Platform Full-Stack Engineer - US Defense / Public Sector

McKinsey & Company; New York (NY); On-site; USD 195,300 - 199,200; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive benefits package

Mentorship and apprenticeship programs

Competitive salary

Job summary

A leading consulting firm is seeking a Full-Stack Engineer to join its team focused on developing an AI platform for US Defense. This role demands strong expertise in Python, React, and NextJS, alongside experience in AI agents and CI/CD pipelines. As part of a dynamic team, you will tackle technical challenges, drive innovation, and contribute significantly to the firm's generative AI initiatives. Candidates must possess a SECRET Security Clearance and have a background in defense or enterprise platforms.

Qualifications

• US citizenship required.
• Defense experience and experience working with data at various classification levels required.
• SECRET Security Clearance required; TS+ clearance preferred.
• 3+ years of experience as a Software Engineer; previous enterprise platform experience preferred.

Skills

Python

AI agents / agentic applications

React

NextJS

Neo4J / knowledge graphs

PostgreSQL or cloud equivalent

CI/CD pipeline setup and management

Confidence scoring and validation pipelines

Cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP)

Containerization

Job description

Technology & Digital

Platform Full‑Stack Engineer - US Defense / Public Sector

Your Impact

Do you want to work on complex and pressing challenges— the kind that bring together curious, ambitious, and determined leaders who strive to become better every day? If this sounds like you, you've come to the right place.

Come and work with our Firm’s top technical minds on a product team developing an AI Platform that will enable next‑generation client services. Be at the forefront of developing this exciting technology for our Firm.

You will work with a cross‑functional team that includes senior firm leaders, CST leaders, practice leaders and cutting‑edge engineers. The team is led by some of our Firm’s most senior leaders, including Asutosh Padhi, Brian Elliott, and Klemens Hjartar and is scaling to a large team of full‑stack engineers, data engineers, data scientists, and designers.

This role will specifically focus on customization and additional features required to deploy this platform for Defense and other Government clients.

We are looking for Full Stack Engineer with expertise in Python, agents, API development, LLMs and familiarity with database and cloud technology.

As a Software Engineer on the Platform team, you will be at the forefront of our firm’s Generative AI initiatives. Your role will involve writing, testing, debugging, and maintaining application code using Python, React and NextJS. You will leverage industry‑leading LLMs to drive data retrieval and synthesis.

Your expertise will be crucial in identifying and resolving technical issues and challenges. This involves keeping up to date with the fast‑moving technology of generative AI and leveraging the best of the industry to keep the Platform at the leading edge of generative AI products. You will be pivotal in driving innovation within our firm, delivering impactful AI solutions, and collaborating with a distributed team across the world.

Your Growth

Driving lasting impact and building long‑term capabilities with our clients is not easy work. You are the kind of person who thrives in a high performance/high reward culture—doing hard things, picking yourself up when you stumble, and having the resilience to try another way forward.

In return for your drive, determination, and curiosity, we’ll provide the resources, mentorship, and opportunities you need to become a stronger leader faster than you ever thought possible. Your colleagues—at all levels—will invest deeply in your development, just as much as they invest in delivering exceptional results for clients. Every day, you’ll receive apprenticeship, coaching, and exposure that will accelerate your growth in ways you won’t find anywhere else.

When you join us, you will have:

• Continuous learning: Our learning and apprenticeship culture, backed by structured programs, is all about helping you grow while creating an environment where feedback is clear, actionable, and focused on your development. The real magic happens when you take the input from others to heart and embrace the fast‑paced learning experience, owning your journey.
• A voice that matters: From day one, we value your ideas and contributions. You’ll make a tangible impact by offering innovative ideas and practical solutions, all while upholding our unwavering commitment to ethics and integrity. We not only encourage diverse perspectives, but they are critical in driving us toward the best possible outcomes.
• Global community: With colleagues across 65+ countries and over 100 different nationalities, our firm’s diversity fuels creativity and helps us come up with the best solutions for our clients. Plus, you’ll have the opportunity to learn from exceptional colleagues with diverse backgrounds and experiences.
• World‑class benefits: On top of a competitive salary (based on your location, experience, and skills), we provide a comprehensive benefits package to enable holistic well‑being for you and your family.

Your qualifications and skills

• US Citizenship required
• Defense experience and experience working with data at various classification levels required
• SECRET Security Clearance Required; TS+ clearance preferred
• 3+ years of experience as a Software Engineer; Previous enterprise platform experience preferred
• Strong programming skills in Python
• Expertise with AI agents / agentic applications
• React and NextJS, Neo4J / knowledge graphs, PostgreSQL or cloud equivalent such as Amazon RDS
• Experience with CI/CD pipeline setup and management.
• Experience with confidence scoring and validation pipelines
• Familiarity in using cloud platforms for deploying and managing applications – multiple cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) a plus
• Knowledge of containerization

Please review the additional requirements regarding essential job functions of McKinsey colleagues.

Our unwavering commitment to integrity drives everything we do, guiding us to always act in the best interests of our clients, our people, and the communities we serve.

Equal Opportunity

FOR U.S. APPLICANTS: McKinsey & Company is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected Veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

Certain US jurisdictions require McKinsey & Company to include a reasonable estimate of the salary for this role. For new joiners in the United States, including all office locations where the job may be performed, a reasonable estimated range is $195,300 – $199,200 USD – to help you understand what you can expect. This reflects our best estimate of the lowest to highest salary for this role at the time of this posting, ensuring you have a clear picture right from the start, though it’s important to remember that actual salaries may vary. Factors like your office location, your unique blend of experience and skills, start date and our current organizational needs all play a part in determining the final figure. Certain roles are also eligible for bonuses, subject to McKinsey’s discretion and based on factors such as individual and/or organizational performance.

Additionally, we provide a comprehensive benefits package that reflects our commitment to the wellness of our colleagues and their families. This includes medical, mental health, dental and vision coverage, telemedicine services, life, accident and disability insurance, parental leave and family planning benefits, caregiving resources, a generous retirement contributions program, financial guidance, and paid time off.

FOR NON-U.S. APPLICANTS: McKinsey & Company is an Equal Opportunity employer. For additional details regarding our global EEO policy and diversity initiatives, please visit our McKinsey Careers and Diversity & Inclusion sites.