This is a U.S. based position. All of the programs we support require U.S. citizenship to be eligible for employment. All work must be conducted within the continental U.S.
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Who we are:
Raft (https://TeamRaft.com) is a customer-obsessed non-traditional defense tech company dedicated to empowering U.S. military and government agencies with cutting-edge AI/ML and data solutions. We are a leader in autonomous data fusion and Agentic AI, with a purposeful focus on Distributed Data Systems, Platforms at Scale, and Complex Application Development. With headquarters in McLean, VA, our range of clients includes innovative federal and public agencies leveraging design thinking, cutting-edge tech stack, and cloud-native ecosystem. We build digital solutions that impact the lives of millions of Americans.
About the role:
We're seeking a talented Forward Deployed Engineer to serve as the technical face of our organization in Huntsville, AL. This role combines deep engineering expertise with strong interpersonal skills to support mission-critical production systems in a forward-deployed environment. You'll be the go-to technical expert for our customers, troubleshooting complex system issues and ensuring operational excellence.
What You'll Do:
- Serve as the primary technical liaison between our engineering teams and forward-deployed customers
- Troubleshoot and debug production systems at the system level, ensuring maximum uptime and performance
- Deploy, maintain, and support containerized applications in Kubernetes environments
- Provide expert-level technical support for CICD pipelines and container orchestration platforms
- Diagnose and resolve complex technical issues across diverse technology stacks
- Collaborate with backend engineering teams to implement solutions and improvements
- Support operational deployments and maintain system reliability in production environments
- Interface directly with customer stakeholders in secure environments
Required Qualifications
- Strong engineering background with proven experience deploying and supporting production systems
- Solid understanding of software engineering principles and practices
- Hands-on experience with Kubernetes debugging and troubleshooting
- Expertise in CICD tools and methodologies
- Demonstrated ability in system-level debugging across multiple platforms
- Broad technical knowledge spanning various technologies and architectures
- Excellent communication skills with ability to interface effectively with technical and non-technical stakeholders
- Outgoing personality with strong customer-facing capabilities
Desired Qualifications
- Prior experience working in SCIF environments or with cleared customers
- Previous INDOPACOM experience or familiarity with the region
- Kubernetes certifications (CKA - Certified Kubernetes Administrator or CKAD - Certified Kubernetes Application Developer)
- Experience with OpenShift or other Kubernetes distributions
- Background supporting DoD or federal government customers
- Familiarity with containerization technologies and cloud-native architectures
Clearance Requirements:
- Active Secret with the ability to obtain and maintain a Top Secret security clearance
Work Type:
- Onsite in Huntsville, AL
- May require up to 25% travel to both CONUS and OCONUS locations (Must possess a valid, active US passport with at least six months validity beyond intended period of employment to facilitate international travel and meet security requirements for government contracts.)
Salary Range: $110,000 - $200,000
- The determination of compensation is predicated upon a candidate's comprehensive experience, demonstrated skill, and proven abilities
What we will offer you:
- Highly competitive salary
- Fully covered healthcare, dental, and vision coverage
- 401(k) and company match
- Take as you need PTO + 11 paid holidays
- Education & training benefits
- Generous Referral Bonuses
- And More!
Our Vision Statement:
We bridge the gap between humans and data through radical transparency and our obsession with the mission.
Our Customer Obsession:
We will approach every deliverable like it's a product. We will adopt a customer-obsessed mentality. As we grow, and our footprint becomes larger, teams and employees will treat each other not only as teammates but customers. We must live the customer-obsessed mindset, always. This will help us scale and it will translate to the interactions that our Rafters have with their clients and other product teams that they integrate with. Our culture will enable our success and set us apart from other companies.
How do we get there?
Public-sector modernization is critical for us to live in a better world. We, at Raft, want to innovate and solve complex problems. And, if we are successful, our generation and the ones that follow us will live in a delightful, efficient, and accessible world where out-of-box thinking, and collaboration is a norm.
Raft’s core philosophy is Ubuntu: I Am, Because We are. We support our “nadi” by elevating the other Rafters. We work as a hyper collaborative team where each team member brings a unique perspective, adding value that did not exist before. People make Raft special. We celebrate each other and our cognitive and cultural diversity. We are devoted to our practice of innovation and collaboration.
We’re an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status.
Skills Required
- U.S. citizenship
- Ability to work within the continental United States
- Strong engineering background with experience deploying and supporting production systems
- Understanding of software engineering principles and practices
- Hands-on Kubernetes debugging and troubleshooting experience
- Expertise with CI/CD tools and methodologies
- System-level debugging experience across multiple platforms
- Broad technical knowledge across technologies and architectures
- Excellent communication and customer-facing skills
- Active Secret security clearance
- Ability to obtain and maintain a Top Secret security clearance
- Valid, active U.S. passport with at least six months validity beyond the intended employment period
- Prior experience working in SCIF environments or with cleared customers
- INDOPACOM experience or regional familiarity
- Kubernetes certification such as CKA or CKAD
- OpenShift or other Kubernetes distribution experience
- DoD or federal government customer support experience
- Containerization and cloud-native architecture familiarity
What We Do
Raft is a digital consulting firm with niche expertise in the rapid delivery of modern, user-first, scalable, and data-intensive digital solutions. We accelerate the missions of our federal partners through human-centered design (HCD) and agile development practices, bringing deep technical expertise in DevSecOps, Kubernetes management, cloud-native microservice architectures, and secure, open source delivery. We put our people and our culture first. We work with some of the smartest, hardest working experts in their field. We owe it to them to make sure our team is free of meaningless restrictions and internal politics so they can focus on what they love, finding innovative solutions. We build off the Open-Source and resist vendor lock in. That way you’re not paying us to reinvent the wheel, our solutions play nice with others and are always adaptable. We know digital innovation doesn’t always operate during bank hours, so neither do we. (It's also why we don’t dress like bankers.) We aren’t afraid to go the extra mile or put in the extra time to find a solution. We get it right the first time; we won’t waste our time (and your money) trying to fix something that’s fundamentally broken. It’s kind of like making an exceptional cup of coffee, if the beans are roasted wrong, it doesn’t matter how much pumpkin spice you dump in your cup, it’s still not going to taste great. And above all else we’re up for a challenge; it’s in our DNA. Ask us about something that’s never been done, or better yet something that can’t be done, and we’ll find a way to do it. It’s just who we are. If you need a partner that’s looking toward the future and not the past, don’t go traditional, go Raft.
Why Work With Us
Raft partners with public agencies to solve hard complex problems that impact the lives of millions of Americans. We work hard to make it easy for humans to connect with data.
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