Senior Backend 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 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.

About the role:

In your role as a Senior Backend Engineer, you will lead the design and development of scalable, data-intensive backend systems that power Raft's flagship products, architecting and implementing robust solutions using Golang and/or Java while ensuring security, performance, and reliability across mission-critical applications. As a hands-on technical leader and fast learner with excellent analytical thinking and problem-solving skills, you'll contribute meaningfully to architectural decisions while mentoring junior and mid-level engineers and spending significant time writing code to solve complex technical challenges. You'll combine strong communication and collaboration abilities with a creative, hands-on development approach as you work closely with customers at deployment sites, gathering feedback and implementing improvements to enhance the real-world performance of Raft's products in operational environments, all while effectively managing multiple technical priorities in fast-paced settings.

What we are looking for:

• 4+ years of experience in backend software engineering


• Strong proficiency in Golang or Java for backend development


• Solid understanding of software architecture fundamentals and scalability principles


• Experience with streaming technologies such as Kafka, KStreams, FlinkSQL, or similar platforms


• Hands-on experience with containerization technologies (Docker, Kubernetes)


• Knowledge of database design and optimization (both SQL and NoSQL)


• Understanding of DevSecOps principles and practices


• Experience with cloud-native architectures and microservices design patterns


• Knowledge of security best practices for enterprise backend systems


• Experience with API design, development, and versioning


• Understanding of distributed systems concepts and event-driven architectures


• Passion for staying current with emerging technologies and evaluating their potential impact


• Experience designing modular, extensible systems that enable technology evolution and component replacement based on user needs


• Proficiency with Agentic AI coding tools (such as Claude Code) with understanding of their capabilities, limitations, and when to leverage them for accelerated development

Highly preferred:

• Experience with highly regulated industries (defense, aerospace, finance, healthcare) or environments requiring stringent security and compliance standards


• Familiarity with classification levels and secure development practices


• Experience with real-time data processing and analytics platforms


• Knowledge of AI/ML infrastructure and data pipeline architectures


• Experience with container orchestration in air-gapped or disconnected environments


• Background in high-throughput, low-latency systems


• Experience with monitoring, observability, and performance optimization


• Experience working in collaborative team environments with senior technical leadership


• Contributions to open-source projects or technical publications

Clearance Requirements:

• Ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance. Preference for candidates with an active Secret clearance.

Work Type:

• Remote with preference for candidates based in one of Raft's existing hubs:
  
  
  
  • DC Metro Area (Preferred)
  
  
  • Honolulu, Hawaii
  
  
  • Hanscom, MA
  
  
  • Colorado Springs, CO
  
  
  • Tampa, FL
  
  
  • San Antonio, TX
  
  
  • Dayton, OH (near Wright-Patterson)
  
  
  • Foreign and domestic travel up to 30% to customer sites and deployment locations
  
  

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.