Senior Forward Deployed Engineer

Second Front Systems (2F) is seeking an ambitious and visionary Forward Deployed Engineer to join our mission-driven team. As a dynamic, fast-growing leader in national security technology, we are committed to delivering transformative solutions that empower our nation’s defenders. This is a pivotal role for an expert capable of shaping the future of defense software delivery and security. As a Forward Support Engineer, you will leverage extensive experience in deploying, maintaining, and troubleshooting complex software and infrastructure within classified government and defense environments. This high-impact, client-facing position demands deep technical expertise and hands-on leadership in secure system deployments. You will operate directly with clients, traveling to on-site locations, providing strategic technical guidance to resolve unique challenges and ensuring the seamless operation of critical systems, particularly in Denied, Disrupted, Intermittent, and Limited (DDIL) network environments. Note: This position requires the ability to obtain and maintain a DoD Top Secret / SCI eligible security clearance. Candidates holding an active or interim DoD TS/SCI eligible clearance (or higher) are strongly preferred. Due to the strict federal security requirements for this role, U.S. citizenship is required, and all candidates must successfully pass a comprehensive background screening. Additionally, candidates must reside in one of our approved hiring hubs: - DC/Maryland/Virginia - Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill, NC - Denver/Colorado Springs, CO - Dallas/Fort Worth, TX WHAT YOU’LL DO: - Lead the deployment and configuration of software solutions in secure, classified environments in support of US government customers. Work closely with our engineering and product teams to integrate complex systems and infrastructure.

• Serve as the main technical point of contact for government clients and their contractors, ensuring their requirements are met while adhering to strict security protocols.
• Support the 2F Program manager in producing and delivering technical contract CDRLs.
• Provide on-the-ground troubleshooting and immediate hand on support for client systems, including software bugs, hardware issues, and deployment failures.
• Ensure that all deployed systems comply with government security standards and regulatory frameworks, including FedRAMP, NIST, and others.

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams including engineering, DevOps, and security to implement secure and scalable solutions.
• Maintain clear and concise documentation for system configurations, troubleshooting procedures, and security compliance activities.
• Monitor system performance, troubleshoot issues, and suggest optimizations to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of deployed solutions.
• Be on-site at client locations for system deployments, updates and troubleshooting during high impact operational exercises, integration and training events.

• Up to 50% travel may be required at times to support critical client integrations SKILLS YOU’LL BRING TO OUR TEAM: - Minimum of 3-5 years of experience in systems deployment, engineering, or operations in highly regulated environments (government, defense, etc.).
• Provide early, proactive input during customer kickoffs and architecture discussions to ensure deployment approaches align with accreditation requirements (RMF, STIGs, NIST 800-53) — flagging potential assessment issues before they become costly rework later in the process.
• Partner with customer assessors, compliance stakeholders, and internal security teams to understand the accreditation posture of each deployment environment (e.g., SIPR, IL4/5/6, FedRAMP) and ensure packaging and deployment decisions support a smooth authorization path.
• Support the accreditation lifecycle for customer deployments by contributing operational context and technical input into authorization artifacts (SSPs, POA&Ms, control narratives) as needed — without requiring sole ownership of artifact authorship.
• Identify and communicate architectural or configuration risks early in the deployment process that could jeopardize an assessor's approval, escalating and resolving these before go-live rather than after rejection.
• Build working fluency in the customer's accreditation environment and constraints (classification level, ATO status, change control processes) to deploy software in a way that respects and anticipates compliance requirements from day one.
• Proficiency in Linux (Ubuntu, CentOS, RedHat) server administration.
• Proficiency deploying, maintaining and working with Kubernetes.
• Proficiency in maintaining and troubleshooting Helm charts within Kubernetes deployments - Proficiency working in on prem and cloud environments (AWS, Azure, GCP) - Experience with CI/CD pipelines, version control, and automation.
• Proficiency with networking concepts, including VPNs, VLANs, and firewalls.
• Experience in task automation with a language (e.g., Go, Rust, Python, Bash).
• Excellent communication skills and ability to interact with both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Hands-on experience with deploying complex systems in cloud or on-premise environments.
• Strong understanding of security protocols and best practices, including encryption, firewalls, access control, and identity management.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working in a startup environment - Knowledge of DevSecOps tools and practices - Experience with monitoring and alerting systems (e.g., Prometheus, Grafana) - Familiarity with 2F’s tech stack: AWS, Talos Linux, Kubernetes, Docker, Helm, Istio, Git, GitLab, Terraform, relational databases The base salary for this position will fall between $105,000-141,000 Your ultimate compensation will be determined by professional background, technical proficiency, seniority, and regional cost factors.

Benefits

Who we are

• Highlight any security clearances (e.g., Secret, Top Secret, TS/SCI) and detailed experience working in classified environments on your resume and cover letter; include the clearance level, dates, and the specific defense programs you supported to demonstrate immediate “fit‑to‑hit‑the‑ground” capability.
• Build a concise portfolio of Excel‑driven automation projects that solved real‑world deployment problems (e.g., automated configuration inventory, rollout scheduling, or cost‑tracking dashboards). Include screenshots, a one‑page flow diagram, and a brief “challenge → solution → impact” description that you can discuss in a 5‑minute interview demo.
• Prepare for scenario‑based interview questions by rehearsing a STAR story where you deployed a complex software stack on a classified network, troubleshooted a live outage on‑site, and coordinated with both client IT and internal dev teams while maintaining compliance (e.g., RMF, NIST 800‑53). Emphasize your communication style, risk‑mitigation steps, and post‑mortem documentation.
• Showcase familiarity with the specific tools Second Front uses for secure software delivery—such as hardened CI/CD pipelines (GitLab CI, Jenkins with Air‑gapped runners), container hardening (Docker/OCI with SELinux/AppArmor), and infrastructure‑as‑code (Terraform, Ansible). Mention any certifications or hands‑on labs you’ve completed (e.g., DoD Cloud Computing Security, Certified Information Systems Security Professional).
• When negotiating salary, reference the market premium for forward‑deployed engineers with clearance and remote‑first flexibility (typically 10‑15 % above base for comparable roles). Ask explicitly about travel stipends, per‑diem rates, and allowances for secure equipment (hardware security modules, encrypted laptops), and be prepared to tie your ask to the measurable value you’ll deliver—e.g., reducing deployment time by X % or cutting incident resolution cost by $Y.