Senior Engineer

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.

Who we are:

Raft ( 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.


We're looking for an experienced Senior Engineer to support our customers and join our passionate team of high-impact problem solvers.

About the role:

Senior Engineers on our Distributed Systems team focus on building data platforms that centralize data access for various user types. You'll work on Raft's Raft Data Platform product line by working with operators to find use cases, onboard datasets, and work with our team to develop new features. This role involves data engineering expertise and working with industry recognized OSS tools used in most Data Science environments. As a Data Engineer, you'll collaborate with Technical SMEs and government stakeholders to build, configure, and deploy next-generation data platforms for mission-critical needs.

Required Qualifications:

• Experience with backend languages such as Java, Go, Python
• Experience using Kafka and Delta Lake
• Educational background in STEM (CS/EE/Math, etc.)
• Knowledge of current trends in Data Engineering, Data Streaming, and Data Search
• Hands-on knowledge of common DoD datasets and expertise in transforming them
• Ability to understand broad requirements, break them into smaller tasks, and build POCs to demonstrate feasibility

Highly preferred:

• Hands-on experience with Trino and/or DuckDB
• Experience building quick POCs
• Understanding of operational trade-offs between COTS products and their OSS alternatives
• Knowledge of DoD Data Sets

Clearance Requirements:

• Active TS/SCI required

Work Type:

• Onsite St. Louis , Mo
• 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 : $120,000 - $180,000

• 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
• Annual budget for your tech/gadgets needs
• 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.