Staff Software Engineer

Who we are:

Raft (https://teamraft.com) is a customer-obsessed non-traditional small business with purposeful focus on Distributed Data Systems, Platforms at Scale, and Complex Application Development, with headquarters in Reston, VA. Our range of clients include 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.

Our team is rapidly growing and looking for an experienced Staff Software Engineer to support our customer and join our passionate team of high-impact problem solvers. We enjoy the challenges of human-centered design, security, and scale to create better outcomes for our federal agency partners. We are a remote-first and work completely in the open source.

About the role:

As a Staff Software Engineer, with expertise in Kafka and Java, you will play a critical role in designing, developing, and maintaining our innovative software solutions. 

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to design and implement high-performance, scalable, and reliable software solutions
  
• Develop and maintain Kafka-based data streaming pipelines and applications
  
• Write clean, maintainable, and efficient code in Java
  
• Troubleshoot and resolve software defects and performance issues
  
• Collaborate with product managers to define and refine software requirements
  
• Keep up-to-date with industry trends and best practices in software development

What we are looking for:

• Proven hands-on experience as a Software Engineer with a strong background in Java development
• Expertise in Apache Kafka and Kafka Streams
• Proficiency in working with distributed systems and microservices architecture
• Solid understanding of data structures, algorithms, and software design principles
• Strong problem-solving skills and attention to detail
• Excellent communication and teamwork abilities
• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science or related field
• Obtain Security+ within 90 days of employment with Raft
• Ability to travel periodically

Highly preferred:

• Experience with cloud platforms (e.g., AWS, Azure, GCP)
• Knowledge of containerization and orchestration technologies (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes)
• Familiarity with other programming languages (e.g., Python, Go)
• Previous experience working with federal and public agencies

Clearance Requirements:

• Ability to obtain and maintain a Top Secret Security Clearance

Position Type and Location:

• Hybrid
  • 20% travel in/around Boston, MA and Hanscom AFB area

What we will offer you:

• Highly competitive salary
• Fully covered healthcare, dental, and vision coverage
• 401(k) and company match
• Unlimited 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.