Senior Software Engineer - ATO

Vannevar; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 215,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, dental, and vision insurance

Unlimited PTO

401(k) match

Fully paid parental leave

Job summary

Vannevar, a defense technology company, is searching for an experienced Software Engineer in San Diego. The role involves owning technical roadmaps and deploying AI-enabled software products in secure environments. Candidates should have 7+ years in DevSecOps, full-stack expertise, and exceptional communication skills.

The salary range is $150,000 - $215,000 plus equity, with benefits including health insurance and unlimited PTO.

Qualifications

• 7+ years working in a DevSecOps or related capacity.
• Experience deploying software into a government-authorized environment (IL6, JWICS).
• Strong documentation skills for software accreditation.

Responsibilities

• Own the technical roadmap and execution plan for product deployment.
• Work cross-functionally across product teams.
• Mentor engineers on secure design and operational excellence.

Skills

DevSecOps

Full-stack development

Security principles

Communication skills

Tools

AWS

React

Node

Python

Job description

Vannevar is a defense technology company building AI to deter our adversaries. In the 21st century, conflict moves at algorithmic speed and foresight equals firepower. Our agentic AI is purpose-built to compete with China—from cross‑Strait conflict to gray zone coercion. Trained on the most mission‑relevant datasets in defense, our technology models adversary behavior, simulates campaigns, and recommends the best course of action to decision makers. Our AI systems are some of the most trusted in the industry and actively used on the front lines of the Indo‑Pacific to keep the peace and save lives.

Exceptional technology starts with exceptional people. Vannevar is a small agile team combining world‑class engineers with veteran strategists who bring deep expertise in defense and tradecraft. We’re building a company defined by mission impact, user empathy, and disciplined growth. In just three years, we grew from $3M to $80M in ARR, achieved early profitability, and reached unicorn status—proving that disruption doesn’t require an ego, and staying power doesn’t mean standing still.

About The Role

At Vannevar we’re consistently iterating on AI‑enabled software products to deter our adversaries and lead the fight for strategic competition. This often involves meeting our customers where they’re at—on government networks, higher classification systems, and bespoke deployments. Compliance and security are core principles in how we build software to support the warfighter.

We’re seeking an experienced Software Engineer who can work across the stack, while also providing expertise in DevOps, security, and compliance. An ideal member of the team has previously helped move a software system to a government/DoD environment, can work quickly in complex environments, and has great communication skills.

What you’ll do

• Own the technical roadmap and execution plan to achieve successful deployment of a key product suite to a government‑authorized system.
  • Design, build, and harden our product suite within a compliant cloud environment.
  • Work cross‑functionally across product teams to help align timelines and develop solutions hands‑on to meet security controls.
  • Implement strong change control: security impact analysis, testing/validation plans, and stakeholder notifications for significant changes.
• Cross‑functional leadership
  • Be the subject matter expert for this effort – the company will look to you for progress reports, external talking points, and guidance.
  • Mentor engineers on secure design and operational excellence in regulated environments.
  • Write guidelines, documentation, and create architecture diagrams for external and internal consumption.
  • Translate between “government compliance language” and “engineering reality.”

What we’re looking for

• 7+ years working in a DevSecOps or related capacity
• Experience deploying software into a government‑authorized environment (IL6, JWICS)
• Full‑stack experience – willing to get hands‑on across our full stack (React/Node/Python stack)
• Strong foundation in security principles and experience developing software against security controls (e.g., NIST SP 800‑53) and related frameworks (e.g., OSCAL)
• Strong documentation skills for software accreditation (e.g., deployment runbooks, System Security Plans, CONOPS)
• Experience working with AWS
• Experience working in a fast‑paced environment
• Exceptional communication skills
• Must hold an active U.S. TS Security clearance with SCI Eligibility

What we value (optional)

• Experience working for a contractor of the DoW or government agencies
• Preference for candidates who are located in, or willing to relocate to San Diego, California. If not open to relocation, frequent travel to San Diego would be required.

What we offer

Competitive Salary

The salary range for this position is $150,000 - $215,000 + equity. Within the range, individual pay is determined by experience, relevant education, and/or training.

Comprehensive Benefits

• Health, dental, and vision insurance
• Remote friendly with WeWork access
• Unlimited PTO, shared downtime during the federal holiday calendar, and company‑wide off time at the end of each year
• 401(k) match
• Lifestyle & wellbeing stipends
• Salary top‑up during military reserve duty
• Fully paid parental leave
• Child and pet care reimbursement during travel

Vannevar is an equal opportunity employer, and qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender perception or identity, national origin, age, marital status, protected veteran status, or disability status.

We encourage candidates from all backgrounds to apply, even if you don’t feel like you’re a perfect fit. If you’re passionate about contributing to our mission, we’d love to hear from you!

IMPORTANT NOTICE

We are committed to protecting the privacy of all applicants. Official emails from the company will come from an @vannevarlabs.com domain. Under no circumstances will a legitimate representative from our company contact you to request passwords, financial information, or other sensitive personal data. Please be vigilant of potential scams.