About this opportunity
Orbis Operations lists this Senior Software Engineer, Streaming opportunity in mclean, Virginia. Review the employer’s description below for duties, qualifications and application requirements.
Job description
Company Overview
Orbis Operations is a technology company that delivers sovereign intelligence and decision capabilities to the United States Government and its allies. We convert complex information and operational systems into decisive outcomes, giving public institutions and critical enterprises the tools to move faster, see clearer, and act first in an increasingly contested world.
We are not a consulting firm and not a systems integrator. Every Orbis team is built around practitioners who have operated at the mission edge, and every engagement is judged on one thing: whether it produces working capability, not slide decks. Solutions forged from experience; that is how we build, and it is how we hire.
Job Summary
Orbis is seeking a Senior Software Engineer within Catalyst Data Platform that will own the implementation of key features within our data pipelines-ensuring high-performance movement of data from distributed edge environments into our core platform. You'll work across different system components to deliver reliable, end-to-end functionality and contribute to the technical evolution. You will work on critical end-to-end features that orchestrate the flow of real-time data from distributed sources into our platform. At this level, you can seamlessly move across our stack to identify systemic bottlenecks and optimize high-throughput pipelines that maintain stability under extreme scale.
TRAVEL: International travel to Middle East and geopolitical hot zones, up to 25% per calendar year is required. Please apply only if you can meet this requirement.
Key Responsibilities
Architect and implement features across the full streaming lifecycle, from ingestion and buffering/jitter handling through to distribution and final packaging/multiplexing workflows
Partner with product and engineering stakeholders to refine requirements, identify technical constraints, and deliver solutions that balance product vision with system integrity
Evaluate and document critical technical trade-offs for Catalyst production systems, providing clear architectural rationale for high-impact design decisions
Design and implement high-performance modules for media ingress, relay, and packetization logic (e.g., handling RTSP, RTP, or WebRTC protocols), including support for KLV-encoded telemetry metadata extraction and synchronization
Act as the subject matter expert for a core protocol subsystem, managing complex edge cases and ensuring interoperability between diverse hardware sources and software consumers
Establish and uphold quality standards by implementing rigorous testing (e.g., chaos engineering and property-based testing) and monitoring critical streaming metrics (e.g., end-to-end latency, jitter, and throughput) via observability platforms like Datadog or Prometheus
Participate in on-call rotations and incident response, conducting post-incident reviews to implement preventative mitigations and improve system reliability
Contribute to the evolution of automated deployment pipelines (e.g., using GitHub Actions, Docker containerization, and Kubernetes deployments) to ensure reliable, high-integrity delivery of streaming modules across the platform
Formally mentor junior engineers on protocol fundamentals and lead team rituals such as design reviews and planning sessions
Travel up to 25% for customer engagement, architecture reviews, or team collaboration (Middle East)
Required Qualifications
5-7 years of experience in real-time data streaming with demonstrated ownership of meaningful product surfaces
Deep working knowledge of media session negotiation and transport layer mechanics and challenges like jitter, sequencing, multiplexing, and reconnection and backoff handling
Hands-on experience with streaming transport, including frame-level audio, video, and data handling and timestamp reconciliation
Strong Go engineering skills with a strong grasp of protocol-level behavior
Exceptional communication skills across technical and non-technical audiences; you routinely interface with customers, product leaders, and engineering teams to gather requirements, articulate trade-offs, and drive alignment from initial design to delivery
Travel up to 25% for customer engagement, architecture reviews, or team collaboration (Middle East)
Desired Qualifications
Experience with interoperability across varied data protocols
Experience designing gRPC-based plugin architectures for sources, operators, or sinks
Experience in mission-critical or national security environments where operational reliability is a foundational requirement
Active security clearance (Secret or above); Top Secret preferred
Physical Requirements
Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer
Participation in virtual and in-person meetings
Ability to attend planned meetings and/or work in classified spaces for extended periods within the specified work regions
TRAVEL: International travel to Middle East and geopolitical hot zones, up to 25% is required per calendar year. Please apply only if you can meet this requirement
Orbis Benefits
Beyond the opportunity to work alongside practitioners who have operated at the mission edge, joining Orbis means real ownership over outcomes that matter - the chance to build technology that gives the United States Government and its allies a genuine decision advantage, not just another dashboard. From competitive retirement matching to a PTO policy that encourages real time off, we're committed to creating an environment where our team can do their best work and still have a life outside of it.
Orbis Locations
Orbis works in whatever arrangement the mission requires. Depending on the role, that might mean five days a week on a customer site, full-time in one of our offices, a hybrid schedule, or fully remote work - our team is spread across 25 states and four countries to match. We make sure every team member has the tools and access needed to do the work, wherever that work happens.
Travel is common across many Orbis roles, particularly those supporting customer missions in the field.
Orbis is headquartered in McLean, VA, with additional office locations in Taipei, Taiwan, and Canberra, Australia.
EEO Statement
Orbis Operations is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, marital status, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.
Orbis Operations is committed to creating an inclusive and diverse workplace where all employees are valued and respected. We encourage applications from all qualified individuals, including those from underrepresented groups.
In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Orbis Operations will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities throughout the application and employment process. If you require an accommodation, please contact us at .
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Worksite address
mclean, VA, 22107, US
Who can apply
Review the original listing for work authorization, qualifications and employer requirements.