Role Overview
Rackner is seeking an R&D Engineer — Mission Solutions to help build, prototype, demonstrate, and refine software and platform solutions for defense-relevant use cases. This is a hands-on R&D role for an engineer who can move between implementation, technical discovery, stakeholder conversations, and rapid iteration. You will work with Rackner’s internal R&D team and technical leadership to turn operational needs, user feedback, and emerging ideas into practical software solutions.
What You'll Do
- Build, prototype, test, and refine software and platform solutions for defense-relevant use cases.
- Contribute to internal R&D efforts from concept through demonstration and follow-on improvement.
- Develop, configure, integrate, and validate prototype capabilities across cloud-native or containerized environments.
- Support technical demos, R&D events, solution walkthroughs, and customer or mission-focused engagements.
- Translate user, customer, and stakeholder feedback into clear technical requirements and next-step recommendations.
- Work closely with engineers and technical leadership to evaluate tradeoffs, troubleshoot issues, and improve system behavior.
- Bridge operational needs and software implementation by helping teams understand what users need and what is technically feasible.
- Test APIs, services, workflows, integrations, and deployment patterns in modern software environments.
- Prepare demo materials, technical documentation, briefing content, and post-event feedback summaries.
- Communicate technical concepts clearly to engineering teams, program stakeholders, customers, and mission users.
Minimum Qualifications
- U.S. citizenship required due to federal contract requirements.
- Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. government security clearance.
- Technical background in software development, platform engineering, systems engineering, DevSecOps, or cloud technologies.
- Hands-on experience designing, building, integrating, testing, or improving modern software systems.
- Working knowledge of APIs, cloud platforms, container technologies, CI/CD pipelines, and modern development practices.
- Willingness to travel approximately 15% for R&D events, demonstrations, and collaboration sessions.
Preferred Qualifications
- Active Secret clearance or higher.
- Background with defense technology programs such as DoD, Air Force, Platform One, or C2 systems.
- Proficiency with technologies such as Python, JavaScript / TypeScript, React, Go, FastAPI, Postgres, AWS, Docker, Kubernetes, Helm, or Terraform.
- Experience with AI-enabled applications, LLMs, automation, data platforms, or autonomy.