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Defense Unicorns › Engineering

Platform Engineer

Defense Unicorns · United States - Remote · Remote

Pay
Not listed
This company didn't publish a range
Posted
Sep 3, 2026
Tracked open for 54 days
Team
Federal Delivery
Full-time
Defense Unicorns hiring
57 open roles
29 in engineering
Security clearancePythonGoKubernetes
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Typical infrastructure engineer pay at startups: $213K median, middle half $185K–$256K (207 posted ranges).

Across all startups we track: $170K–$242K for engineering roles (8,046 listed ranges).

About the role

EMPLOYER IS A CONTRACTOR FOR THE U.S. GOVERNMENT. THIS POSITION REQUIRES U.S. CITIZENSHIP.

Role Description

We are seeking a talented and experienced Platform Engineer to join our team. Possessing strong proficiency with Kubernetes, the ideal candidate will play a crucial role in the development and maintenance of our platform, demonstrating a strong understanding of system architecture, problem-solving skills, and the ability to guide junior engineers.

As a Platform Engineer within our organization, you will join a team of dedicated unicorns who are focused on advancing freedom and independence globally. Our teams work on various different technical baselines depending on specific engagements. We focus our Products on the Platform layer, but to deliver for our Heroes, we also work IaC automation, security, and implementation.

Responsibilities

You will help us automate and build a runtime Production Environment and serve as a link between the Applications, either custom development, COTS, or OSS, and that environment, advocating best practices and facilitating communication between the application teams and platform teams.

In this position, you will be expected to:

  • Validate Solutions/Implementations: Ensure that solutions and implementations align with the outlined tasks and business requirements. Conduct thorough validations to maintain the integrity and efficiency of the platform.

  • Independently Problem Solve: Demonstrate the ability to identify and solve business problems independently. Develop small components to address specific challenges without relying on explicit architecture diagrams.

  • Understand Medium-Level Tasking: Comprehend how medium-level tasks contribute to the achievement of overall goals. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to integrate various components into a cohesive and functional platform.

  • Estimate Time and Effort: Provide accurate time and effort estimates for medium-sized tasks. Assist in project planning and resource allocation based on estimated timelines.

  • Demonstrate Programming Language Proficiency: Possess familiarity with at least one programming language. Exhibit a basic understanding of when to use a programming language versus a shell for efficient task execution.

  • Own the Bridge Between Application Development and Production: Own the bridge between the Application Development team(s) and the Production Environment.

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.

Clearance & Travel Requirements

  • Clearance Requirement: Active Secret clearance highly preferred.

  • Travel Expectations: 10%–25%.

Required Experience and Qualifications

  • Proven experience as a Platform Engineer or similar role, with a focus on system architecture and development.

  • Demonstrated experience with cloud-native technologies such as Kubernetes, Google Cloud, and Docker.

  • Familiarity with continuous delivery, distributed architectures, systems, everything-as-code, containerization, and cloud services.

  • Proficiency in at least one programming language (e.g., Python, Go, Ansible) and a basic understanding of shell scripting.

  • Proficient with YAML.

  • Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to work independently.

  • Excellent communication skills and the ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams.

  • Comfort with debugging systems and reading/writing code.

  • Knowledgeable about DevSecOps/DevOps and CI/CD theory.

  • Ability to obtain and maintain a clearance.

Preferred Experience and Qualifications

  • Active Secret security clearance or higher.

  • Experienced in working on a team following an Agile framework in a remote environment.

  • Experience with security automation and familiarity with API Security, Container Security, and Cloud Security.

  • Familiar with architecture security design, monitoring, and performance instrumentation in a complex enterprise environment.

  • Possess a DoD 8570 IAT II certification.

  • Experienced in Department of Defense work, specifically working on a production Authority to Operate (ATO’d) system.

From Defense Unicorns's careers page. First seen Sep 3, 2026, last verified Oct 25, 2026.

Defense Unicorns hiring momentum

Open roles: 57, down 1 (-2%) over the last 5 days.

Oct 20, 2026 · 58Oct 25, 2026 · 57

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