Senior Forward Deployed Engineer - Platform

As a Forward Deployed Engineer (FDE), you are the technical tip of the spear. FDEs are elite, versatile engineers who work shoulder-to-shoulder with our most critical users to solve complex challenges in real time. Your primary mission is to radically decrease the time-to-value of our software by integrating it directly into the user's operational environment. Because you see firsthand how our technology performs in the wild, you will also act as a crucial conduit, feeding technical insights and feature requirements back to our core product engineering team. This role requires a highly adaptable problem-solver who is comfortable moving fast, navigating ambiguity, and figuring things out quickly in high-stakes environments.

Responsibilities

Implement the Core Aggregation Node: Lead the on-site architecture, deployment, and configuration of the central data hub within SOCOM's highly secure, distributed cloud environment; Architect and Manage GovCloud Infrastructure: Stand up, harden, and operate production workloads on AWS GovCloud at high impact levels; Deploy and Maintain Container Orchestration: Own the lifecycle of Kubernetes clusters (including RKE2/K3s variants) across cloud and on-premise environments, managing upgrades, scaling, monitoring, and incident response; Engineer Secure Cross-Domain Data Flows: Architect and troubleshoot data synchronization pipelines that traverse Cross Domain Solutions (CDS) and data diodes; Bridge the Gap: Translate operational realities into actionable technical requirements for the core product development team; Lead Technical Customer Engagement: Work directly with operational users and Government technical stakeholders, and communicate progress, dependencies, and issues in coordination with the Program Manager; Analyze and Validate Requirements: Translate customer needs into documented operational and technical requirements and validate them with customers; Provide Tier 2/3 Technical Support: Provide advanced troubleshooting and sustainment engineering for the APFIT program under development and test, and coordinate product defects with core Engineering; Support Operational Validation: Support integration, test, demonstration, deployment, and operational validation events, developing test procedures and tracking deficiencies; Document and Transition the Capability: Maintain integration documentation, configuration baselines, deployment procedures, and troubleshooting guides, and provide knowledge transfer supporting Government operation

Requirements

Must hold an active TS/SCI clearance; U.S. Citizenship is strictly required; 5+ years of experience in platform engineering, DevOps, site reliability engineering (SRE), or cloud infrastructure engineering, including hands-on deployment, configuration, and troubleshooting of complex systems in live production environments; 2+ years of technical experience with container orchestration platforms and cloud-native architectures in secure environments, including CI/CD pipeline design and infrastructure-as-code tooling; Demonstrated experience with AWS GovCloud or equivalent FedRAMP-authorized cloud platforms at IL4/IL5/IL6, including understanding of compliance, networking, and architectural constraints; A highly adaptable, problem-solving mindset with the ability to navigate ambiguity, move fast, and balance immediate operational fixes with long-term technical fidelity; Strong written and verbal communication skills; Demonstrated experience leading customer discovery sessions and translating operational needs into clear, testable technical requirements; Experience diagnosing complex applications, data synchronization, integration, and networking issues, including coordinating escalations and fixes with software engineering teams; Proven ability to communicate technical constraints, tradeoffs, and remediation plans to customers while coordinating scope and delivery commitments with Program Management

Nice to have

Hands-on experience with Cross Domain Solutions (CDS) and data diodes, including architecting or troubleshooting unidirectional data flows between unclassified and classified networks; Experience with the Authority to Operate (ATO) process, including STIG implementation, vulnerability management, and working with ISSMs/ISSOs; Familiarity with SOCOM-specific or SOF-centric IT environments and the SOCOM enterprise network architecture; Experience with GitOps workflows (e.g., ArgoCD, Flux) for Kubernetes deployments in air-gapped or disconnected environments; Previous experience with event streaming or data messaging platforms (e.g., Kafka, NATS, RabbitMQ) in high-security environments; Previous experience working directly with DoD, IC, or SOCOM customers, with understanding of classified network environments; A background in systems programming (e.g., Rust, Go, or C++) alongside standard scripting

Benefits

Competitive salaries; Meaningful equity; Health, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance in the US; 401(k) and flexible spending accounts in the US; Flexible time off; Access to Atlanta office