Spear AI

defense contracting

ForwardDeployedDataEngineer(Groton,CT/Senior)[Secret]

Groton, Connecticut, United States FULL TIME
Market Sentiment
HIGH DEMAND

Neural analysis suggests this role is
optimal for Senior candidates.

The Brief

“Forward Deployed Data Engineer (Groton, CT / Senior) [Secret] at Spear AI. Skills: Data Engineering, Python, Rust, Data Pipelines. Implement real-time data pipelines. Implement offline data pipelines”

What You'll Achieve.

making the mission succeed; advance the capabilities that keep our nation safe and secure; directly impact warfighter capabilities and mission success; make an impact; contribute to projects that matter; ship products; Our work has impact; contribute to projects that directly support national security; make a real-world impact; your work directly contributes to national security; your impact is visible

Industry & Context.

defense contracting
Problems you'll solve

solving hard problems; obsess over performance; dive deep; know how things work

Eligibility Requirements

current or active U. S. Secret clearance, work on-site with customers, forward-deployed engineer

What They're Looking For.

Must Have

current or active U. S. Secret clearance, Software Engineering skills, Expertise in time-series data processing and analysis, Proficiency in Python and Rust for data engineering workflows, Experience with binary message parsing, Experience with row-based & columnar-based data formats, Experience with OLTP & OLAP databases, Knowledge of distributed systems, streaming architectures, and batch processing patterns, Hands-on experience with a batch orchestrator such as Dagster/Airflow, Hands-on experience with a streaming platform such as Redpanda/Kafka, Hands-on experience with binary message formats such as Protobuf

Nice to Have

Experience with IoT devices and sensors, Digital signal processing experience, Geospatial analysis and GIS experience, Familiar with working in monorepos

What You'll Do.

Implement real-time data pipelines

Implement offline data pipelines

Parse and process binary message formats

Build data warehouses

Validate and normalize data sources

Improve local development and CI/CD

How You'll Work.

Team & Collaboration

work on-site with customers; collaborate directly with leadership; work alongside talented professionals; collaborate in real time on Slack; collaborate asynchronously via GitHub; Work directly with leadership

Communication Scope

great teacher; break down a concept

Full Job Description

We’re seeking a skilled Forward Deployed Data Engineer to build the next-generation data management and artificial intelligence platform for maritime domain awareness. As a forward-deployed engineer, you’ll work on-site with customers — writing code, integrating systems, and solving hard problems in the field. You’re part engineer, part technical advisor, and wholly accountable for making the mission succeed. The position requires a current or active U.S. Secret clearance. 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. We also work with the U.S. Navy to collect and process their SONAR data. You’ll have an opportunity to work on real-world projects that directly impact warfighter capabilities and mission success. WHAT YOU’LL DO We’re a small team wearing many hats, and you’d have a wide variety of responsibilities that include: - Implement real-time data pipelines with MQTT and Redpanda for stream processing. - Implement offline data pipelines using Dagster for batch processing. - Parse and process binary message formats from various data sources. - Build data warehouses using Postgres, Apache Iceberg, Parquet, and S3. - Design data models that allow for high-performance queries. - Validate and normalize data sources. - Improve local development and CI/CD using modern tooling and GitHub Actions. WHO YOU ARE We’re looking for so

Free ATS check

Applying for this Forward Deployed Data Engineer (Groton, CT / Senior) [Secret] role?

Most applicants get filtered before a human reads their resume. See if yours makes the cut.

How to Apply on Ashby

  • Ashby is a fast modern ATS — most applications take under 3 minutes.
  • The resume parser is strong; verify parsed experience dates and job titles.
  • Custom screening questions are often scored algorithmically — answer completely.
  • Location field affects geo-based screening; use your actual metro area.

ANONYMOUS · UNFILTERED

What do employees actually say about Spear AI?

Real rants from real employees. Read before you apply.

Read Company Rants →