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Defense Unicorns
Defense Unicorns
51 – 200 Employees
ConsultingDefenseLogistics
Defense Unicorns builds software delivery tools for the U.S. Department of Defense, helping teams procure and deploy mission critical applications in secure environments. Its Airgap App Store provides a centralized catalog of trusted, pre-approved applications, while the Unicorn Delivery Service supports rapid, reliable releases. The company focuses on DevSecOps across defense missions for the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Space Force, where software must meet demanding security and compliance needs.
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Senior Software Engineer, Virtual Machines

Build secure Kubernetes and virtualization tools for Defense Unicorns’ government customers. Develop VM lifecycle, networking, storage, and air-gapped deployment capabilities.

USUnited States
$148,750 – $201,250 / year
RemoteFull-timeSeniorEnglish RequiredFull-stack EngineerSoftware Engineer
Distributed SystemsGoKubernetesLinux

Description

  • Develop Kubernetes tools and APIs to orchestrate and manage virtual machine workloads
  • Prepare and package VM images for delivery to disconnected environments
  • Connect virtual machine workloads with UDS networking, observability, and security features
  • Build VM workflows for inventory, status, power management, and console access
  • Address challenges spanning VM lifecycles, persistent storage, networking, and image distribution
  • Make VM deployments repeatable, secure, and supportable in air-gapped environments
  • Partner with Product, UX, and Mission Heroes to translate operational needs into product capabilities
  • Lead the design, implementation, testing, and delivery of complex software features and systems
  • Guide technical decisions and shape architecture across product components
  • Clarify ambiguous problems in collaboration with Product, UX, and Mission Heroes
  • Diagnose complex issues across Kubernetes, virtualization, storage, networking, and operating systems
  • Strengthen software reliability, security, performance, observability, and maintainability
  • Review code, mentor colleagues, and promote sound engineering practices
  • Record technical decisions and collaborate across teams

Requirements

  • Applicants must be U.S. citizens
  • At least five years of professional software engineering experience
  • Strong command of Go or another modern programming language, and interest in building Go-based systems
  • Experience designing and building software that works with Kubernetes or other distributed systems
  • Solid knowledge of APIs, system design, and software architecture
  • Experience creating backend services, controllers, operators, or developer tools
  • Familiarity with Linux, containers, and operating system concepts
  • Experience building, testing, and operating production software
  • Ability to work through ambiguity, weigh technical tradeoffs, and independently deliver complex projects
  • Strong problem-solving skills, including debugging across system boundaries
  • Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to shape technical direction and mentor engineers
  • Expected travel: 5–10%
  • Preferred: experience with KubeVirt, QEMU/KVM, or other virtualization technologies
  • Preferred: experience developing Kubernetes operators, controllers, or CRDs
  • Preferred: experience configuring, managing, or troubleshooting Windows virtual machines
  • Preferred: familiarity with VM image formats, conversion, migration, and lifecycle management
  • Preferred: experience with Kubernetes networking and storage
  • Preferred: experience building command-line tools, especially in Go
  • Preferred: familiarity with Zarf, OCI artifacts, or software packaging and distribution
  • Preferred: experience in air-gapped, disconnected, or regulated environments
  • Preferred: contributions to Kubernetes, KubeVirt, or other CNCF open-source projects
  • Preferred: experience building security-focused software or integrating systems with identity, access control, and observability platforms

Benefits

  • Medical, dental, and vision coverage
  • Company-paid insurance premiums
  • Health savings account
  • Life insurance
  • Disability insurance
  • 401(k) retirement plan
  • Company stock options
  • Home office budget
  • Flexible time off
  • Federal holidays
  • One week off for Thanksgiving
  • Two weeks off for Christmas and New Year’s
  • Paid parental leave
  • Reimbursement for approved training and subscriptions
  • Conference expenses, including travel, lodging, and fees

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