Redhorse transforms the way government uses data and technology. To support this mission, we are seeking a Senior Software Engineer – Mission Systems Integrations to drive the development, integration, and modernization of mission-critical tactical systems for defense and national security stakeholders.
In this role, you will be the technical integration backbone bridging tactical-edge operations with enterprise-scale data platforms. You will design, build, and deploy high-performance software solutions leveraging the TAK (Tactical Assault Kit / Team Awareness Kit) ecosystem and Cursor on Target (CoT) architectures, directly enhancing real-time situational awareness and decision advantage for operators in high-stakes environments.
Key Responsibilities
- Design, develop, and integrate custom plugins, services, and middleware within the TAK ecosystem (ATAK, WinTAK, TAK Server, and MILTAK).
- Architect and implement Cursor on Target (CoT) data schemas, translations, and event-routing pipelines between tactical devices and enterprise cloud systems.
- Configure, scale, deploy, and maintain TAK Server instances across diverse on-premise, edge, and cloud operating environments.
- Build reliable, low-latency APIs and data ingestion pipelines to ingest multi-source sensor and intelligence feeds into tactical situational awareness interfaces.
- Collaborate with cross-functional engineering teams, product managers, and government stakeholders to translate operational mission requirements into scalable technical solutions.
- Implement automated CI/CD pipelines, containerized deployments, and rigorous testing frameworks for edge-deployed mission software.
- Troubleshoot complex tactical network, protocol, and integration issues across heterogeneous environments.
Required Experience/Clearance
- Active DoD Secret clearance with eligibility to obtain and maintain a TS/SCI clearance.
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related technical discipline (or equivalent practical experience).
- 7+ years of professional software engineering and systems integration experience.
- 3+ years of hands-on technical experience within the TAK protocol ecosystem, including Cursor on Target (CoT) messaging, TAK Server configuration/management, and ATAK/WinTAK/MILTAK integration.
- Strong proficiency in at least two core programming languages: Java/Kotlin (Android/TAK Server plugins), C#/.NET (WinTAK), C++, or Python.
- Proven experience with network protocols, real-time messaging systems (WebSockets, TCP/UDP, ZeroMQ, MQTT), and data serialization formats (XML, JSON, Protocol Buffers).
- Experience working with version control systems (e.g., Git/GitLab) and containerization technologies (e.g., Docker).
- Ability and willingness to travel up to 25% to customer sites, test events, and field integration exercises as needed.
Desired Experience
- Experience developing custom ATAK Android plugins using the ATAK Plugin SDK.
- Familiarity with tactical data links (e.g., Link 16, VMF, SADL) and defense geospatial formats (e.g., KML/KMZ, GeoTIFF, NITF).
- Hands-on experience deploying TAK Server or mission applications in cloud environments (AWS GovCloud, Microsoft Azure Government).
- Experience with container orchestration (Kubernetes) and infrastructure-as-code (Terraform, Ansible).
- Knowledge of DoD cybersecurity policies, STIG compliance, and Risk Management Framework (RMF) standards.
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