Data Engineer

United States - RemoteRemotePosted 5 weeks ago

Role Overview

Defenseunicorns is hiring a mid-level Data Engineer. This is a contract remote role, with the team based in United States - Remote. Part of Defenseunicorns's Security hiring. Full responsibilities, required qualifications, and the apply link are listed in the description below.

Salary Context

Salary is not disclosed in this posting. Market median for Mid-level Security roles is $62k-$82k (based on 37 comparable listings). Many employers share specifics during the interview process or after an initial screen.

Resume Keywords to Include

Make sure these keywords appear in your resume to improve ATS scoring

AWSGCPAzureDockerKubernetesTerraformKafkaAPI

Job description

EMPLOYER IS A CONTRACTOR FOR THE U.S. GOVERNMENT. THIS POSITION WILL REQUIRE U.S. CITIZENSHIP.

Responsibilities:

Designing data workflows, pipelines, and pathways to support ETL/ELT, while ensuring data-quality and exchange of sensitive information across AWS cloud and on-prem environments.
Implementing systems engineering principles to ensure the reliability, scalability, and maintainability of data layer systems, including backup and recovery strategies
Architecting, deploying, and operating data streaming technologies (Kafka, Redpanda, Kinesis, etc ) on Kubernetes with an emphasis on declarative definitions to reduce complexity in day-2 operations
Working with a platform team to implement best practices for configuration management, security, and performance optimization within Kubernetes and AWS environments
Working with a platform team to automate infrastructure provisioning, monitoring, and scaling using tools such as Terraform working with cybersecurity SMEs to incorporate best practices and techniques to defend our data layer against potential threats
Ensuring that our data layer systems are compliant with industry and DoD regulations, standards, and best-practices
Staying up-to-date with industry trends and emerging technologies related to Kubernetes, containerization, and data engineering

Travel Expectations/Requirements: 6-10 times per year

The listed responsibilities are not exhaustive and additional responsibilities may be assigned based on the evolving needs of the organization. We are seeking a dynamic individual who is able to adapt and take on new responsibilities as they arise.

*Preferred Experience and Qualifications:

Demonstrated experience (minimum 5 years) in building and maintaining production data pipelines, databases, and data exchange services on Kubernetes Experience in designing, deploying, and operating Kafka / Redpanda data streaming solutions on Kubernetes
Experience in creating data pipelines from scratch with the ability to process data in large volumes and manage data stores
Experience with containerization technologies such as Docker and container orchestration systems like Kubernetes
Knowledge of systems engineering principles to ensure the reliability, scalability, and maintainability of data layer systems Familiarity with API Security, Container Security, AWS Cloud Security Familiarity with cybersecurity principles and best practices for securing data layer systems
Excellent problem-solving skills, with the ability to work independently and as part of a team
Excellent communication skills, with the ability to convey complex ideas to both technical and non-technical team members
The selected candidate will be subject to a pre-employment background check ("CBI") and must be able to obtain and maintain a Secret-level DoD security clearance
Experience with machine learning and generative AI models

Full compensation packages are based on candidate experience. Compensation ranges are established using national benchmarking data and apply across all geographic locations within the United States.

Remote - USA

$124,250—$166,750 USD

Who We Are

Defense Unicorns delivers mission value by streamlining software delivery so our customers can focus on the most important challenges. We share a vision of freedom and security for the advancement of progress and innovation. Our commitment to this vision, and to our mission-driven customers, means a commitment to speed, user experience and optionality, without compromising security. Our team is composed of innovators, software engineers, and veterans with decades of experience delivering technology programs across the federal market.

What We Do

We create and deliver secure solutions for continuous software integration and delivery. Defense Unicorns consolidates the best practices for security pipelines, testing, and deployment automation in order to meet the high security requirements valued by mission owners. Our solutions are agnostic by design and we believe that growing a robust ecosystem of secure, cloud-native software solutions can help enterprise customers inside and outside the federal market buy and integrate software more easily.

Who We Serve

Defense Unicorns’ customers are mission-focused leaders across public and private enterprises. We proudly support defense and civil agencies across the U.S. government and we work closely with the creators of leading-edge software solutions to deliver value to the mission-owner by improving the security and consumability of commercial software products.

What We Work On

Kubernetes
Cloud Environments (AWS/GCP and Azure)
Infrastructure-as-code (like Terraform/Pulumi)
Continuous Delivery and automation tooling
GitOps
Containers
CNCF projects and open source products and packages
Helm/Kustomize-Value Stream Mapping
Building and improving security delivery
Building Kubernetes and cloud native applications

Benefits Our Unicorns Enjoy

Health:

Medical/Dental/Vision
Premiums are 100% Company Paid
Health Savings Account
Life Insurance
Disability Insurance

Financial:

401k Retirement Plan
Company Stock Options
Home Office Budget

Leave:

We offer all full-time Unicorns Flexible Time Off (FTO) plus all Federal Holidays, one week for Thanksgiving, and two weeks for Christmas and New Year’s
Paid Parental Leave

Learning:

Reimbursement for approved trainings/subscriptions
Conferences (travel, lodging, and fees)

Don’t have all the preferred experience or qualifications? Studies show that underrepresented groups like women and people of color are less likely to apply to jobs if they don't meet every requirement listed.

At Defense Unicorns, we're committed to diversity. If you're enthusiastic about the role but don't match every criteria, we encourage you to apply. You could be the perfect fit for this or another role! Defense Unicorns is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, veteran status, genetic information, union status and/or beliefs, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.

CCPA DISCLOSURE

About Defenseunicorns

Defenseunicorns

SecurityHires remote

36 other open roles at Defenseunicorns on TryApplyNow.

View all 37 roles at Defenseunicorns

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I apply for the Data Engineer position at Defenseunicorns?

Use the Apply button above to submit your application directly to Defenseunicorns. Most applications take less than 5 minutes if your resume and contact details are ready, and you'll be routed to the employer's official application system to finish.

Is the Data Engineer role at Defenseunicorns remote?

Yes. This is a remote role. The team is based in United States - Remote, but the position itself does not require relocating to that office.

What does a Data Engineer at Defenseunicorns earn?

Defenseunicorns has not disclosed a salary range in this posting. Many employers share specifics later in the interview process; you can also ask during a recruiter screen if compensation transparency is important to you.

When was the Data Engineer role at Defenseunicorns posted?

This role was posted on June 1, 2026 (38 days ago). It's still listed as actively hiring; we re-confirm openings against the source system multiple times per day and remove closed roles.

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