Olivia Hamel on "coming home" to Leidos

When Olivia Hamel first joined Leidos in 2017, her career had stagnated at a previous employer. 

“I actually took a step back to join Leidos that first time because I knew it was an organization where I could move my career forward,” Olivia says. And move forward she did. After joining Leidos, Olivia’s career progressed quickly. 

“I got promoted every year. That’s just part of the reason I feel such allegiance to Leidos,” she says. “Coming here made all the difference in my career.” 

Olivia joined Leidos as a proposal manager. When she left three and a half years later, she was vice president of proposal operations—the role she holds again today. 

Olivia’s detour from Leidos

Above all else, Olivia sees herself as a helper. So she felt a strong pull when a recruiter called her in 2021 with a plea for help. The recruiter represented an organization that needed a leader to strengthen and enhance its proposal team. Olivia’s timing felt right.

“At Leidos, I’d optimized our team and knew that if I left, I’d be leaving them in a good place.” While she knew Leidos would be okay, another team needed her help, and she was attracted by that opportunity to make a difference. This still didn’t make leaving Leidos an easy decision for Olivia. 

“I really grappled with it because I treasured and trusted my team and my colleagues, and I respected my leaders,” she says. “Even when I left, an affinity for and loyalty to Leidos remained.”

During her two and a half years away, Olivia accomplished what she’d set out to do. Her new team had come a long way, overcoming many challenges. But she missed working with her friends at Leidos. 

“I kept my eye on Leidos because I always felt that history in the background and wondered how things were going,” she says. Olivia knew Leidos’ reputation was strong, but while away, she developed an even deeper understanding of how Leidos is viewed in the market and among its peers. 

“Leidos is the one to beat. I had always felt so proud of that and wanted to feel the same sense of pride at the other place, but the esprit de corps I had felt among my Leidos colleagues was missing.”

Olivia’s path back to Leidos

“When my old position at Leidos opened up, I was ready for it. I had achieved my mission and was ready to work with my favorite people again,” Olivia says. She looked forward to joining a reinvigorated Leidos with a renewed vision.

“From a leadership perspective, it’s rewarding to help decide what's next and carve our path,” Olivia says. Here are a few other reasons she’s happy to be back:

• Fulfilling and meaningful work. “My team has a direct impact on growing the business, and our customers’ missions impact lives around the world. Being part of that is so rewarding.”

• Varied and interesting workdays. “No two days are alike, and when every day is different, it keeps things interesting. We’re doubling down on proposal compliance and quality, but we’re also testing new technology, like generative AI, to help us work smarter. Piloting new tools that improve our proposal review process has been game-changing.”

• Inspiring teamwork. “When things get challenging, our team rolls up our sleeves and pulls together. There’s no problem so tough that we can’t figure it out, and everyone consistently shows up because we care about each other and what we stand for. You just don’t find that magic everywhere.”

When asked how it feels to return to Leidos, Olivia says: “It feels like coming home. I’m so grateful I could go try something else and then get welcomed back by my team, my colleagues, and my leaders.”

She hopes to remain at Leidos, even when the desire for a new challenge arises. 

“I’d like to call Leidos ‘home’ for the rest of my career,” she says. “Here, it feels like the sky’s the limit. Our culture encourages career rotations to build well-rounded employees, so I’m open to learning new parts of the business and stretching outside my comfort zone. At Leidos, I’m surrounded by the best of the best, both professionally and personally. We’re part of something really special. Why wouldn’t I want to be part of that?”

Join our team

We’re glad Olivia maintained her connection to Leidos and found her way back. If you’re a former Leidos employee, let’s stay in touch! Join the Leidos Alumni Network. If you’re interested in rejoining our team, you can browse our open job opportunities on the Leidos career site, including business development roles on Olivia’s team. 

Finally, we welcome referrals! If you know someone who might enjoy working at Leidos, you could earn up to $5,000 through the External Referral Program!