Staff Platform Engineer

Who we are:

Raft (https://TeamRaft.com) 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 Staff Platform Engineer to support our customers and join our passionate team of high-impact problem solvers.

About the role:

The Staff Platform Engineer is an expert in hybrid-infrastructure developer platforms. They excel in deploying Kubernetes and in the automation of platform management. The engineer will have experience developing advanced platform APIs and will be an authority on containerized applications. With leadership skills, they will mentor junior to mid-level engineers and have strong communication skills for high-level stakeholder interaction.

What we are looking for:

• 5+ years of profound experience with Kubernetes 
• Advanced skills in cloud infrastructure platforms
• 3+ years with programming languages such as Java, Python, or Go 
• Expertise in CI/CD pipelines 
• Proficient in containerizing applications and orchestrating them on platforms
• Participates in strategic planning with the team
• Experience leading agile methodologies 

Highly preferred: 

• Mastery of relational and non-relational databases
• Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA) or equivalent
• Experience with Infrastructure as Code, preferably Terraform

Clearance Requirements:

• Active Secret clearance

Work Type: 

• Hybrid - Hanscom AFB, MA preferred (or Langley, VA, Tampa. FL, Colorado Springs, CO, San Antonio, TX, Arlington, VA) - to include federal holidays, as needed
• May require up to 10% travel

Salary Range:

• $120,000 - $190,000
• 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
• Monthly box of yummy snacks to eat while doing meaningful work
• 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.