Engineering Manager

ABOUT THE ROLE Second Front Systems (2F) is seeking an ambitious and visionary Engineering Manager to join our mission-driven team. We are a dynamic, fast-growing entrepreneurial company at the intersection of cutting-edge technology and national security, committed to delivering transformative solutions that empower our nation’s defenders. This is an opportunity to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of a company that is redefining the way software is delivered and secured in the defense sector. At 2F, we thrive on innovation and purpose, combining a startup’s agility with a clear mission to support national security. You will be at the forefront of driving the engineering strategy behind the deployment and scaling of our revolutionary Game Warden https://www.secondfront.com/game-warden platform—an industry-leading tool that is accelerating the secure adoption of mission-critical SaaS solutions for the U.S. government. If you’re ready to contribute to a team that values ingenuity, collaboration, and impact, we want to hear from you The Engineering Manager will lead a team of talented engineers building and scaling Game Warden, our flagship platform enabling secure software delivery to government environments. You will drive technical execution, mentor team members, and collaborate cross-functionally to deliver impactful outcomes aligned with 2F’s mission and goals. Note: This role requires U.S. citizenship due to government contract requirements. 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/Austin, TX WHAT YOU’LL DO - Lead and mentor a distributed team of engineers, fostering a culture of excellence, collaboration, and continuous improvement. - Drive execution across key technical initiatives that enhance scalability, reliability, and performance of 2F’s core platforms. - Partner closely with Product, Platform, and Security teams to define roadmaps, prioritize work, and deliver against milestones. - Provide technical guidance and architectural oversight, ensuring alignment with best practices and compliance requirements. - Collaborate with stakeholders to translate strategic objectives into actionable engineering plans. - Recruit, onboard, and develop top engineering talent in alignment with 2F’s mission, values, and culture. - Contribute to the evolution of 2F’s engineering processes, tooling, and delivery frameworks as we scale toward Series D and beyond. SKILLS YOU’LL BRING TO OUR TEAM - 6+ years of professional software engineering experience, including 2+ years managing or leading technical teams. - Demonstrated success leading distributed teams in high-growth or startup environments. - Deep understanding of modern software development practices, cloud infrastructure (AWS, Kubernetes), and CI/CD pipelines. - Strong technical acumen paired with strategic thinking and effective communication. - Proven ability to balance execution, people leadership, and technical excellence. - U.S. citizenship required; ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance preferred. PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS - Experience building and scaling SaaS or platform products within highly regulated or security-sensitive industries (e.g., defense, government, healthcare). - Familiarity with secure software development frameworks (e.g., NIST 800-53, FedRAMP, SOC 2). - Prior experience with infrastructure-as-code, observability, and automation frameworks. - Demonstrated success leading cross-functional initiatives in collaboration with Product, Security, and Operations. - Strong understanding of agile methodologies and experience driving continuous improvement across teams. - Active security clearance or previous work in cleared environments. Our Tech Stack: - Backend: GoLang and Rust - Frontend: Typescript and React/Next - Platform: Docker/Containers/Kubernetes - Cloud: AWS/GCP/Azure - SDLC: Git/Gitlab The expecte