Software Engineer, Golang
Defense Unicorns · United States
- Hybrid
- Full-time
- $166,000 / year
- United States
Job highlights
- Build and operate UDS Registry for mission environments.
- Develop and maintain Pepr and Lula tools.
- Lead feature design, implementation, and deployment.
- Collaborate internally and with open source community.
- Integrate software with defense systems and ensure security.
About the role
Software Engineer, Golang - Defense Unicorns
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.
Remote - USA
$123,250—$166,750 USD
Who We Are
Defense Unicorns delivers mission value by streamlining software delivery so our customers can focus on the most important challenges. We share a vision of freedom and security for the advancement of progress and innovation. Our commitment to this vision, and to our mission-driven customers, means a commitment to speed, user experience and optionality, without compromising security. Our team is composed of innovators, software engineers, and veterans with decades of experience delivering technology programs across the federal market.
What We Do
We create and deliver secure solutions for continuous software integration and delivery. Defense Unicorns consolidates the best practices for security pipelines, testing, and deployment automation in order to meet the high security requirements valued by mission owners. Our solutions are agnostic by design and we believe that growing a robust ecosystem of secure, cloud-native software solutions can help enterprise customers inside and outside the federal market buy and integrate software more easily.
Who We Serve
Defense Unicorns’ customers are mission-focused leaders across public and private enterprises. We proudly support defense and civil agencies across the U.S. government and we work closely with the creators of leading-edge software solutions to deliver value to the mission-owner by improving the security and consumability of commercial software products.
What We Work On
- Kubernetes
- Cloud Environments (AWS/GCP and Azure)
- Infrastructure-as-code (like Terraform/Pulumi)
- Continuous Delivery and automation tooling
- GitOps
- Containers
- CNCF projects and open source products and packages
- Helm/Kustomize
- Value Stream Mapping
- Building and improving security delivery
- Building Kubernetes and cloud native applications
Health
Benefits Our Unicorns Enjoy
- 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)
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.
CCPA DISCLOSURE
Key skills/competency
- Software Engineering
- Golang
- UDS Registry
- System Design
- APIs
- Databases
- Cloud Architecture
- Kubernetes
- Supply Chain Security
- Open Source Contribution
Skills & topics
- Software Engineer
- Golang
- Go
- UDS Registry
- Defense Unicorns
- Cloud Native
- Kubernetes
- System Design
- API
- Database
- Cloud Architecture
- AWS
- Azure
- OCI Specifications
- Supply Chain Security
- SBOM
- Open Source
- CNCF
- Remote
How to get hired
- Tailor your resume: Highlight Go proficiency, system design, cloud architecture, and supply chain security experience. Quantify achievements.
- Showcase open-source contributions: Emphasize involvement in CNCF, ASF, or OpenSSF projects. Mention specific contributions.
- Demonstrate understanding: Clearly articulate your experience with Kubernetes, OCI specifications, and defense systems integration.
- Prepare for technical interviews: Be ready to discuss Go programming, system design principles, and problem-solving approaches.
- Highlight remote work success: Detail your experience working proactively and managing time effectively in a remote setting.
Technical preparation
Behavioral questions
Frequently asked questions
- What is the UDS Registry at Defense Unicorns?
- The UDS Registry is a system developed and operated by Defense Unicorns to manage and deploy UDS packages for mission environments. It's designed to serve the ISSM persona and is a key part of the company's offerings in continuous software delivery.
- What programming languages are preferred for the Software Engineer role at Defense Unicorns?
- Proficiency in Go is required for this Software Engineer position. While Go is the primary focus, proficiency in other modern programming languages is considered a plus, indicating a need for adaptable and skilled developers.
- Does Defense Unicorns encourage contributions to open source projects?
- Yes, Defense Unicorns strongly encourages contributions to open source projects, especially those within CNCF, ASF, or OpenSSF. Participating in and contributing to these communities is viewed as a significant advantage for candidates.
- What kind of cloud architecture experience is expected for this role?
- A strong understanding of system design, APIs, databases, and cloud architecture is expected. This includes familiarity with major cloud providers like AWS, Azure, and concepts related to Kubernetes.
- What is Defense Unicorns' stance on diversity and inclusion?
- Defense Unicorns is committed to diversity and inclusion. They encourage applications from candidates who may not meet every listed qualification, emphasizing that enthusiasm and potential are valued. They are an equal opportunity employer.
- What are the typical responsibilities of a Software Engineer on the UDS Registry team?
- Responsibilities include collaborating on feature development, integrating software with defense systems, owning architecture decisions, participating in on-call rotations, developing documentation, and mentoring other engineers. A significant part involves working within open-source communities.
- What is the work environment like at Defense Unicorns?
- Defense Unicorns offers a vibrant remote work environment. The company values action, ownership, and focus, encouraging employees to be proactive, manage their time efficiently, and thrive in a collaborative setting, often using Slack and GitHub.
- What is the travel expectation for this Software Engineer role?
- The travel expectation for this role is relatively low, ranging between 5-15%. This indicates a predominantly remote role with occasional travel required for specific project needs or team meetups.
- How does Defense Unicorns approach compensation for its employees?
- Compensation packages are based on candidate experience and established using national benchmarking data. The provided salary range is for the U.S. market, and full compensation includes salary, benefits, and potential stock options.
- What is the importance of OCI Specifications and Supply Chain Security for this role?
- Familiarity with OCI Specifications (Image and Distribution) and experience with Supply Chain Security (e.g., SBOMs, security scanning) are preferred qualifications. These are critical for ensuring the security and integrity of software packages managed by the UDS Registry.