Forward Deployed Engineer

RuneTech

$100K — $130K *
Aerospace & Defense
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Proficient in coding with languages such as Go, C++, TypeScript/JavaScript.
  • Ownership mindset, ready to take responsibility for software development and deployment.
  • Effective collaborator with both technical and non-technical team members.
  • Strong communication skills for customer-facing engineering interactions.
  • Active U.S. secret security clearance; top secret preferred.

Responsibilities

  • Engage directly with users to identify their challenges and deliver software solutions.
  • Take full ownership of features from concept through deployment with an execution focus.
  • Collaborate with engineering, product, design, and operations teams to drive projects forward.
  • Monitor and enhance system reliability and performance through analysis and iteration.
  • Make thoughtful trade-offs between urgency and long-term maintainability.
  • Travel approximately 25% to support deployment and gather user feedback.

Benefits

  • 100% coverage for medical, dental, and vision insurance premiums for employees.
  • Comprehensive basic life and disability insurance provided at no cost for employees.
  • Paid time off based on need rather than accrual, promoting work-life balance.
  • Generous holiday calendar with a complete shutdown in December.
  • Support for various leave of absence needs, including military service and parental leave.
  • 401(k) retirement plan available for full-time employees.
  • Company-funded commuter benefits and free access to an on-site gym.
Full Job Description
About the Role

We are seeking Forward Deployed Software Engineers to join our expanding team in the DC area. In this role, you'll take on a diverse set of challenges spanning full-stack development, networking, systems integration, and user-focused problem solving-always balancing speed, scalability, and sound engineering judgment. You'll collaborate closely with Product Engineering and Design, while working hand-in-hand with our Mission Success team to deliver end-to-end solutions that empower military logisticians. Our engineers thrive on ownership and accountability, approaching every project with a practical, execution-oriented mindset. You'll work in small teams with minimal supervision and own end-to-end execution of high-stakes projects for our military customers. The right candidate will consistently deliver reliable, timely, and high-quality outcomes while keeping our mission at the forefront of decision-making.

What You'll Do
  • Work side-by-side with end users and stakeholders to understand their toughest challenges, then design and deliver software solutions that directly address those needs.
  • Take full ownership of features from concept to deployment, including prototyping, integrating with existing systems, and ensuring performance in demanding real-world environments.
  • Collaborate across engineering, product, design, and operations teams to build scalable systems, prioritize work, and drive complex projects to completion.
  • Continuously monitor and improve system reliability and performance by instrumenting code, analyzing metrics, diagnosing issues, and iterating on fixes.
  • Balance short-term urgency with long-term maintainability-making thoughtful trade-offs that keep solutions practical, effective, and mission-focused.
  • Travel roughly ~25% to deploy, field-test, and support software systems, gathering feedback directly from users to ensure success in operational settings.

Qualifications
  • Strong coding skills with demonstrated proficiency in programming languages such as Go, C++, TypeScript/JavaScript, or similar.
  • High ownership mindset; we're looking for a motivated individual who is biased to action and to assume responsibility for all aspects of the development and deployment of our software for a specific military customer.
  • Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively in teams of technical and non-technical individuals, and comfortable working in a rapidly changing environment with dynamic objectives and iteration with users.
  • Strong communication abilities, with an interest and aptitude to lead customer-facing engineering interactions.
  • Active U.S. secret security clearance required; top secret preferred.

Desired Qualifications
  • Experience working on software in defense, aerospace, or other complex operational domains.
  • Familiarity with logistics, supply chain, or sustainment challenges - especially in military contexts.
  • Experience deploying software to production environments and managing cloud infrastructure (e.g. AWS, Kubernetes) as well as Edge infrastructure.
  • Exposure to data engineering, analytics, or machine learning in operational contexts.


Benefits

Rune offers top-tier benefits for full-time employees to include a full suite of insurance options at no cost for employees and low-cost to spouses and dependents. Highly competitive equity grants are also included in the majority of full time offers and are considered part of Rune's total compensation package. Benefits include:
  • Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plans; premiums 100% covered by Rune for all employees; exceptionally low premiums for spouses and dependents
  • Basic life insurance and disability 100% covered for all employees by Rune; option to purchase additional life insurance available
  • 'Take the time off that you need, when you need it' paid time off, not accrual based
  • Generous company holiday calendar including a holiday shutdown in December
  • Supportive leave of absence program including time off for military service, medical events, and parental leave
  • Full 401(k) retirement plan for all full-time eligible employees
  • Company-funded commuter benefits
  • Free access to on-site gym at office

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