and environmental impacts.   

In this role, you will work with: 

• Connected Automated Vehicles (CAV) and related infrastructure. 

• Cooperative Driving Automation (CDA) systems, including vehicle-to-infrastructure, vehicle-to-pedestrian, and vehicle-to-vehicle communication hardware and software.  

• Real-time collaborative testing across physically distributed locations using live and simulated assets.  

• Advanced simulations of vehicles, pedestrians, and transportation infrastructure. 

• Traffic optimization and intelligent transportation systems. 

Learn about our work here: 

STOL: https://highways.dot.gov/research/laboratories/saxton-transportation-operations-laboratory/saxton-transportation-operations-laboratory-overview  

CARMA Platform: https://highways.dot.gov/research/operations/CARMA 

Distributed Testing (VOICES): https://tinyurl.com/voices-sit1 

About Saxton Transportation Operations Laboratory (STOL) 

The STOL, located at FHWA’s Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center in McLean, Virginia, focuses on improving transportation operations, safety, mobility, and environmental impacts. STOL supports the advancement of emerging technologies, including vehicle automation and communication. STOL provides a variety of services to boost the advancement and adoption of emerging technologies, including automation and communication in vehicles and on the roadside.    

Role Summary: 

We are seeking a Systems Engineer with a strong background in hardware and software integration, testing, and evaluation. The ideal candidate thrives in dynamic environments, embraces challenges, and will contribute to a team developing and testing applications that support transportation research. This role is crucial in advancing technologies for the future of transportation.  

The successful candidate will collaborate with engineers, developers, and managers to understand requirements, identify system needs, work with complex hardware and software solutions, develop and execute test plans, and perform data analysis. They should thrive in both lab and real-world environments, working hands-on to develop and test new solutions. As part of a dynamic research team, the Systems Engineer will help advance connected and automated vehicle technologies for FHWA. 

Key Responsibilities: 

Collaborate with project teams, customers, and external stakeholders, applying the systems engineering process throughout the entire project lifecycle—from concept of operations to the development and execution of comprehensive test plans. Ensure seamless integration, clear communication, and effective problem-solving at every stage to deliver high-quality solutions. 

• Conduct simulation and field testing of automated vehicles and connected infrastructure, collaborating with internal and external teams. 

• Follow the testing process throughout the project lifecycle, from concept of operations to test plan development, execution, and data analysis. 

• Investigate, develop, and test emerging transportation technologies, including hardware and software solutions. 

• Define functional requirements, performance metrics, and support planning, scheduling, and resource management for test campaigns. 

• Support the integration, verification, validation, regression testing, and the development of simulation, virtualization, and distributed testing solutions. 

• Coordinate with development teams to resolve technical issues and help manage the daily activities of hardware engineers, software engineers, and technicians. 

Required Qualifications: 

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field. 

• Experience in a laboratory or test environment developing and executing test plans and procedures and generating performance metrics for both hardware and software. 

• Experience testing and evaluating software written in C++ and Python in a Linux environment, along with scripting experience in Python, Bash, and SQL.  

• Experience in deploying and configuring Linux and Windows operating systems, with experience in virtualization, containerization, and hardware/software-in-the-loop test development.  

• Knowledge of the engineering process, quality assurance best practices, and Agile Scrum methodology (e.g., Jira, Confluence).  

• Strong communication skills, with the ability to collaborate with internal and external teams. 

• Self-motivated, hands-on, and able to self-teach, with a keen interest in working with hardware and software. 

• Ability to obtain and maintain a Public Trust clearance (requires three years of US residency). 

• Willingness to work on-site and travel to test sites in the US (15% travel on average) with a valid US driver’s license and a good driving record. 

Preferred Qualifications: 

• Knowledge of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), V2X messaging, Cooperative Driving Automation (CDA), Connected and Automated Vehicles (CAV), and vehicle operations. 

• Experience identifying process efficiencies and improvements in development and testing, with knowledge of safety best practices for vehicle and pedestrian testing. 

• Experience in network administration and simulation tools (e.g., NS-3), as well as an understanding of vehicle kinematics, dynamics, controls, and sensor calibration. 

• Experience developing with ROS, Java, C++, C#, or C, and familiarity with transportation simulation environments (e.g., SUMO, CARLA). 

• Experience deploying robotics platforms in real-world and simulation environments, with knowledge of ITS and connected vehicle standards (e.g., IEEE 1609, SAE J2735/J2945, NTCIP). 

• Familiarity with wireless standards, including IEEE 802.11, 3GPP LTE & 5G, and SAE J2735/J2945. 

• Strong experience collaborating with external communities and stakeholders.