Senior Full Stack Engineer

Sphinx Defense; Chantilly (VA); Hybrid; USD 157,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Meaningful equity ownership

Profit sharing

Employer 401(k) contribution

Health, dental, and vision insurance

Job summary

Sphinx Defense is hiring a Senior Full Stack Engineer to build the next generation of mission planning and command-and-control software for space communications programs. This role combines leading front-end UI work with deep back-end contributions across the full stack, including APIs and services.

You will mentor junior engineers, help scale the team, and uphold high standards for security, testing, and reliability in a hybrid environment.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of progressive web or software development experience.
• Strong front-end and back-end development capabilities.
• Experience with Python, API development, and SQL.
• Experience with Docker and Kubernetes.
• Ability to work in secure, government-style environments and communicate across cross-functional teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead development of intuitive user interfaces and contribute across the full stack.
• Build scalable, secure web applications with robust testing.
• Design and improve APIs and backend services for front-end needs.
• Develop and maintain backend functionality using Python, SQL, RESTful APIs, and containers.
• Mentor junior engineers and drive quality through reviews and best practices.

Skills

Full stack development

Front-end development

Back-end development

Python

SQL

REST APIs

Docker

Kubernetes

Code reviews

Mentoring

Tools

Docker

Kubernetes

Job description

Sphinx builds software to solve complex national security problems in Space. Founded by engineers and technologists with deep experience across commercial and defense technology, we were frustrated by the outdated and insecure technology America's service members are forced to rely on. We're here to do better.

We’re focused on building modern, scalable products with an emphasis on using open source technologies. Expect talented, motivated, and interesting colleagues who emphasize collaboration, transparency, and individual responsibility.

About the role

Sphinx is hiring a Senior Full Stack Engineer to join our team building the next generation of mission planning and command and control software for space communications programs. This team is tasked with creating modern, resilient services and capabilities to support the U.S. Government. As our engineering organization continues to scale rapidly, you’ll also play an important role in helping establish strong technical practices, supporting a growing team, and maintaining quality and consistency as we expand.

As a Senior Full Stack Engineer, you will lead the development of intuitive, high-quality user interfaces and front-end experiences for Sphinx’s space vehicle mission planning platform, while also contributing across the full stack. We’re seeking an experienced engineer with strong front-end development expertise and a solid understanding of backend development, APIs, databases, and service integration. You’ll work as an individual contributor while also providing technical leadership and mentorship to more junior engineers.

What you will be focusing on

• Translating design mockups, user feedback, and system requirements into functional, visually appealing, and intuitive user interfaces
• Building performant, secure, and well-tested web applications with a focus on scalability, automation, usability, and security
• Leading the development of critical features across the full software development lifecycle, with significant influence from user feedback, system requirements, design engineering, and evolving customer needs
• Designing, developing, and improving APIs and backend services that effectively support front-end applications and system capabilities
• Developing and maintaining backend functionality using technologies such as Python, SQL, RESTful APIs, and containerized architectures
• Collaborating closely with QA and other engineering disciplines to define acceptance criteria, meet functional and technical requirements, identify defects, and ensure software quality
• Writing and maintaining automated unit, integration, and functional tests to validate functionality and ensure requirements are met
• Conducting thorough code reviews to maintain code quality, enforce best practices, and ensure adherence to established standards
• Advocating for improvements to product usability, quality, security, and performance that positively impact your team and end users
• Supporting junior engineering talent through mentorship and technical guidance

You might be a good fit if you have

• 5+ years of progressively responsible web or software development experience using modern development approaches
• Strong front-end development experience, with a deep understanding of modern UI development principles, component-based architecture, responsive design, performance, and usability
• Experience translating designs, user needs, and requirements into intuitive, production-quality user experiences
• Strong full-stack fundamentals with the ability to work effectively with backend systems, including Python, API development and integration, application architecture, and service-to-service communication
• Experience working with relational databases and SQL, including querying and integrating data into web applications
• Experience designing, consuming, and integrating APIs between front-end applications and backend services
• Understanding of modern containerized and microservices architectures using technologies such as Docker and Kubernetes
• Experience collaborating with QA throughout the software development lifecycle, including defining acceptance criteria, troubleshooting defects, validating functionality, and supporting release readiness
• Demonstrated experience writing automated tests and developing software against defined user, functional, and technical requirements
• A strong understanding of software engineering best practices, including code reviews, version control, automated testing, security, performance, and maintainability
• Comfort working with ambiguity, self-directing your work, and providing technical guidance to other engineers
• A demonstrated ability to own technical problems end-to-end and make sound engineering tradeoffs
• Excellent communication skills and experience working with end users and cross-functional teams to design and build solutions that meet their needs
• Experience developing, testing, and deploying software within air-gapped or highly secure government network environments
• Have the ability to hold and maintain a U.S. Government TS/SCI clearance

Bonus points if you have the following

• Experience designing and developing intuitive user interfaces featuring real-time, 2D/3D geospatial visualizations
• Experience building software for mission-critical, defense, aerospace, or other highly secure environments
• Actively hold a U.S. Government Secret Clearance

Location

This role is a hybrid role and can be based out of Colorado Springs, CO, El Segundo, CA, or Chantilly, VA.

Compensation

This role is between $157,000 - $190,000 base salary.

Benefits

• Competitive salary
• Meaningful equity ownership
• Profit sharing
• Employer 401(k) contribution
• 100% employer covered medical, dental, and vision insurance for you and your dependents

Eligibility

Must be a US Citizen and be able to obtain and hold a U.S. Top Secret security clearance and be eligible to obtain and maintain a TS/SCI clearance. To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder), (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITAR here.

EEO statement

At Sphinx Defense, we are devoted to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. Sphinx Defense is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity.

At Sphinx Defense, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection. As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measure the effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categories is as follows:

• A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.
• A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.
• An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.
• An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.

Clearance eligibility

For more information about U.S. Security Clearances: click here.

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