Senior Software Engineer - Rust & Simulation

BluJuniper, Inc.; Arlington (VA); Hybrid; USD 150,000 - 220,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonuses & stock options

Health, dental, vision coverage

Flexible hybrid work environment

Ownership & leadership authority

Growth opportunities

Job summary

BluJuniper is seeking a Senior Backend Engineer to build high-performance Rust-based simulation and backend systems in a hybrid Arlington, VA setting. You will own major components, design asynchronous services, and collaborate with frontend and AI/ML teams to enable defense-focused applications.

The role emphasizes ownership, architecture work, and hands-on development across demanding workloads, with opportunities for growth and leadership within a security-conscious environment.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of professional software engineering experience.
• 3+ years of professional Rust development experience.
• Strong Rust systems programming, ownership, concurrency, and memory safety.
• Experience with asynchronous Rust using Tokio.
• Backend services, REST APIs, and real-time streaming (SSE/WebSockets).
• Strong PostgreSQL experience including data modeling, schema design, and query optimization.
• Proven ability to own major components and make architectural decisions.
• Experience with code reviews, mentoring, and cross-team collaboration.
• Legally authorized to work in the United States and able to obtain clearance.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and maintain high-performance simulation systems and backend services in Rust.
• Take architectural ownership of major system components, from initial design through production.
• Develop asynchronous backend services, REST APIs, and real-time streaming capabilities.
• Design and optimize PostgreSQL schemas, queries, and data access patterns.
• Build reliable, scalable systems that support complex computational workloads.
• Integrate simulation and backend systems with frontend applications and AI/ML capabilities.
• Establish engineering standards for software quality, maintainability, testing, and reliability.
• Lead technical design discussions, architecture reviews, and code reviews.
• Mentor engineers while remaining an active, hands-on contributor.
• Collaborate with engineering teams to translate complex requirements into production software.

Skills

Rust backend

Concurrency

REST APIs

PostgreSQL

System design

Mentoring

Code reviews

Tools

Tokio

sqlx

serde

Axum

Job description

Build high-performance simulation and backend systems in Rust.

BluJuniper is an AI and optimization company developing advanced software systems for complex operational environments.

We are seeking a Senior Backend Engineer with strong Rust experience to help develop sophisticated defense simulation and backend systems.

This is a hands-on engineering role for someone who enjoys building complex software, solving challenging technical problems, and taking ownership of critical system components.

You will work across simulation engineering and backend development, collaborating closely with our frontend and AI/ML teams to deliver high-performance, reliable software supporting defense and national security missions.

What You’ll Do

• Design, develop, and maintain high-performance simulation systems and backend services using Rust.
• Take architectural ownership of major system components, from initial design through production.
• Develop asynchronous backend services, REST APIs, and real-time streaming capabilities.
• Design and optimize PostgreSQL schemas, queries, and data access patterns.
• Build reliable, scalable systems that support complex computational workloads.
• Integrate simulation and backend systems with frontend applications and AI/ML capabilities.
• Establish engineering standards for software quality, maintainability, testing, and reliability.
• Lead technical design discussions, architecture reviews, and code reviews.
• Mentor engineers while remaining an active, hands-on contributor.
• Collaborate with engineering teams to translate complex requirements into production software.

Required Qualifications

• 5+ years of professional software engineering experience.
• 3+ years of professional Rust development experience.
• Strong understanding of Rust systems programming, ownership, concurrency, and memory safety.
• Production experience developing asynchronous Rust applications using Tokio or equivalent technologies.
• Experience designing and operating backend services, REST APIs, and real-time streaming systems using Server-Sent Events (SSE) or WebSockets.
• Strong experience with PostgreSQL, including relational data modeling, schema design, and query optimization.
• Experience designing and building complex backend or computational systems.
• Demonstrated ability to independently own major software components and make architectural decisions.
• Strong understanding of software architecture, API design, error handling, and concurrency.
• Experience writing maintainable, well-tested production code using automated unit and integration tests.
• Experience conducting code reviews, collaborating across engineering teams, and mentoring other engineers.
• Ability to communicate technical decisions and architectural tradeoffs clearly.
• Legally authorized to work in the United States.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. government security clearance.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience developing simulation engines, game engines, or other computationally intensive software.
• Experience with military wargaming, modeling and simulation, or defense-related software systems.
• Experience building deterministic, reproducible software systems.
• Experience with performance profiling, optimization, and high-throughput computing.
• Experience with Rust frameworks and libraries such as Axum, sqlx, and serde.
• Experience with geospatial data, terrain modeling, coordinate systems, or pathfinding.
• Experience designing distributed systems or applications supporting multiple concurrent users.
• Experience with Docker, CI/CD pipelines, AWS, Azure, or cloud-native deployments.
• Experience developing software for defense, intelligence, or national security applications.
• Active or previously held U.S. government security clearance.

Why Join BluJuniper?

• Significant Technical Ownership
• Take ownership of major software components and help shape the architecture of a sophisticated simulation and backend platform.
• Challenging Engineering Problems
• Work on advanced computational systems that demand strong engineering judgment, reliable design, and thoughtful technical solutions.
• Mission-Driven Technology
• Develop advanced software capabilities supporting defense and national security missions.
• Hands-On Engineering
• Work alongside experienced engineers in a collaborative environment where technical excellence, accountability, and ownership matter.
• Technical Leadership
• Influence architecture decisions, establish engineering practices, and mentor teammates while remaining directly involved in development.

This is a hybrid position based in Arlington, Virginia. Candidates must live in or be willing to relocate to the Washington, DC metropolitan area.

Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States and able to obtain and maintain a U.S. government security clearance. Additional eligibility requirements may apply.

• Performance bonuses and stock options.
• Health, dental, and vision coverage.
• Flexible hybrid work environment.
• Significant technical ownership and decision-making authority.
• Opportunities for professional growth and leadership.