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spear-ai

Senior Infrastructure Engineer

  • Washington, D.C. / On-site
  • Full-time
  • Posted
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Skills

  • AWS
  • CI/CD
  • Go
  • Kubernetes
  • Linux
  • Python
  • Terraform
  • TypeScript
  • Compliance
  • Git
  • Large Language Models

Job description

THE ROLE

Spear AI is hiring a Senior Infrastructure Engineer to own deployment and authorization on our developer cloud for the undersea enterprise. It's an accredited platform for building, deploying, and operating mission software across unclassified and classified environments.

You'll take commercial and partner software from first onboarding through hardened deployment and Authority to Operate, working directly with government security staff to compress timelines without cutting corners. Authorization speed is what we're measured on. This is a builder's role. You decide when to build, when to reuse, and when a problem doesn't need solving, and you leave behind tooling that makes the next deployment faster than the last. The result is real capability in mission users' hands in months, not years.

ABOUT SPEAR AI

Spear AI is a growing defense contracting company dedicated to delivering cutting-edge solutions that support our nation’s security. As we expand, we’re building a culture where innovation meets mission-critical work. We operate with a flat organizational structure that empowers every team member to make an impact, collaborate directly with leadership, and contribute to projects that matter. Whether you’re joining our Hardware, Software, or Services division, you’ll work alongside talented professionals who are committed to excellence and advancing the capabilities that keep our nation safe and secure.

Spear AI builds sonobuoy sensors that are deployed into the water and collect edge data. You’ll have an opportunity to work on real-world projects that directly impact warfighter capabilities and mission success.

The Services Team. You'll sit with Spear AI's infrastructure engineers inside Services, our applied engineering and technical advisory arm. We embed with government customers to design, build, and operate platforms, pipelines, and software that take emerging capability from concept to fielded mission impact.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

•Design, build, and operate platform and tenant infrastructure across AWS GovCloud and classified cloud environments, defined entirely as code and treated as software: versioned, reviewed, and tested.
•Onboard commercial and third-party software: containerize or package it, integrate it with platform identity (CAC/PIV, OIDC, SAML), logging, vulnerability scanning, and artifact services, and get it production-ready.
•Drive each capability through the Risk Management Framework to ATO: define the authorization boundary, map inherited and system-specific controls, own the SSP and supporting artifacts, remediate findings, and manage POA&Ms.
•Make and defend build, reuse, or buy decisions, with a bias toward the simplest thing that meets the security requirement.
•Harden systems to DISA STIGs and DoD/IC baselines and run and respond to vulnerability scans and continuous monitoring.
•Build CI/CD and DevSecOps pipelines that work inside air-gapped and restricted networks, including internal registries, mirrored package repositories, and controlled egress.
•Serve as the technical point of contact for government ISSMs, ISSOs, assessors, and Authorizing Official staff.
•Build the templates, tooling, and golden paths that make every new capability deploy and authorize faster than the last, and mentor less experienced engineers on secure deployment.

WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR

A builder, not a console operator. You've designed and run production platforms that other engineers depend on, and you can explain why you built what you built and what you chose not to build. That conversation matters more to us than a list of AWS services on a resume. Infrastructure-as-code repos, internal tooling, and deployment systems you created are what make a candidate stand out.

Years are a guide, not a gate. If you've spent four to six years doing serious platform work at a defense tech company or fast-moving startup, we want to talk to you. Accreditation experience is a strong plus but not required. We'll pair you with Spear's accreditation support.

REQUIRED SKILLS

•Active TS/SCI required, with the ability to obtain a CI Polygraph. Active IC CI Poly is a plus.
•DoD 8140 baseline certification (Security+ or higher) is required for privileged access; if you don't have it yet, you'll need to earn it shortly after starting.
•5+ years of hands-on platform, DevOps, or infrastructure engineering on production systems
•Real code in Python, Go, or TypeScript, with version control and tests
•Infrastructure as Code with the same discipline (Terraform, Pulumi, or similar)
•CI/CD pipeline design
•Deep working knowledge of containers and Kubernetes, including running them securely in restricted environments
•Designing and operating AWS infrastructure: networking, IAM, and encryption boundaries (GovCloud is a plus)
•Linux and networking fundamentals (DNS, TLS/PKI, load balancing, routing) and the ability to debug across all of them
•Working knowledge of RMF, NIST SP 800-53, DISA STIGs, and vulnerability management
•Translating security requirements into technical implementation and explaining it clearly to government security staff
•Picking up new AI platforms and integrations quickly, including agentic AI tooling

Preferred

•Taking a system through RMF to ATO, IATT, or IATC in a DoD or IC environment, including eMASS or Xacta
•Deploying commercial software into government-controlled cloud accounts (BYOC, multi-tenant, SCCA-compliant or broker-provisioned structures)
•Air-gapped or cross-domain environments: mirrored repositories, controlled egress, cross domain solution integrations
•Identity federation (Keycloak, Authentik, or similar) with CAC/PIV, OIDC, and SAML
•DevSecOps tooling: SAST/DAST, container image scanning, SBOM generation, policy-as-code
•Supporting AI/LLM workloads in government cloud, such as model serving in GovCloud or GPU-backed inference
•Military or Intelligence Community experience

Nice to haves

•IaC & config: Terraform, Pulumi, CloudFormation, Ansible
•Identity: Keycloak, Authentik, AWS IAM Identity Center
•Security & compliance: eMASS, Xacta, ACAS/Nessus, SCAP/OpenSCAP, Trivy, Grype, SonarQube
•DevSecOps & artifacts: GitLab CI/CD, GitHub Enterprise, Artifactory, Nexus, Harbor
•Mission platforms as tenants: Palantir (Foundry, AIP), Anduril Lattice
•AI serving & Agentic: Amazon Bedrock, vLLM, MCP servers, LangGraph, LiteLLM

WHAT WE OFFER

· Unlimited PTO — Take the time you need to recharge and maintain work-life balance.

· Dedicated Sick Time — Your health and well-being come first.

· Comprehensive Health & Benefits – Medical, dental, and vision coverage to keep you and your family protected.

· 11 Paid Holidays — Enjoy time off throughout the year to celebrate and spend time with loved ones.

· Professional Development — Educational opportunities and resources to help you grow your skills and advance your career.

· Collaborative Environment — Work directly with leadership in our flat organizational structure, where your ideas and contributions matter.

· Mission-Driven Work — Contribute to projects that directly support national security and make a real-world impact.

· Growth Opportunities — Join us during an exciting expansion phase where you can help shape our future.

ADDITIONAL BENEFIT OPPORTUNITIES WHEN YOU CHOOSE SPEAR AI

· 401(k) with company match.

· Onsite / Remote / Flexible work arrangements or hybrid options (position dependent).

· Relocation assistance (position dependent).

· Referral bonuses.

· Performance bonuses.

· Life insurance and disability coverage.

· Technology home office setup stipend.

· Professional certification reimbursement (position dependent).

COMPENSATION

We offer competitive compensation tailored to your experience, location, and the impact you’ll make. We’re committed to equitable pay and will share a range aligned to your level and geography during the hiring process. In accordance with state law, candidates in jurisdictions such as CA, CO, WA, NY, and others, where applicable, will be provided a good-faith salary range upon request and throughout the hiring process. This is a full-time, exempt position under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and is not eligible for overtime pay.

Compensation for this position is provided on a salaried basis and is not subject to reduction based on hours worked. At Spear AI, you’ll find more than just a job; you’ll join a mission-driven team where your work directly contributes to national security. Our flat organizational structure means your voice matters, your ideas reach leadership, and your impact is visible. As we grow, we’re committed to building robust processes and infrastructure that support both our mission and our people. We value collaboration, continuous improvement, and the expertise each team member brings to the table. If you’re looking for a place to grow professionally while working on projects that truly matter, we’d love to hear from you.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY

Spear AI is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.

•Health insurance benefits
•Equity grant for every new employee
•Unlimited PTO and a supportive, low-ego environment
•A flat organization where your ideas reach leadership and your impact is visible
•Mission-driven work that directly supports national security
•A team where over half the workforce are veterans, military family members, or military spouses, spanning all five service branches

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY

Spear AI is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.

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