Research and Development Engineering Intern

Job Description

Job Title: Research and Development Engineering Intern

Location: McLean, VA (On-site, Full-time at customer site)

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About the Opportunity

Are you passionate about shaping the future of transportation and eager to collaborate with leading scientists and engineers at a world-class federal R&D center for connected and automated vehicles? Leidos invites you to join our team at the Saxton Transportation Operations Laboratory (STOL), a USDOT research lab focused on improving transportation operations, safety, mobility, and environmental impacts. This is a hands-on, interdisciplinary internship opportunity to advance connected and automated vehicle technologies.

About Leidos and STOL

Leidos operates the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) Saxton Transportation Operations Laboratory (STOL), providing critical services to support the advancement and adoption of emerging technologies, including automation and communication in vehicles and on the roadside. STOL is dedicated to developing, testing, and demonstrating new capabilities associated with vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I), and vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communications.

Key Responsibilities

As a Research and Development Engineering Intern, you will have the opportunity to participate in a variety of activities, including:

• Developing and executing MATLAB/Simulink simulations to analyze system-level communication performance, latency, and reliability across diverse scenarios.
• Leveraging scenario generation tools, such as Argonne National Laboratory’s RoadRunner, to design and validate communication environments for testing and analysis.
• Collaborating with cross-functional teams to gather requirements and drive data solutions.
• Supporting the tech transfer team by scheduling technical stakeholder engagement sessions, drafting agendas, facilitating technical discussions, and capturing notes.
• Assisting engineers and researchers with various phases of scientific research and laboratory upkeep.
• Configuring hardware and software systems required for the control of traffic signals, traffic management systems, and vehicle guidance systems.
• Testing simulation environments, where tools can be safely and efficiently tested, and new algorithms explored before hardware deployment.
• Performing data collection, parsing, display, storage, retrieval, and analysis.
• Engaging in database operations and data warehousing.
• Communicating with network or hardware devices, including radios.
• Testing control of automated vehicles, infrastructure, and vehicular radios.
• Developing systems in an open-source environment for use by researchers across the country.

Required Skills & Qualifications

To qualify for this internship, you must demonstrate:

• Current enrollment in or completion of a Master’s or PhD degree in a relevant scientific or technical discipline such as Electrical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Computer Science, Automotive Technology, or a closely related field.
• Aptitude for technology and a strong interest in intelligent transportation solutions.
• Proficiency in MATLAB/Simulink for modeling, simulation, and system design.
• Knowledge of Automated Driving System (ADS) simulation technologies.
• Knowledge of Connected Vehicle or transportation communication standards (e.g., SAE J2735, NTCIP 1202, etc.).
• Experience with software development tools and methods, including one or more commonly used programming languages, such as C++, Python, JAVA, and Bash scripting.
• Excellent team player skills and the ability to give and receive constructive feedback.
• Promptness, schedule-consciousness, and a strong focus on the work at hand.
• A valid driver’s license and suitability to operate a motor vehicle.
• Your GPA must be included on your application and resume.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a Public Trust security clearance (which requires three years of immediate residency in the US).

Preferred Skills & Experience (Advantageous)

It would be a significant advantage if you have experience or knowledge in some or all the following areas:

• Familiarity with Argonne National Laboratory’s RoadRunner tool for scenario generation and testing.
• Experience with Microsoft Office, Dynamics, and PowerBI.
• Cloud computing and cloud-based systems like Azure and AWS.
• Vehicle dynamic simulations and multi-resolution co-simulation.
• V2X communication hardware, software, and standards.
• Sensor fusion and perception.

Internship Details

This is an on-site internship position based in McLean, VA, with an initial duration of approximately 4 months.

Our Culture

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.

Compensation & Posting Information

Pay Range: $57,850.00 – $104,575.00
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.

Original Posting: January 28, 2026
Anticipated Close Date: No earlier than 3 days after the original posting date.