Senior Software Engineer - UDS Registry Team (RD119)

Defense Unicorns seeks a Software Engineer to join our UDS Registry team. You’ll collaborate closely with product managers, designers, and end users to ensure we’re building the right solutions—and building them well. The team builds and operates UDS Registry to reliably manage and deploy UDS packages to any mission environment, serving the ISSM persona. In addition, we own the development and maintenance of Pepr and Lula, ensuring our tools continue to meet real‑world mission needs. The Registry team values action, ownership, and focus, taking initiative to see work through from idea to impact.

As a Software Engineer, you’ll operate at the intersection of product development and technical execution. You’ll lead the design, implementation, and deployment of features and systems that have direct impact on mission outcomes.

Responsibilities

• Work with engineers internal to the company, and within the open source community on feature and bug fix requests
• Proactively identify and resolve ambiguity in product requirements
• Comfortable working proactively, managing time efficiently, and thriving in a vibrant remote work environment
• Actively participate in communities of practice via Slack and Github Issues
• Integrate software products with existing defense systems, ensuring seamless interoperability and adherence to security protocols
• Own architecture decisions and ensure technical quality across the engineering team
• Participate in on‑call rotation for our production environment
• Develop comprehensive documentation, including design specifications, user manuals, and maintenance guides
• Contribute to Open Source Projects. Participating in Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF), Apache Software Foundation (ASF), or Open Source Security Foundation (OpenSSF) is a huge plus!
• Stay abreast of emerging technologies and industry trends to inform product enhancements and innovation
• Provide technical mentorship and elevate engineering standards across the team
• Influence product direction through deep understanding of user needs and system constraints

Travel Expectations/Requirements: 5-15%

The listed responsibilities are not exhaustive and additional responsibilities may be assigned based on the evolving needs of the organization. We are seeking a dynamic individual who is able to adapt and take on new responsibilities as they arise.

Preferred Experience and Qualifications

• 5+ years experience with software engineering
• Experience building a software tool with core focuses on software lifecycle and management
• Proficient in Go (proficiency in other modern programming languages a plus)
• Strong understanding of system design, APIs, databases, and cloud architecture (e.g., AWS, Azure)
• Familiar with OCI Specifications (Image and Distribution)
• Experience with Supply Chain Security (e.g., SBOMs, security scanning, etc.)
• Excited to assess intricate problems, propose solutions, and implement them effectively
• Familiar with Core Kubernetes Concepts
• Strong communication and collaboration skills, comfortable conveying technical concepts to both technical and non‑technical audiences

Don’t have all the preferred experience or qualifications? Studies show that underrepresented groups like women and people of color are less likely to apply to jobs if they don't meet every requirement listed. At Defense Unicorns, we're committed to diversity. If you're enthusiastic about the role but don't match every criteria, we encourage you to apply. You could be the perfect fit for this or another role! Defense Unicorns is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, veteran status, genetic information, union status and/or beliefs, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.

Full compensation packages are based on candidate experience. Compensation ranges are established using national benchmarking data and apply across all geographic locations within the United States.

Benefits Our Unicorns Enjoy

Health

• Medical/Dental/Vision
• Premiums are 100% Company Paid
• Health Savings Account
• Life Insurance
• Disability Insurance

Financial

• 401k Retirement Plan
• Company Stock Options
• Home Office Budget

Leave

• We offer all full‑time Unicorns Flexible Time Off (FTO) plus all Federal Holidays, one week for Thanksgiving, and two weeks for Christmas and New Year’s
• Paid Parental Leave

Learning

• Reimbursement for approved trainings/subscriptions
• Conferences (travel, lodging, and fees)