Senior Software Engineer, FDE

About Ditto: Ditto is redefining how data moves at the edge. Our mission is to make it seamless for developers to build resilient, real-time applications, regardless of network conditions. Whether you're in a stadium, airplane, or remote military base, Ditto's peer-to-peer sync engine ensures devices stay connected and data stays consistent, even without internet. With more than $145 million in funding and trusted by organizations like Chick-fil-A, Delta Airlines, and the U.S. military, Ditto powers mission-critical experiences across aviation, retail, travel, hospitality, defense, and more. As a globally distributed, fast-growing startup, we’re committed to building a diverse and inclusive team that reflects the wide range of perspectives needed to solve the world’s hardest connectivity problems. ABOUT THE POSITION As a Forward Deployed Engineer (FDE), you are the technical tip of the spear. FDEs are elite, versatile engineers who work shoulder-to-shoulder with our most critical users to solve complex challenges in real time. Your primary mission is to radically decrease the time-to-value of our software by integrating it directly into the user's operational environment. Because you see firsthand how our technology performs in the wild, you will also act as a crucial conduit, feeding technical insights and feature requirements back to our core product engineering team. This role requires a highly adaptable problem-solver who is comfortable moving fast, navigating ambiguity, and figuring things out quickly in high-stakes environments. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES - Implement the Core Aggregation Node: Lead the on-site architecture, deployment, and configuration of our central data hub within a highly secure, distributed network environment. - Master Edge-to-Core Synchronization: You won't just be standing up standard relational databases. You will architect and troubleshoot complex, peer-to-peer data synchronization across edge devices utilizing CRDTs (Conflict-free Replicated Data Types) to manage state in decentralized environments. - Optimize Multi-Protocol Routing: Ensure reliable data flow from the tactical edge to the core by configuring and optimizing routing across heterogeneous and constrained network transports, including BLE, local Wi-Fi, and tactical radios. - Solve Problems in Real-Time: Act as the first line of technical defense, rapidly diagnosing and resolving infrastructure, network, and software issues as they arise on the ground. - Bridge the Gap: Translate the unique, edge-case operational realities you observe (e.g., severe bandwidth constraints, disconnected nodes) into actionable technical requirements for the core product development team. WHAT YOU’LL NEED - Clearance Requirement: Must hold an active TS/SCI clearance (Due to federal security clearance requirements, U.S. Citizenship is strictly required for this role). - 5+ years of experience in software engineering, forward deployed engineering, or site reliability engineering (SRE). This includes hands-on experience deploying, configuring, and troubleshooting complex systems in live production environments. - 2+ years of technical experience working with distributed systems and cloud-native architectures. This includes practical experience with container orchestration (e.g., Kubernetes, RKE2, K3s) and event streaming or data messaging platforms. - Prior experience with edge computing, state management, and complex data synchronization. You should understand the challenges of eventual consistency and decentralized architectures. - A highly adaptable, problem-solving mindset, with the ability to navigate ambiguity, move fast, and balance immediate operational fixes with long-term technical fidelity. - Strong communication skills, both written and verbal. As the crucial bridge between the operational edge and our core development team, you must be able to translate complex, edge-case technical realities and user workflows into clear, actionable requirements for