Software Engineer (Virginia)

Kestrel Intelligence; Virginia (MN); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Kestrel Intelligence is seeking a Software Engineer to build scalable autonomy systems and geospatial data pipelines. You will design CI/CD artifacts, data structures, and UI components, while deploying robust infrastructure across cloud environments and ensuring compliance for DoD IL workloads.

The role demands engineering rigor and adaptability, with experience in Terraform, GitHub Actions, Python APIs, and large-scale architectures.

Qualifications

• Experience with CI/CD pipelines and cloud deployment
• Proficiency in Python-based API development
• Familiarity with large-scale infrastructure architecture
• Knowledge of security/compliance for GovCloud/DoD IL
• Experience designing multi-cloud deployment patterns

Responsibilities

• Design and deploy infrastructure using Terraform
• Lead deployment of Python-based APIs to cloud environments
• Experience with large-scale infrastructure architecture
• Establish infrastructure best practices from the ground up (dev/stage/prod); secure networking, IAM and secrets management; logging/monitoring/alerting
• Design and maintain CI/CD pipelines using GitHub Actions
• Apply AWS GovCloud and DoD IL experience to ensure compliant infrastructure; future deployment readiness
• Design deployment patterns supporting multi-cloud environments; minimize provider lock-in
• Plan and advise on future GovCloud/DoD IL deployments
• Identify and mitigate infrastructure and compliance risks early

Skills

CI/CD

Python

Terraform

AWS GovCloud

Cloud architecture

Multi-cloud

Security compliance

Tools

GitHub Actions

Terraform

Job description

The Mission

At Kestrel, we are building the future of scalable autonomy across domains. Our systems enable commercial and national security customers to sense and act in support of complex missions without significant autonomous system expertise. This technology bridges domains (e.g., space, air, land, sea) and fields (e.g., AI, orbital dynamics, geospatial), requiring a team that has both breadth and depth in these related topics.

The Role

As a Kestrel Software Engineer, you will lead the development of CI/CD artifacts, data structures, data processing pipelines, components of an agentic AI architecture, and user interface components. You will work at the bleeding edge of geospatial science. This role requires adaptability, engineering rigor, and a deep respect for the mission.

Core Responsibilities:

• Design and deploy our infrastructure using Terraform
• Lead the deployment of Python-based APIs to cloud environments
• Experience with large-scale infrastructure architecture
• Establish infrastructure best practices from the ground up, including: Environment separation (dev / staging / prod); Secure networking, IAM, and secrets management; Logging, monitoring, and alerting
• Design and maintain CI/CD pipelines using GitHub Actions
• Apply prior AWS GovCloud and DoD IL experience to ensure: Compliance-ready infrastructure; Architecture choices that will not block future government deployments
• Design infrastructure and deployment patterns that support multi-cloud environments, including: Cloud-agnostic Terraform module design where practical; Minimizing provider lock-in for core services; Supporting future deployments across commercial cloud and GovCloud environments
• Plan and advise on future AWS GovCloud and DoD IL deployments, even if those environments are not immediately live
• Identify and mitigate infrastructure and compliance risks early

Bonus:

• Strong software engineering background is a plus, particularly: API development; Distributed or service-oriented systems; Prior experience designing or operating multi-cloud environments is a plus
• Based in the Colorado Springs, CO or Washington, DC (working in customer sites in Crystal City, VA and Herndon, VA) areas
• Active Top Secret // Specially Compartmented Information (TS//SCI) clearance with counterintelligence-scope polygraph (CSP) or full-scope polygraph (FSP)

Must be a US Citizen