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.

About the Role:

We are seeking a Platform Engineer with an active Top Secret/SCI clearance to play a pivotal role in automating and orchestrating our critical infrastructure. This position is ideal for a technical expert passionate about deploying, managing, and optimizing system infrastructures using the latest technologies in system automation, container orchestration, and open-source applications. You'll be based in San Diego, Ca and work on projects vital to national security and technological advancement.

Key Responsibilities:

• Implement and manage system automation using Ansible and Puppet, ensuring efficient configuration across RHEL and Windows platforms
• Deploy and maintain Kubernetes clusters with RKE2 and Rancher, focusing on scalability, reliability, and security
• Manage a wide array of open-source applications (NiFi, Kafka, Zookeeper, MinIO, Keycloak, Longhorn, Grafana, Prometheus, Loki, Promtail, GitLab), enhancing our capabilities in data processing, storage, and monitoring
• Ensure the highest level of system performance and security across all platforms and technologies
• Collaborate with teams to understand project requirements, providing technical solutions that align with strategic goals
• Maintain comprehensive documentation on system configurations, deployments, and operational practices

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, or a related discipline
• 7+ years of hands-on experience managing enterprise Linux and Windows systems, including:
  • Configuration management with Ansible and Puppet
  • Kubernetes operations (RKE2 and Rancher preferred)
• Strong troubleshooting and problem-solving skills in complex, distributed environments
• Ability to communicate effectively across technical and non-technical stakeholders and work collaboratively within cross-functional teams

Preferred Skills:

• Master's degree in Computer Science, IT, Engineering, or a related field
• Experience operating and supporting the following technologies in production environments:
  • NiFi, Kafka, Zookeeper, MinIO, Keycloak, Longhorn
  • Grafana, Prometheus, Loki, Promtail
  • GitLab and CI/CD pipelines
• Deep understanding of containerization and cloud-native architectures
• Demonstrated experience with system performance tuning, capacity planning, and reliability engineering

Clearance Requirements:

• Active Top Secret with ability to obtain and maintain SCI

Work Type:

• Onsite in San Diego, California
• May require up to 10% travel

Salary Range: $100,000 - $170,000

• 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) with company match
• Take as you need PTO + 14 paid holidays
• 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.


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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.