Senior FDE Data Engineer (Kubernetes)

TL;DR

Senior FDE Data Engineer (Kubernetes): Deploying and hardening the UDS Data Capability within DoD environments with an accent on lakehouse architecture, secure data pipelines, and Kubernetes orchestration. Focus on integrating legacy systems with modern data stacks and ensuring system stability in classified, air-gapped environments.

Location: Remote (USA). U.S. Citizenship and active DoD security clearance (minimum Secret) are strictly required.

Salary: $148,750 - $201,250 USD

Company

hirify.global delivers secure, cloud-native software delivery solutions and automation tooling for U.S. government and defense agencies.

What you will do

• Deploy and harden UDS Data Capability (Iceberg, Rook/Ceph, Postgres) in classified DoD environments.
• Build and manage data pipelines for ingestion and transformation across classification boundaries using Zarf.
• Integrate modern data stacks with legacy systems including Oracle, SQL Server, and SOAP/REST endpoints.
• Operate production workloads, managing capacity, performance, and observability via Vector and Loki.
• Generate accreditation artifacts for ISSM/ISSO, including STIG evidence and cATO documentation.
• Mentor junior FDEs and provide high-signal field feedback to product teams to improve platform reliability.

Requirements

• U.S. Citizenship and active DoD security clearance (Secret minimum, TS/SCI preferred).
• Production experience with Apache Iceberg, object storage (Ceph/S3), and Postgres (including pgvector).
• Proficiency with Kafka (Strimzi), CDC patterns (Debezium), and orchestration tools like Airflow or Argo.
• Strong Kubernetes expertise, including operators, CRDs, and GitOps patterns (Flux, ArgoCD).
• Deep knowledge of Linux fundamentals, networking, TLS, and IaC (Terraform/Pulumi).
• Ability to travel 10%-25% to on-site locations, including SCIFs.

Culture & Benefits

• 100% company-paid medical, dental, and vision insurance premiums.
• Financial perks including a 401k retirement plan and company stock options.
• Flexible Time Off (FTO) plus extensive holiday breaks including Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year.
• Home office budget and reimbursement for approved trainings and conferences.
• Paid parental leave and Health Savings Account (HSA).