Senior Software Engineer Expeditionary Systems (OpAI)
The Marlin Alliance, Inc. | San Diego, CA | 100% On-Site | Clearance Required
This position requires an ACTIVE DoD security clearance. Applicants who do not currently hold an active clearance will not be considered.
About The Marlin Alliance Incorporated in 2002, The Marlin Alliance is a digital transformation company dedicated to ensuring our clients compete and win in tomorrow's digital world. We specialize in creating technical solutions that allow for seamless execution of automated business processes and the generation of governed, machine-consumable data. From strategic planning to advanced analytics and cybersecurity, our team provides cutting-edge, cross-disciplinary solutions. We are seeking motivated professionals who share our agile, solution-oriented mindset and are ready to deliver the real, practical results relied upon by our clients.
Position Overview The successful candidate will contribute to Naval Operational Architecture (NOA), working alongside engineers and operators to deliver resilient, forward-leaning solutions in support of national defense. We’re seeking a highly experienced and motivated Senior Software Engineer to contribute to the integration of AI capabilities into expeditionary systems, including sensor kits, UxS, C2, and TAK. The successful candidate will play a key role in enhancing the capabilities of expeditionary systems through innovative and cutting-edge technologies. Daily tasks can vary from hands on keyboard to technical discussions, including but not limited to, maintaining real-time Zenoh data mesh in Rust, creating frontend React applications in JavaScript, working with AI engineers to integrate machine learning models, converting data between standard tactical message formats, or providing subject matter expertise in discussions with senior management.
Location/Address:
- 100% On-site
- San Diego, CA, NAVWAR
- Arlington, VA
- Colorado Springs, CO
- Charleston, SC
- Denver, CO
- Note: If San Diego is not your primary duty station, then you will be required to travel to San Diego for at least 5 weeks a year for team meetings and administrative tasks.
- There will be some (10%) travel required – CONUS and OCONUS. Valid passport will be required
Citizenship and Clearance requirements:
- US Citizenship is required
- No Dual Citizenship
- Active Secret clearance required; TS SCI clearance highly preferred
Responsibilities:
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams to understand and address the Navy's operational challenges integrating artificial intelligence into expeditionary systems.
- Design, develop, and implement software for tactical applications
- Test software at field experiments to ensure performant and high-quality data flow between tactical systems, including sensors, UxS, and C2
- Collaborate with machine learning engineers and domain experts to analyze data and integrate machine learning solutions into existing systems.
- Collaborate with data engineers to monitor data pipelines and analytics to ensure accuracy, reliability, and robustness.
- Stay updated with the latest advancements in data architecture to propose and implement innovative solutions.
- Work closely with systems engineers to connect data pipelines with operational systems
- Provide technical expertise and contribute to the development of long-term technology strategies within the Department of the Navy.
Required Skills and Experience:
- At least 10 years experience working as a business analyst, data analyst, data scientist, data engineer, database administrator, geospatial analyst, geospatial engineer, IT specialist, machine learning engineer, software engineer, or system administrator.
- Familiarity with containerization technologies (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes).
- Expert programming skills in Python
- Intermediate programming skills in Rust or Go
- Experience designing or normalizing tactical data to common standards
- Experience with multiple data formats, e.g., CSV, JSON, XML, Parquet, ORC.
- Familiarity with event streaming libraries and platforms, e.g., Apache Kafka, AWS Kinesis, RabbitMQ, ZeroMQ, or Zenoh.
- Experience with troubleshooting tactical systems
- Experience deploying, monitoring, and improving tactical data pipelines
- Strong problem-solving and analytical skills.
- Passion for staying updated with the latest advancements in tactical data architecture.
- Excellent communication skills and the ability to work effectively in a collaborative team environment.
Preferred Skills and Experience:
- Experience integrating systems with Tactical Assault Kit (TAK) ecosystem.
- Familiarity with data pipeline frameworks and libraries, e.g., AirByte, Apache Airflow, dbt, Apache Iceberg, Snowflake.
- Experience with adding and retrieving data from Geographic Information Systems (GIS), e.g., ArcGIS, PostGIS.
- Expertise in Elasticsearch, Redis, S3, PostgreSQL, or other data stores.
- Understanding of cybersecurity principles in the context of tactical applications.
- Previous experience working with government agencies or military organizations.
- Master of Science in Computer Science, Data Science, Geography, Math, Machine Learning, or Statistics
Education and Certification Requirements:
Bachelor’s Degree or Equivalent Experience
Work Environment and Mental/Physical Demands:
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the functions.
- Typical office environment with no unusual hazards.
- The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.
- Constant sitting while using the computer terminal.
- Constant use of sight abilities while reviewing documents.
- Constant use of speech/hearing abilities for communication.
- Occasional reaching, stooping, kneeling, or crouching may be required.
- Occasional lifting up to 20 pounds.
- Constant use of mental alertness.
- Frequent work under deadlines.
Compensation $155,000 – $175,000 annually, commensurate with experience.
Work Environment Typical professional office environment. Requires sustained focus, extended periods at a computer workstation, and occasional lifting up to 20 lbs. Reasonable accommodations will be made for individuals with disabilities.
Disclaimer:
This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee(s) incumbent in this position. Employees will be required to follow any other job-related instructions and to perform any other job-related duties requested by any person authorized to give instructions or assignments. All duties and responsibilities are essential functions and requirements and are subject to possible modification to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities.
To perform this job successfully, the incumbents will possess the skills, aptitudes, and abilities to perform each duty proficiently. Some requirements may exclude individuals who pose a direct threat or significant risk to the health or safety of themselves or others. The requirements listed in this document are the minimum levels of knowledge, skills, or abilities.
This document does not create an employment contract, implied or otherwise, other than an “at-will” relationship.
An Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities.
Skills Required
- At least 10 years of experience in a relevant role such as software engineering, data engineering, data science, machine learning engineering, systems administration, or related fields
- Active Secret Department of Defense security clearance
- U.S. citizenship
- No dual citizenship
- Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience
- Expert programming skills in Python
- Intermediate programming skills in Rust or Go
- Familiarity with Docker or Kubernetes
- Experience designing or normalizing tactical data to common standards
- Experience with CSV, JSON, XML, Parquet, ORC, or similar data formats
- Experience with event streaming libraries or platforms such as Kafka, Kinesis, RabbitMQ, ZeroMQ, or Zenoh
- Experience troubleshooting tactical systems
- Experience deploying, monitoring, and improving tactical data pipelines
- Strong problem-solving and analytical skills
- Excellent communication and collaboration skills
- Experience integrating systems with the Tactical Assault Kit ecosystem
- Familiarity with Airbyte, Apache Airflow, dbt, Apache Iceberg, or Snowflake
- Experience with GIS technologies such as ArcGIS or PostGIS
- Expertise with Elasticsearch, Redis, Amazon S3, PostgreSQL, or other data stores
- Understanding of cybersecurity principles for tactical applications
- Experience working with government agencies or military organizations
- Master of Science in Computer Science, Data Science, Geography, Mathematics, Machine Learning, Statistics, or a related field
- Active Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information clearance
What We Do
The Marlin Alliance, Inc. is a woman-owned business and digital transformation consulting firm. Its mission is to ensure clients compete and win in tomorrow's digital world by providing integrated services in digitization, automation, and software solutions. The company serves both commercial clients in sectors like healthcare and energy, as well as military and government agencies within the Department of Defense.








