Forward Deployed Engineer

Raft; Huntsville (AL); On-site; USD 110,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Healthcare coverage

401(k) plan with company match

Paid time off + holidays

Job summary

Raft is seeking a Forward Deployed Engineer in Huntsville, AL to act as the technical face of the organization for mission-critical production systems. You will troubleshoot complex issues, collaborate with engineering teams, and support containerized deployments in Kubernetes in secure environments.

The role requires strong communication with both technical and non-technical stakeholders, onsite work in Huntsville, and potential travel for CONUS/OCONUS obligations.

Qualifications

• Production systems deployment and support experience.
• Strong software engineering principles.
• Kubernetes debugging and production troubleshooting expertise.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary technical liaison between engineering teams and customers.
• Troubleshoot and debug production systems at the system level; maximize uptime.
• Deploy, maintain, and support containerized apps in Kubernetes environments.
• Provide expert CICD pipeline and container orchestration support.
• Diagnose and resolve complex technical issues across stacks.
• Collaborate with backend teams to implement solutions.
• Support deployments and maintain production reliability.
• Interface with customer stakeholders in secure environments.

Skills

Production systems engineering

Software engineering fundamentals

System-level debugging

Kubernetes debugging

CI/CD tooling

Cross-team collaboration

Customer-facing communication

Wide tech stack knowledge

Tools

Kubernetes

OpenShift

Job description

This is a U.S. based position. All of the programs we support require U.S. citizenship to be eligible for employment. All work must be conducted within the continental U.S.

Who we are:

Raft (https://TeamRaft.com) is a customer-obsessed non-traditional defense tech company dedicated to empowering U.S. military and government agencies with cutting-edge AI/ML and data solutions. We are a leader in autonomous data fusion and Agentic AI, with a purposeful focus on Distributed Data Systems, Platforms at Scale, and Complex Application Development. With headquarters in McLean, VA, our range of clients includes innovative federal and public agencies leveraging design thinking, cutting-edge tech stack, and cloud-native ecosystem. We build digital solutions that impact the lives of millions of Americans.

About the role:

We're seeking a talented Forward Deployed Engineer to serve as the technical face of our organization in Huntsville, AL. This role combines deep engineering expertise with strong interpersonal skills to support mission-critical production systems in a forward-deployed environment. You'll be the go-to technical expert for our customers, troubleshooting complex system issues and ensuring operational excellence.

What You'll Do:

• Serve as the primary technical liaison between our engineering teams and forward-deployed customers
• Troubleshoot and debug production systems at the system level, ensuring maximum uptime and performance
• Deploy, maintain, and support containerized applications in Kubernetes environments
• Provide expert-level technical support for CICD pipelines and container orchestration platforms
• Diagnose and resolve complex technical issues across diverse technology stacks
• Collaborate with backend engineering teams to implement solutions and improvements
• Support operational deployments and maintain system reliability in production environments
• Interface directly with customer stakeholders in secure environments

Required Qualifications

• Strong engineering background with proven experience deploying and supporting production systems
• Solid understanding of software engineering principles and practices
• Hands-on experience with Kubernetes debugging and troubleshooting
• Expertise in CICD tools and methodologies
• Demonstrated ability in system-level debugging across multiple platforms
• Broad technical knowledge spanning various technologies and architectures
• Excellent communication skills with ability to interface effectively with technical and non-technical stakeholdersOutgoing personality with strong customer-facing capabilities

Desired Qualifications

• Prior experience working in SCIF environments or with cleared customers
• Previous INDOPACOM experience or familiarity with the region
• Experience with OpenShift or other Kubernetes distributions
• Background supporting DoD or federal government customers
• Familiarity with containerization technologies and cloud-native architectures

Clearance Requirements:

• Active Secret with the ability to obtain and maintain a Top Secret security clearance

Work Type:

• Onsite in Huntsville, AL
• May require up to 25% travel to both CONUS and OCONUS locations (Must possess a valid, active US passport with at least six months validity beyond intended period of employment to facilitate international travel and meet security requirements for government contracts.)

Salary Range: $110,000 - $200,000

• The determination of compensation is predicated upon a candidate's comprehensive experience, demonstrated skill, and proven abilities

What we will offer you:

• Highly competitive salary
• Fully covered healthcare, dental, and vision coverage
• 401(k) and company match
• Take as you need PTO + 11 paid holidays
• And More!

Our Vision Statement:

We bridge the gap between humans and data through radical transparency and our obsession withthemission.

Our Customer Obsession:

We will approach every deliverable like it's a product. We will adopt a customer-obsessed mentality. As we grow, and our footprint becomes larger, teams and employees will treat each other not only as teammates but customers. We must live the customer-obsessed mindset, always. This will help us scale and it will translate to the interactions that our Rafters have with their clients and other product teams that they integrate with. Our culture will enable our success and set us apart from other companies.

How do we get there?

Public-sector modernization is critical for us to live in a better world. We, at Raft, want to innovate and solve complex problems. And, if we are successful, our generation and the ones that follow us will live in a delightful, efficient, and accessible world where out-of-box thinking,and collaboration is a norm.

Raft’s core philosophy isUbuntu: IAm, BecauseWe are. We support our“nadi”by elevating the other Rafters. We work as a hyper collaborative team where each team member brings a unique perspective, adding value that did not exist before. People make Raft special. We celebrate each other and our cognitive and cultural diversity. We are devoted to our practice of innovation and collaboration.

We’re an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status.