Staff Engineer

Job Description

Job Description

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.

As a Staff DevSecOps Engineer, you will design, implement, and maintain secure, scalable platform infrastructure supporting mission-critical applications across cloud, on-premises, and hybrid environments. You will lead the automation of software delivery, infrastructure provisioning, and security integration while partnering closely with software engineers, cybersecurity teams, and customer stakeholders.

This role requires deep expertise in Kubernetes, cloud-native technologies, Infrastructure as Code, CI/CD automation, and GitOps practices. You will be responsible for building resilient platforms, improving developer productivity, and ensuring secure, compliant application delivery throughout the software lifecycle.

What You Will Do

• Design, develop, and maintain Infrastructure as Code (IaC) supporting distributed, containerized, and cloud-native application lifecycles.
• Architect, deploy, and manage Kubernetes platforms across AWS and other cloud environments.
• Design, implement, and optimize secure, performant CI/CD pipelines that automate testing, security scanning, deployment, and release management.
• Implement and mature GitOps workflows using modern GitOps tooling for continuous software delivery.
• Deploy, configure, and support platform hosted services in support of DOW tenant application teams across multiple impact levels.
• Build and maintain highly available, production-grade Kubernetes clusters while ensuring compliance with security and operational standards.
• Securely provide multi-tenant access to cloud native services.
• Develop automation to improve platform reliability, scalability, and operational efficiency.
• Configure and maintain Kubernetes networking technologies including Calico, Cilium, or equivalent Container Network Interfaces (CNIs).
• Deploy and support observability platforms using Prometheus, Grafana, Fluent Bit, Loki, Kibana, and related monitoring and logging solutions.
• Collaborate with software, platform, and security engineers to integrate security throughout the development lifecycle.

What We Are Looking For

• 5+ years of professional experience in DevOps, DevSecOps, Platform Engineering, Site Reliability Engineering, or a related field
• 5+ years of hands-on experience deploying, operating, and securing production Kubernetes and Docker environments.
• Experience provisioning, hardening, and maintaining compliant Kubernetes clusters
• Strong understanding of Kubernetes architecture, Helm Charts, and container networking technologies including Calico, Cilium, or similar solutions
• Experience operating stateful, highly available, and distributed services in Kubernetes environments
• Experience with AWS or other cloud platforms supporting enterprise workloads
• Experience with Infrastructure as Code using Terraform, Ansible, or similar automation frameworks
• Experience configuring and maintaining CI/CD pipelines using GitLab Runners
• Experience with software packaging, artifact repositories, and build automation for distributed applications
• Experience implementing monitoring and logging solutions using Prometheus, Grafana, Fluent Bit, Loki, Kibana, or similar observability tools
• Strong troubleshooting and problem-solving skills in complex production environments
• Must have CISM, CISSP, Security X, CISA, CCISO, CCNP Security, or GLSC certification
• Must have CKA, CKAD, CKS, or similar certification
• Must be local to Scott AFB, IL area

Highly Preferred

• Experience with package and dependency management tools including Maven, Gradle, NPM, and Yarn
• Experience implementing and supporting Istio service mesh
• Experience supporting enterprise cloud platforms and large-scale infrastructure.
• Proficiency in automation and scripting using Python or Go
• Experience designing, provisioning, troubleshooting, and optimizing complex CI/CD pipelines.
• Experience with GitOps platforms such as Argo CD or Flux
• Experience supporting DoD, federal, or highly regulated production environments

Clearance Requirements:

• Active Secret Clearance required

Salary Range: $170,000.00 - $200,000.00

Work Type:

• Hybrid; On-site at Scott Air Force Base
• Foreign and domestic travel up to 35% to customer sites

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.