Digital Engineering Developer

Draper Labs; Cambridge (MA); On-site; USD 85,000 - 112,000; Full time

Job summary

Draper Labs in Cambridge, MA seeks a Digital Engineering Developer (MTS-2) to design, build, and maintain software infrastructure for national security programs. You will develop Python/Java services, containerize applications with Docker/Podman, and contribute to CI/CD workflows within a collaborative DREAM Group.

The role emphasizes following quality standards, continuous learning, and cross-team collaboration to deliver reliable, scalable data workflows and analytics solutions.

Qualifications

• Fundamental software development skills in Python/Java.
• Experience with containerized environments and orchestration tools.
• Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines and automation.

Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and maintain Python and Java services for data flow and analytics pipelines.
• Containerize and orchestrate applications using Docker/Podman.
• Develop scripts to automate builds, tests, and deployments; contribute to CI pipelines.

Skills

Python

Java

Docker

Podman

CI/CD

Tools

GitLab CI

Jenkins

Job description

Overview:

Draper is an independent, nonprofit research and development company headquartered in Cambridge, MA. The 2,000+ employees of Draper tackle important national challenges with a promise of delivering successful and usable solutions. From military defense and space exploration to biomedical engineering, lives often depend on the solutions we provide. Our multidisciplinary teams of engineers and scientists work in a collaborative environment that inspires the cross-fertilization of ideas necessary for true innovation. For more information about Draper, visit www.draper.com.

Job Description Summary:

The MTS-2 Digital Engineering Developer will join the Digital Retrieval, Engineering, Architecture, and Management (DREAM) Group to design, develop, and maintain software centric infrastructure for multi domain national security programs. Working under senior engineers, the incumbent will apply basic software development knowledge to well defined problems, gain hands on experience with container technologies, and grow technical breadth through continuous learning.

Key Capability Areas:

• Technical Depth & Breadth: Apply foundational software engineering concepts to well scoped tasks and using the following languages (Python or Java) and tooling (Docker, Podman, CI/CD pipelines).
• Best Practice & QMS Adherence: Follow Draper's established processes and quality standards, suggesting improvements when appropriate.
• Growth Mindset: Pursue formal and informal learning to deepen expertise in software infrastructure and cloud native patterns.
• Problem Definition & Execution: Understand task level requirements, independently solve scoped problems, and conduct basic research when needed.
• Resource Utilization: Seek help and leverage available resources; collaborate across teams.
• Process Improvement: Identify and communicate task level inefficiencies to leadership.
• Project Management & Teamwork: Execute assignments on schedule, report issues promptly, and hold self accountable as an active team member.
• Professionalism & Mentoring: Maintain a respectful work environment and receive constructive feedback positively.

Core Responsibilities:

• Software Infrastructure Development Design, implement, and maintain Python and Java services that support data flow and analytics pipelines. Develop, containerize, and orchestrate applications using Docker and Podman, creating reproducible build environments.
• CI/CD & Automation Write scripts (Python/Bash) to automate builds, tests, and deployments into container registries and orchestration platforms. Contribute to continuous integration pipelines (e.g., GitLab CI, Jenkins) ensuring reliable delivery.
• System Integration & Support Collaborate with systems engineers to integrate software components into larger architectures (e.g., service oriented architecture). Provide support for cross domain data workflows, troubleshooting runtime issues in containerized environments.
• Process & Quality Adherence Follow Draper's QMS and best practice guidelines; suggest improvements when appropriate.
• Team Collaboration