Leidos is seeking a Principal Help Desk Specialist to support onsite operations in Bethesda, MD, providing hands-on assistance for highly complex service inquiries. In this role, you will lead a team, work directly with customers, and drive corrective actions that resolve issues, including remote endpoint troubleshooting across Windows and Linux environments.
This position focuses on preventing repeat incidents through detailed analysis of recurring problems, while also handling installation, configuration, administration, support, and maintenance of systems and related hardware. You will help advance project and program objectives by owning processes that span multiple technical areas and influencing solution approaches across teams.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead a team and interact with customers to address service inquiries and problems.
- Examine and solve highly complex customer issues and implement corrective actions to initiate repair or return.
- Analyze recurring problems and initiate solutions to help prevent reoccurrence.
- Remotely access end user endpoints (desktops and/or servers running Windows or Linux OS) to perform technical software configuration, rebooting, and other remedial actions.
- Apply in-depth understanding to develop solutions for technical issues that are undefined and complex across multiple disciplines.
- Diagnose, analyze, implement, and monitor complex solutions across multiple technical platforms spanning organizational structures and classification levels.
- Own system installation, configuration, administration, support, and maintenance, including associated hardware.
- Update new systems and support current systems by tuning performance, allocating storage space, and implementing critical system patches.
- Work toward key project and program objectives and deliverables.
- Be responsible for entire projects or processes spanning multiple technical areas, including managing large projects or processes with moderate impact on sub-family results.
- Develop solutions to technical problems and issues that are unclear and require deep technical knowledge.
- Use ingenuity and creativity to develop new technical solutions and systems that meet functional objectives.
- Communicate with internal team members across multiple areas and client team members; may also communicate with external parties such as subcontractors or vendors.
- Influence project or team leaders regarding solution design, process, and/or approaches.
- Apply deep understanding of and ability to use principles, theories, and concepts to guide technical decisions.
Required Qualifications
- Current and active TS/SCI with a polygraph, required for consideration.
- Demonstrated mastery across multiple technical disciplines, applying advanced engineering principles to complex, high-impact mission challenges.
- Proven experience leading major technology initiatives, including architecture, design, integration, modernization, and implementation of enterprise-scale solutions.
- Experience evaluating system performance, technical risk, scalability, and architecture to recommend significant changes that improve mission outcomes and long-term technical viability.
- Recognized technical expert with success providing technical direction and resolving highly complex problems across multiple projects and engineering domains.
- Experience serving as a senior technical advisor to customers and stakeholders, translating mission requirements into technical strategies, architectures, and actionable engineering solutions.
- Bachelor’s degree with 12 or more years of experience, or MS degree with 10 or more years of prior relevant experience; additional work experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.
- Ability to lift and move IT equipment (up to 30–50 lbs.) and crawl under desks for physical cabling or machine setups.
Technologies
- Windows
- Linux
- Windows or Linux OS
Benefits
- Paid Time Off
- 11 paid Holidays
- 401K with a 6% company match and immediate vesting
- Flexible Schedules
- Discounted Stock Purchase Plans
- Technical Upskilling
- Education and Training Support
- Parental Paid Leave
- Health and Wellness programs
- Income Protection
- Paid Leave and Retirement
Location and Compensation
Location: Bethesda, MD (onsite)
Pay range: USD 116,350 - 210,325 per yearly. The Leidos pay range for this job level is a general guideline only and not a guarantee of compensation or salary.
Additional Information
- Original posting date: October 8, 2026
- U.S. positions: Leidos reasonably anticipates the requisition will remain open for at least 3 days, with an anticipated close date no earlier than 3 days after the original posting date (subject to change based on business needs).
