Embedded Software Engineer – Cyber Division

Reston, VA or Seattle, WA | U.S. Citizenship Required | Clearance Eligible (TS Highly Preferred)

District Partners is supporting a next-generation defense technology company that is redefining how autonomy, AI, computer vision, sensor fusion, and secure networking transform mission operations for U.S. and allied partners. They’re delivering advanced capabilities in months, not years—tackling some of the toughest operational and edge-computing challenges in the world today.

ABOUT THE TEAM

This role sits within a brand-new line of business focused on Expeditionary Cyber—combining autonomous platforms, mesh networks, and electronic warfare capabilities to solve problems in unconventional and difficult-to-reach environments.

Important: This is not a cyber development role. You will not be building offensive or defensive cyber tools—instead, you’ll be an embedded software engineer helping integrate, deploy, and scale mission-critical software that supports this new division’s goals.

THE OPPORTUNITY

You’ll spend the majority of your time (~70%) hands-on at the keyboard, solving complex problems across networking, distributed systems, edge computing, and systems integration. You’ll build robust, scalable solutions that work across a fleet of autonomous vehicles, radios, and mesh networks—ensuring everything functions reliably under real operational conditions.

This is an ideal fit for an engineer who thrives in a fast-moving, startup-style environment (think AI orgs or innovative tech companies) and wants to help shape how this new capability area scales.

This role is 100% onsite, 5 days a week in either Reston, VA, or Seattle, WA.

WHAT YOU’LL DO

• Develop, integrate, and deploy software solutions that enable the mission—not direct cyber development, but supporting the Expeditionary Cyber team’s unique operational needs.
• Work across distributed systems, embedded/edge devices, and advanced networking to ensure products function as a cohesive system.
• Own the full lifecycle from design to deployment, partnering closely with end-users.
• Collaborate with multiple teams and make pragmatic engineering trade-offs to deliver reliable results on time.

WHAT YOU BRING

• 6+ years of hands-on software engineering experience—you’re most comfortable coding 70%+ of the time.
• Deep networking skills: you understand network protocols, communications, and distributed systems inside and out.
• Strong background with C/C++ or Rust.
• Experience working in AI-focused orgs or well-known startups is highly valued—you know how to dive in, figure things out, and help scale something new.
• Linux systems, containerization, and systems programming experience.
• Proven success building software for embedded, edge, or disconnected environments.
• U.S. citizenship required and must be eligible to obtain and maintain a U.S. Top Secret clearance—an active clearance is not required to start.

WHAT SETS YOU APART

• You like working close to the mission, solving real-world technical problems, and seeing your solutions deployed operationally.
• You bring a “mission first” mindset, balancing speed, quality, and practicality.
• You thrive with little oversight and excel when priorities shift and solutions need to scale.

ADDITIONAL DETAILS

• Onsite interviews required (Reston or Seattle); the client will cover travel costs to interview at your preferred location.
• Relocation support is available once an offer is accepted.
• 100% onsite, 5 days a week—no remote option.
• Compensation: $215,000–$300,000 base salary, plus equity opportunities included in the offer package.
• This is not a traditional “cybersecurity” or “cyber engineer” role—you’ll focus on distributed systems, secure networking, and comms at scale.

If you’re ready to roll up your sleeves and help scale a new, high-impact division, let’s connect—this is a rare chance to build mission-critical solutions in a truly hands-on environment.