Who we are:

Raft (https://TeamRaft.com) is a customer-obsessed non-traditional small business with a purposeful focus on Distributed Data Systems, Platforms at Scale, and Complex Application Development, with headquarters in McLean, VA. Our range of clients includes innovative federal and public agencies leveraging design thinking, cutting-edge tech stack, and cloud-native ecosystem. We build digital solutions that impact the lives of millions of Americans.

We’re looking for an experienced Associate Data Engineer to support our customers and join our passionate team of high-impact problem solvers.

About the role:

At Raft, we are at the forefront of developing a cloud-native cutting-edge real-time data platform tailored for the Department of Defense (DoD). Our mission is to enhance operators' awareness of critical events, such as the reconnaissance Chinese balloon and non-responsive Cessna over the White House. The core of this data platform lies in aggregating real-time data from over 750 sensors. We enrich and render the data searchable, ultimately presenting it as a common operational picture to empower operators in making timely and informed decisions. Our system efficiently processes over a billion events daily with millisecond-level latency, employing key technologies such as Kafka, Kafka Streams, Pinot, Java, Scala, and Kubernetes. In this role, you will engage in hands-on collaboration with a team of accomplished individuals, collectively striving towards excellence.

What we are looking for:

• Up to 2 years of relevant hands-on industry experience
  
• Hands-on experience with Java, Scala, or Kotlin
  
• Proficiency with Kafka and Kafka Streams
  
• Experience in creating web-socket and RESTful APIs
  
• Familiarity with configuring CI/CD pipelines using GitLab Runners
  
• Experience with Kubernetes monitoring (e.g., Prometheus, Grafana) and logging (e.g., Fluentbit, Kibana, Loki) solutions
  
• Knowledge of AWS and/or other cloud computing solutions
  
• Curiosity about time series and geospatial data
  
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced team environment, making technical decisions aligned with the team’s objectives
  
• Obtain Security+ certification within the first 90 days of employment with Raft
• Bachelor's degree in Statistics, Computer Science, Data Science, or a related field 

Highly preferred:

• Good problem-solving abilities and analytical skills 
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills
• Eagerness to learn and adapt to changing business requirements 
• Any certification related to data management or data engineering would be beneficial 

Clearance Requirements:

• Ability to obtain and maintain a Top Secret security clearance

Work Type: 

• Remote
• May require up to 25% travel

Salary Range:

• $70,000 - $110,000
• The determination of compensation is predicated upon a candidate's comprehensive experience, demonstrated skill, and proven abilities

What we will offer you:

• Highly competitive salary
• Fully covered healthcare, dental, and vision coverage
• 401(k) and company match
• Take as you need PTO + 11 paid holidays
• Education & training benefits
• Annual budget for your tech/gadgets needs
• Monthly box of yummy snacks to eat while doing meaningful work
• Remote, hybrid, and flexible work options
• Team off-site in fun places!
• Generous Referral Bonuses
• And More!

Our Vision Statement: 

We bridge the gap between humans and data through radical transparency and our obsession with the mission. 

Our Customer Obsession: 

We will approach every deliverable like it's a product. We will adopt a customer-obsessed mentality. As we grow, and our footprint becomes larger, teams and employees will treat each other not only as teammates but customers. We must live the customer-obsessed mindset, always. This will help us scale and it will translate to the interactions that our Rafters have with their clients and other product teams that they integrate with. Our culture will enable our success and set us apart from other companies.

How do we get there? 

Public-sector modernization is critical for us to live in a better world. We, at Raft, want to innovate and solve complex problems. And, if we are successful, our generation and the ones that follow us will live in a delightful, efficient, and accessible world where out-of-box thinking, and collaboration is a norm. 

Raft’s core philosophy is Ubuntu: I Am, Because We are. We support our “nadi” by elevating the other Rafters. We work as a hyper collaborative team where each team member brings a unique perspective, adding value that did not exist before. People make Raft special. We celebrate each other and our cognitive and cultural diversity. We are devoted to our practice of innovation and collaboration.