Software Engineer

Defense Unicorns

$123K — $166K *
US-AnywhereRemote in United States
Information Technology
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 3-5 years experience in software engineering (mid) or 5+ years (senior)
  • Expertise in at least one modern programming language (Go, TypeScript, Python)
  • Strong grasp of system design, API development, and cloud platforms (AWS, Azure)
  • Deep knowledge in database design and query optimization
  • Experience leading the transition from monolithic to microservices architecture
  • Familiarity with Kubernetes and automated CI/CD processes
  • Strong communication and collaboration skills to engage both technical and non-technical audiences.

Responsibilities

  • Translate product requirements into technical solutions with diverse stakeholders
  • Design and maintain ETL/ELT workflows for data processing
  • Implement security measures like authentication and authorization
  • Create optimized data transformations using cloud-native tools
  • Ensure data quality and compliance while maintaining metadata integrity
  • Refactor on-prem systems to cloud-based architectures
  • Participate in code reviews and promote technical best practices.

Benefits

  • Flexible remote work environment
  • Participation in technical communities via Slack and Github
  • Opportunities for professional development and mentorship
  • Collaboration with experienced teams on mission-critical projects
  • Dynamic work culture encouraging adaptability and growth.
Full Job Description
EMPLOYER IS A CONTRACTOR FOR THE U.S. GOVERNMENT. THIS POSITION REQUIRES U.S. CITIZENSHIP.
Role Description:

Defense Unicorns is seeking a Mid to Senior Software Engineer to help drive our transformation from legacy, on-premises software to a modern, cloud-native platform. In this role you will play a key part in designing and building our next-generation scalable data pipelines to ingest, transform, and load data from diverse sources. You'll be joining Defense Unicorns' US Navy team and be responsible for creating and owning end-to-end project delivery, and advocating best practices in database usage and system architecture. You will work closely with other software engineers, platform engineers, end users, and external stakeholders.

Responsibilities:
  • Partner with data architects, analysts, and a wide variety of stakeholders to translate ambiguous product requirements into technical solutions
  • Design, build, and maintain complex ETL/ELT workflows
  • Implement security protocols, including authentication and authorization,
  • Create optimized transformations to clean, enrich, and model data, utilizing cloud-native tools
  • Ensure data quality, integrity, and compliance, maintaining metadata and lineage
  • Help refactor and modernize existing on-prem systems into distributed, cloud-based services
  • Contribute to the design of authentication, identity management, and RBAC/ABAC frameworks
  • Participate in architectural discussions, code reviews, and ongoing technical improvements
  • Drive best practices in microservice design, testing, observability, and CI/CD automation
  • Collaborate closely with partner company engineers and stakeholders to devise the best solutions for our Mission Heroes
  • Collaborate with the Defense Unicorns product team sharing improvements and growth opportunities for future projects
  • Comfortable in an asynchronous, all remote environment
  • Actively participate in communities of practice via Slack and Github Issues
  • Integrate software products with existing defense systems, ensuring seamless interoperability and adherence to security protocols
  • Own architecture decisions and ensure technical quality across the engineering team.
  • Develop comprehensive documentation, including design specifications, user manuals, and maintenance guides
  • Stay abreast of emerging technologies and industry trends to inform product enhancements and innovation
  • Provide technical mentorship and elevate engineering standards across the team
  • Communicate effectively with all levels of engineers and stakeholders internal and external to the company
  • Influence product direction through deep understanding of user needs and system constraints


Travel Expectations/Requirements: 10-15%

The listed responsibilities are not exhaustive and additional responsibilities may be assigned based on the evolving needs of the organization. We are seeking a dynamic individual who is able to adapt and take on new responsibilities as they arise.
Preferred Experience and Qualifications:
  • 3+ years (mid) or 5+ years (senior) experience with software engineering
  • Experience building a software tool with core focuses on software lifecycle and management
  • Expert level proficiency in at least one modern programming language (e.g., Go, TypeScript, Python) with the ability to write idiomatic, testable code
  • Strong understanding of system design, API development, workflow orchestration (Argo Workflows preferred), relational databases, and cloud platforms (e.g., AWS, Azure)
  • Deep knowledge of database design, schema design, indexing, and query optimization
  • Past experience leading a team through the decomposition of a complex monolithic application design into small, independent services that communicate with lightweight APIs
  • Modern API design experience, beyond basic CRUD operations; use of RESTful services, and high confidence utilizing tools such as FastAPI in Python, ASP.NET in C#, or equivalent
  • Experience with implementation of authorization and data governance, security telemetry pipelines, policy enforcement, and role-based access control to ensure compliance and data privacy across enterprise systems
  • Excited to assess intricate problems, propose solutions, and implement them effectively
  • Familiar with Core Kubernetes Concepts including but not limited to Controllers, Operators, and CRDs
  • Passion for clean architecture, automation, and iterative modernization
  • Familiar with Department of Defense acquisition or sustainment software modernization projects
  • Strong communication and collaboration skills, comfortable conveying technical concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences as well as leading technical working sessions with partners and mission heroes
  • Analytical, problem-solving mindset with a high attention to detail
  • Experience working proactively, managing time efficiently, and thriving in a vibrant remote work environment! •


Full compensation packages are based on candidate experience. Compensation ranges are established using national benchmarking data and apply across all geographic locations within the United States.

Remote - USA

$123,250-$166,750 USD

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