Backend Data Engineer, Python & SQL

Bitwise; Fort Meade (MD); On-site; USD 230,000 - 271,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Top salaries

PTO options 3–5 weeks

11 federal holidays paid

Snow days

401(k) match up to 24%

Employer-paid health/dental/vision/ins

Education assistance $5,250

Spot bonuses

Job summary

Bitwise is seeking a Software Engineer Full Stack (Backend Focus) in Fort Meade, MD. An active TS//SCI clearance with polygraph is required.

You will join a forward-deployed development team providing critical mission support and work closely with analysts and operators to develop software solutions for complex intelligence challenges. You will own key responsibilities including data transforms, gathering feature requests, exploring unknown data, and building tools to improve performance.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of software engineering experience or 4+ additional years of relevant experience in place of a B.S.
• Strong experience with Python and data processing
• Proficiency with SQL and knowledge of database flavors
• Understanding of git and GitLab for source control
• Comfort interfacing with customers and taking direct feedback
• Active TS//SCI clearance with polygraph
• AWS Certifications
• DevOps CI/CD experience
• Experience with agency data processing and storage
• Experience developing with AI Agents
• Background in Intelligence Community operations

Responsibilities

• Develop data transforms for diverse data types (text, JSON, XML, etc.)
• Gather feature requests and translate into application requirements
• Analyze unknown data to help analysts ask the right questions
• Build tools to improve application and transform performance
• Manage and support mission-critical servers, acting as backend developer and sysadmin
• Interact directly with customers and iterate quickly on feedback

Skills

Python

Dataframes (pandas, polars)

SQL

Git/GitLab

Customer interaction

DevOps CI/CD

AI Agents

Intelligence Community operations

AWS Certifications

Tools

GitLab

PostgreSQL

MySQL

AWS

CI/CD tooling

Job description

Software Engineer Full Stack (Backend Focus)

** An active TS//SCI clearance with polygraph is required for this role **

Bitwise is a leading provider of mission-focused intelligence solutions that advance national security for the Intelligence Community and Department of Defense. We're a small and growing company, so you can expect to hop in on the ground floor with us and be a consequential member of the team. You'll be more than a contract performer for us — you'll also be asked for ideas to improve our company and improve your career, and you'll contribute to our team culture. We value growth and community above almost all else, so we gather regularly for game nights, happy hours, tech talks, and plenty more. We think you'll like it here!

Remember, Bitwise is not a cult.

What We Look For

Bitwise hires talented engineers who are driven by purpose and who value a culture of technical excellence, growth, and overall wellness. We deliver new and innovative intelligence solutions to our customers at the very forefront of our country's national security missions. And we do it every single day. Our work matters, and so will you.

We ask that every new hire be able to:

• Contribute meaningful thought leadership — if not right away, over time


• Interact with our customers and earn their confidence in your abilities


• Be detailed, even if that means taking a little more time to get it right


• Contribute their ideas and ideals to improve all aspects of our company


• Allow us to invest in their education so we both grow together

You will join a forward-deployed development team providing critical mission support. As a Software Engineer Full Stack with backend focus, you'll work closely with analysts and operators to develop software solutions for complex intelligence challenges. You'll have the opportunity to engage across the entire intelligence pipeline—from sitting directly with operators to help them leverage the tools we build, to providing analysts with solutions that help them understand their data and make informed decisions supporting national security.

You will own several key responsibilities:

• Develop data transforms for every kind of data—text, JSON, databases, XML, configurations, and more


• Gather feature requests and new application requirements while deeply understanding project and customer needs


• Dive into unknown data and help analysts figure out the right questions to ask


• Build tools to improve application and transform performance, enabling more data to be understood and processed


• Manage and support mission-critical servers supporting operations, working as both a backend developer and systems administrator when needed


• Interact directly with customers, receive feedback in real time, and iterate quickly based on their needs

Requirements

• 8+ years of experience in software engineering, or 4+ additional years of relevant experience in place of a B.S. in a technical discipline


• Strong experience with Python


• Solid knowledge of dataframes (pandas, polars)


• Proficiency with SQL and familiarity with different database flavors (SQLite, PostgreSQL, MySQL)


• Understanding of git and GitLab for source control


• Comfort working directly with customers and receiving direct feedback


• Active TS//SCI clearance with polygraph


• AWS Certifications


• DevOps CI/CD experience


• Experience with agency data processing and data storage


• Experience developing with AI Agents


• Background in Intelligence Community operations

Benefits at Bitwise

• Top salaries because we're top performers


• Pick your PTO — Everyone values time and money differently, so we give you the flexibility to choose between 3 and 5 weeks of PTO with a corresponding adjustment to your pay. Your choice, your balance.


• All 11 federal holidays, paid!


• Up to 2 snow days, paid!


• We'll quadruple (4x!) the first 6% you contribute to your 401(k), giving you up to a 24% company match. Contributing less than 6%? Unclaimed matches come right back to you as extra income, giving you a guaranteed 24% that goes to your retirement, to your paycheck, or both. C'mon now!


• 100% employer-paid medical, dental, vision, life, and disability insurances. That's a lot. Already covered on health insurance? No problem — we'll trade you this benefit for a boost to your salary instead.


• $5,250 annual education assistance for training, certifications, tuition, and even student loan repayments.


• Spot bonuses for obtained certifications, customer recognition, and just about anything else that makes us go "Hot damn"! We hope to say that many times about you.

Salary Range

$230,000 – $271,000

This range includes our flex income and depends upon your annual work hours.

Salary is determined on an individual basis following the interview process and considering various factors such as years of experience, skills, education, and certifications.

What to Expect After Applying

You'll get an email from us right away to acknowledge your application. After that, we'll:

• Send over additional company materials for you to review


• Schedule a video call to talk about you, our company, and your place in it


• Craft a delightful offer package for you and record a video walkthrough


• Work closely with you through onboarding. We'll keep it joyful and easy.

Bitwise is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected status. All employment decisions are based on qualifications, merit, and business needs.

Compensation for this position, including all compensation options, will be determined on an individual basis following the interview process.

If you require accommodations at any stage of the application or interview process, please reach out to us.