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Sphinx Defense

Senior Full Stack Engineer

chantilly, VA

Check who can apply and the requirements below before continuing.

About this opportunity

Sphinx Defense lists this Senior Full Stack Engineer opportunity in chantilly, Virginia. Review the employer’s description below for duties, qualifications and application requirements.

Job description

Sphinx builds software to solve complex national security problems in Space. Founded by engineers and technologists with deep experience across commercial and defense technology, we were frustrated by the outdated and insecure technology America's service members are forced to rely on. We're here to do better.

We’re focused on building modern, scalable products with an emphasis on using open source technologies. Expect talented, motivated, and interesting colleagues who emphasize collaboration, transparency, and individual responsibility.

About the role

Sphinx is hiring a Senior Full Stack Engineer to join our team building the next generation of mission planning and command and control software for space communications programs. This team is tasked with creating modern, resilient services and capabilities to support the U.S. Government. As our engineering organization continues to scale rapidly, you’ll also play an important role in helping establish strong technical practices, supporting a growing team, and maintaining quality and consistency as we expand.

As a Senior Full Stack Engineer, you will lead the development of intuitive, high-quality user interfaces and front-end experiences for Sphinx’s space vehicle mission planning platform, while also contributing across the full stack. We’re seeking an experienced engineer with strong front-end development expertise and a solid understanding of backend development, APIs, databases, and service integration. You’ll work as an individual contributor while also providing technical leadership and mentorship to more junior engineers.

What you will be focusing on

Translating design mockups, user feedback, and system requirements into functional, visually appealing, and intuitive user interfaces

Building performant, secure, and well-tested web applications with a focus on scalability, automation, usability, and security

Leading the development of critical features across the full software development lifecycle, with significant influence from user feedback, system requirements, design engineering, and evolving customer needs

Designing, developing, and improving APIs and backend services that effectively support front-end applications and system capabilities

Developing and maintaining backend functionality using technologies such as Python, SQL, RESTful APIs, and containerized architectures

Collaborating closely with QA and other engineering disciplines to define acceptance criteria, meet functional and technical requirements, identify defects, and ensure software quality

Writing and maintaining automated unit, integration, and functional tests to validate functionality and ensure requirements are met

Conducting thorough code reviews to maintain code quality, enforce best practices, and ensure adherence to established standards

Advocating for improvements to product usability, quality, security, and performance that positively impact your team and end users

Supporting junior engineering talent through mentorship and technical guidance

You might be a good fit if you have

5+ years of progressively responsible web or software development experience using modern development approaches

Strong front-end development experience, with a deep understanding of modern UI development principles, component-based architecture, responsive design, performance, and usability

Experience translating designs, user needs, and requirements into intuitive, production-quality user experiences

Strong full-stack fundamentals with the ability to work effectively with backend systems, including Python, API development and integration, application architecture, and service-to-service communication

Experience working with relational databases and SQL, including querying and integrating data into web applications

Experience designing, consuming, and integrating APIs between front-end applications and backend services

Understanding of modern containerized and microservices architectures using technologies such as Docker and Kubernetes

Experience collaborating with QA throughout the software development lifecycle, including defining acceptance criteria, troubleshooting defects, validating functionality, and supporting release readiness

Demonstrated experience writing automated tests and developing software against defined user, functional, and technical requirements

A strong understanding of software engineering best practices, including code reviews, version control, automated testing, security, performance, and maintainability

Comfort working with ambiguity, self-directing your work, and providing technical guidance to other engineers

A demonstrated ability to own technical problems end-to-end and make sound engineering tradeoffs

Excellent communication skills and experience working with end users and cross-functional teams to design and build solutions that meet their needs

Experience developing, testing, and deploying software within air-gapped or highly secure government network environments

Have the ability to hold and maintain a U.S. Government TS/SCI clearance

Bonus points if you have the following

Experience designing and developing intuitive user interfaces featuring real-time, 2D/3D geospatial visualizations

Experience building software for mission-critical, defense, aerospace, or other highly secure environments

Actively hold a U.S. Government Secret Clearance

Location

This role is a hybrid role and can be based out of Colorado Springs, CO, El Segundo, CA, or Chantilly, VA.

Compensation

This role is between $157,000 - $190,000 base salary.

Benefits

Competitive salary

Meaningful equity ownership

Profit sharing

Employer 401(k) contribution

100% employer covered medical, dental, and vision insurance for you and your dependents

Eligibility

Must be a US Citizen and be able to obtain and hold a U.S. Top Secret security clearance and be eligible to obtain and maintain a TS/SCI clearance. To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder), (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITAR here.

EEO statement

At Sphinx Defense, we are devoted to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. Sphinx Defense is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity.

At Sphinx Defense, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection. As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measure the effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categories is as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.

Clearance eligibility

For more information about U.S. Security Clearances: click here.

Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability

Form CC-305

Page 1 of 1

OMB Control Number

Expires 07/31/2029

Why are you being asked to complete this form?

We are a federal contractor or subcontractor. The law requires us to provide equal employment opportunity to qualified people with disabilities. We have a goal of having at least 7% of our workers as people with disabilities. The law says we must measure our progress towards this goal. To do this, we must ask applicants and employees if they have a disability or have ever had one. People can become disabled, so we need to ask this question at least every five years.

Completing this form is voluntary, and we hope that you will choose to do so. Your answer is confidential. No one who makes hiring decisions will see it. Your decision to complete the form and your answer will not harm you in any way. If you want to learn more about the law or this form, visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) website at

How do you know if you have a disability?

A disability is a condition that substantially limits one or more of your “major life activities.” If you have or have ever had such a condition, you are a person with a disability. Disabilities include, but are not limited to:

Alcohol or other substance use disorder (not currently using drugs illegally)

Autoimmune disorder, for example, lupus, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, HIV/AIDS

Blind or low vision

Cancer (past or present)

Cardiovascular or heart disease

Celiac disease

Cerebral palsy

Deaf or serious difficulty hearing

Diabetes

Disfigurement, for example, disfigurement caused by burns, wounds, accidents, or congenital disorders

Epilepsy or other seizure disorder

Gastrointestinal disorders, for example, Crohn's Disease, irritable bowel syndrome

Intellectual or developmental disability

Mental health conditions, for example, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD

Missing limbs or partially missing limbs

Mobility impairment, benefiting from the use of a wheelchair, scooter, walker, leg brace(s) and/or other supports

Nervous system condition, for example, migraine headaches, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis (MS)

Neurodivergence, for example, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia, other learning disabilities

Partial or complete paralysis (any cause)

Pulmonary or respiratory conditions, for example, tuberculosis, asthma, emphysema

Short stature (dwarfism)

Traumatic brain injury

PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENT: According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. This survey should take about 5 minutes to complete.

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Worksite address

chantilly, VA, 22021, US

Who can apply

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