Senior Software Engineer - Mission Systems Integration

About the Role

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

We encourage all candidates who meet the basic requirements to apply, even if you do not have any of the following 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.