Senior Platform Engineer

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 small business 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 Platform Engineer to support our customers and join our passionate team of high-impact problem solvers.

About the role:

The Senior Platform Engineer shall have senior software engineering experience building and operating hybrid-infrastructure developer platforms (private and commercial cloud infrastructure) at an Individual Contributor Level. A successful candidate has prior experience deploying Kubernetes in multiple ways and supporting automation of platform management at the enterprise scale. The engineer shall have experience developing platform APIs that make common software operations scalable and repeatable. The engineer will feel comfortable maintaining the underlying services required to host containerized applications. The engineer will be at least a mid to senior-level engineer capable of mentoring junior developers and engineers. The engineer will also possess effective communication skills to interact with various stakeholders, internal and external to the organization. This role supports a 24/7 shift operation, requiring flexibility and availability to meet mission-critical needs.

What we are looking for:

Minimum 5+ years of hands-on experience, with proven expertise leading teams or projects

Five years of experience building production services using Cloud Infrastructure Providers such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, or Google Cloud

Three-plus years of experience in Identity and Access Lifecycle Management Operations and Controls

Skilled in developing production software using modern languages (e.g., Java, Python, Go, NodeJS) and delivering complex systems

Minimum 5+ experience deploying and managing containerized services on orchestration platforms (e.g., Kubernetes, Mesos, Swarm) with advanced configurations

In-depth knowledge of agile and lean software development practices, with experience mentoring teams in adoption and improvement

Proficient in modern version control systems (e.g., Git, Subversion, Mercurial), including branching strategies, code review, and CI/CD pipelines

Expertise in designing and implementing scalable developer platform services and APIs for high availability and performance

Proficient in modern microservices architectures, advanced design patterns, resiliency techniques, and performance optimizations

Proven ability to manage, report, and facilitate certification of access for all in-scope resources (including SaaS, AWS, Azure, CSS managed applications, tools, and systems)

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Mathematics, or related field, or equivalent experience; Master's preferred

Active Security+ certification or ability to obtain within 90 days; advanced certifications (e.g., CISSP, AWS Certified Solutions Architect) highly preferred

Ability to provide support during holidays and weekends as required in a 24/7 operation, with flexibility for shifts that may include evenings, weekends, and holidays. Be available for critical operations or on-call support during peak times

Highly preferred:

Advanced experience with databases like PostgreSQL, MySQL, or MongoDB, including designing, scaling, and optimizing database systems

Strong technical leadership experience, including mentoring engineers, driving architectural decisions, and fostering innovation

Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively across multi-disciplinary teams, including product, design, and operations

Clearance Requirements:

Active Secret security clearance

Work Type:

Onsite at Langley AFB, VA [MON-FRI 9AM TO 5PM EST]

May require up to 10% travel

Must reside within a 40-mile radius of Langley Air Force Base (AFB) to ensure timely reporting and availability for scheduled shifts. Relocation assistance available

Salary Range:

$110,000 - $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

Remote, hybrid, and flexible work options

Team off-site in fun places!

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.

Full-time

Hybrid remote