Vannevar is a defense technology company building AI to deter our adversaries. In the 21st century, conflict moves at algorithmic speed and foresight equals firepower. Our agentic AI is purpose-built to compete with China—from cross-Strait conflict to gray zone coercion. Trained on the most mission-relevant datasets in defense, our technology models adversary behavior, simulates campaigns, and recommends the best course of action to decision makers. Our AI systems are some of the most trusted in the industry and actively used on the front lines of the Indo-Pacific to keep the peace and save lives.
Exceptional technology starts with exceptional people. Vannevar is a small agile team combining world-class engineers with veteran strategists who bring deep expertise in defense and tradecraft. We’re building a company defined by mission impact, user empathy, and disciplined growth. In just three years, we grew from $3M to $80M in ARR, achieved early profitability, and reached unicorn status—proving that disruption doesn’t require an ego, and staying power doesn’t mean standing still.
We are looking for an experienced Backend Engineer to build and refine our data collection and processing applications. You’ll be in charge of designing and building scalable, robust systems that collect mission-critical data and then building out pipelines for those data. You will be a technical leader, improving existing systems and personnel, and supplying our product suite with rich, comprehensive data.
You are innovative: willing to take risks, think critically about novel solutions, and advocate for your ideas while seeking feedback and collaboration. You will be making trade-offs as you work to ensure that our systems are prepared to scale — being able to effectively communicate these trade-offs with your teammates is a must.
You will creatively engineer solutions to access hard-target data, structuring messy data streams into valuable information that partner teams can use to build custom DoD workflows with our customers.
Note: This role is also open to Staff+ candidates.
What you’ll do- Develop innovative software systems that collect data from multiple online sources
- Gain and maintain access to hard-to-collect OSINT data
- Ensure the systems are scalable and robust, and adapt to a rapidly changing environment
- Collaborate with our mission team and product managers to translate user needs into data collection solutions
- Collaborate with product and platform engineering teams to ensure data delivery
- Improve existing data collection systems
- Provide technical guidance and mentorship to peers
- 7+ years as a Backend Engineer or similar role
- Experience scraping data or a strong desire to learn
- Proficiency with distributed systems
- Proficiency with Python, AWS, multiple database technologies
- Excellent communication and teamwork skills
- U.S. Person status is required as this position will require the ability to access U.S. only data systems with the ability to obtain security clearance
- Active Security clearance or ability to obtain one and desire to travel to visit users
- Experience building ETL workflows with large-scale messy data
- Experience with Temporal
- Health, dental, and vision insurance
- Remote friendly with WeWork access
- Unlimited PTO, shared downtime during the federal holiday calendar, and company-wide off time at the end of each year
- 401(k) match
- Lifestyle & wellbeing stipends
- Salary top-up during military reserve duty
- Fully paid parental leave
- Child and pet care reimbursement during travel
We are committed to protecting the privacy of all applicants. Official emails from the company will come from an @vannevarlabs.com domain. Under no circumstances will a legitimate representative from our company contact you to request passwords, financial information, or other sensitive personal data. Please be vigilant of potential scams.
Skills Required
- 7+ years as a Backend Engineer or similar role
- Experience scraping data or strong desire to learn
- Proficiency with distributed systems
- Proficiency with Python
- Proficiency with AWS
- Proficiency with multiple database technologies
- Excellent communication and teamwork skills
- U.S. Person status with ability to obtain security clearance
- Active security clearance
- Experience building ETL workflows with large-scale messy data
- Experience with Temporal
- Willingness/desire to travel to visit users
What the Team is Saying
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Vannevar Compensation & Benefits Highlights
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Healthcare Strength — The company highlights “top‑tier” medical, dental, and vision coverage for full‑time employees. Wellness, mental‑health, and family‑planning assistance further strengthen health support.
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Parental & Family Support — Fully paid 12 weeks parental leave for all new parents plus an additional 4 weeks for new mothers, with flexibility to split time. Monthly caregiving stipends and child/pet‑care support during work travel provide ongoing family help.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Unlimited PTO is paired with explicit “no vacation guilt” messaging, companywide downtime around federal holidays, and a year‑end break. A small vacation stipend is offered to encourage disconnecting.
Vannevar Insights
What We Do
Vannevar combines Silicon Valley innovation with former special operators to build AI for real-world national security outcomes. Since our founding in 2019, Vannevar has deployed its technology across 125 missions, safeguarding our service members and improving our country's deterrence. We believe our military service members and intelligence officers deserve access to the best technology American innovation can offer, and we are mobilizing frontier technology for this mission. Our founders have 30 years of combined experience across AI labs, national security strategy, intelligence agencies and special operations. We're supported by a number of leading VCs, including Felicis, DFJ Growth, Point72, Costanoa, and General Catalyst. Vannevar is one of the most capital efficient defense tech companies, reaching early profitability and becoming a defense tech unicorn in 2024.
Why Work With Us
We pride ourselves on being a team of passionate, low-ego professionals who share a commitment to engineering excellence and a genuine concern for the people and AI agents we deliver. Vannevar is a company that truly cares about its people and one of our core principles is "put your wellbeing first".
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Vannevar Offices
Remote Workspace
Employees work remotely.
We are distributed across the map, but united by the mission. We go where the mission takes us and deliver where others can’t. Honolulu, Seattle, San Francisco, Washington D.C., New York. You decide what's next.
