Senior Software Engineer, Defense Unicorns
Zarf Team
Software for national security systems
Be an early applicant
Software for national security systems
101-200 employees
Be an early applicant
101-200 employees
Company mission
To create software to solve the unique challenges experienced by the government.
Role
Who you are
- 5+ years experience with software engineering
- Experience building a software tool with core focuses on software lifecycle and management
- Proficient in Go (proficiency in other modern programming languages a plus)
- Strong understanding of system design, library and software APIs, and cloud architecture (e.g., AWS, Azure)
- Excited to assess intricate problems, propose solutions, and implement them effectively
- Experience contributing to Open Source Projects. Participating in Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF), Apache Software Foundation (ASF), or Open Source Security Foundation (OpenSSF) is a huge plus
- Familiar with Core Kubernetes Concepts including but not limited to Controllers, Operators, and CRDs
- Strong communication and collaboration skills, comfortable conveying technical concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences
- 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
What the job involves
- Defense Unicorns seeks an experienced Software Engineer to work on our open source products. You’ll collaborate closely with product managers, designers, and end users to ensure we’re building the right solutions—and building them well
- As a Software Engineer, you’ll operate at the intersection of product development and technical execution. You’ll lead the design, implementation, and deployment of features and systems that have direct impact on mission outcomes
- As an open source steward, you’ll effectively bridge product development with open source contribution. You will help to directly support our dependencies and engage in contributions that elevate the ecosystems that we depend on
- Work with engineers internal to the company, and within the open source community on feature and bug fix requests, through clear communication, collaboration, and responsible stewardship
- Engage with the open source community, industry partners, and standards bodies via common platforms (e.g., Slack, Github, etc.) to help drive our open source projects forward
- Amplify the voice of our projects within the ecosystem by delivering a mission-focused end-user experience and collaborating with users to produce case studies, blogs, or conference presentations
- Proactively identify and resolve ambiguity in product requirements
- Comfortable working proactively, managing time efficiently, and thriving in a vibrant remote work environment ✨🦄
- Integrate software products with existing defense systems, ensuring seamless interoperability and adherence to security protocols
- Own architecture decisions and ensure technical quality across the engineering team
- Develop comprehensive documentation, including design specifications (via Zarf Enhancement Proposals), user manuals, and maintenance guides
- Stay abreast of emerging technologies and industry trends to inform product enhancements and innovation
- Provide technical mentorship and elevate engineering standards across the team
- Influence product direction through deep understanding of user needs and system constraints
- Travel Expectations/Requirements: 5-15%
- 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
Our take
Military defence technology is having to adapt at a quickening pace. However, innovations in the tech sector, outdated technology, varied compute environments, and complex security and compliance issues create lags in new defence technology. Defense Unicorns is an open-source tech developer aiming to minimise this lag.
Founded by former Department of Defense software engineers, Defense Unicorns uses AI and innovative software to create military technology for various uses and combat landscapes. The company is particularly focused on tech that can be used in “air-gapped” areas - those that are disconnected from the internet.
In terms of the company's future position in the market, Defense Unicorns received $136 million in Series B funding in 2026. This will be used to expand its services for the US and allied military systems, and signifies a rapidly changing combat landscape set against an unpredictable global backdrop, one in which Defense Unicorns has the chance to be an important player.
Kirsty
Company Specialist at Welcome to the Jungle
Insights
Company
Funding (last 2 of 3 rounds)
Jan 2026
$136m
SERIES B
Feb 2024
$35m
SERIES A
Total funding: $171.5m
Company benefits
- Medical/Dental/Vision (premiums are 100% company paid)
- Health reimbursement account
- Life insurance & disability insurance
- 401k with employer contribution (regardless of employee contribution)
- Company stock options
- Home office setup budget
- Unlimited paid time off, with a mandatory 10 days off on top of 11 federal government holidays
- Paid parental leave
- Reimbursement for approved trainings/subscriptions
- Conferences (travel, lodging, and fees)
Company HQ
Southeast Colorado Springs, Colorado Springs, CO
Leadership
Robert Slaughter
(Co-Founder & CEO)Works as a Trainer at Project Blue. Previously the Director of DoD Platform One, a Counselor at SpaceCAMP, and worked in DevOps for the US Airforce.
Andrew Greene
(Co-Founder & Engineer)Previously worked for DoD Platform One. Was also a Software Engineer at Omitron and at SGT.
Jeff McCoy
(Co-Founder & CTO)Previously Co-Founder and CTO at Platform One, Was also CTO at SpaceCAMP, Senior Software Engineer at Defense Innovation Unit, and Co-Founder at DDS Rogue Squadron.
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