[Remote] US Defense Software Engineering Lead

Note: The job is a remote job and is open to candidates in USA. Mattermost is the leading collaborative workflow platform for defense, intelligence, security, and critical infrastructure. They are seeking a US Defense Software Engineering Lead to lead a small, agile development team dedicated to building mission-critical capabilities for US national security customers.ResponsibilitiesWork remotely and autonomously within a distributed, global team — you'll own your work and stay closely connected across time zonesLead, mentor, and grow a small, agile full-stack engineering team focused on delivering product capabilities tailored to US national security customers on top of the Mattermost platformOwn the end-to-end engineering delivery lifecycle: requirements, architecture, development, testing, and releaseCollaborate with customers and forward-deployed engineers to capture requirements directly from the field and translate them into well-scoped, executable engineering work for the core teamInterface directly and professionally with US national security customers — building trust, managing expectations, and communicating technical trade-offs clearly to non-engineersPartner with product and design stakeholders to define roadmaps that balance customer needs, platform constraints, and strategic prioritiesMaintain a full-stack technical perspective, contributing to architecture decisions across frontend, backend, and infrastructure layersEstablish and uphold engineering standards for code quality, security, testing, and documentation appropriate for a defense-grade software environmentChampion the adoption of AI-powered development tools (e.g., Cursor, Claude, GitHub Copilot) across the team to accelerate velocity and automate repetitive engineering tasksActively manage team health: conduct regular 1:1s, identify growth opportunities, address blockers, and foster a culture of ownership and psychological safetyParticipate in technical hiring and onboarding to expand the team as the mission scalesProvide accurate effort estimates, status updates, and risk assessments to leadership and program stakeholders on a regular cadenceSkillsBS in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or related field/experience5+ years of professional software engineering experience, including 2+ years in an engineering management or tech lead roleProven full-stack product development experience — comfortable owning decisions across frontend (e.g., React) and backend (e.g., Go, Node.js) layersDemonstrated ability to lead small, agile teams in a fast-paced, high-accountability environmentExperience interfacing directly with customers or end users in a technical capacity — able to listen, synthesize, and communicate complex technical concepts clearly to non-engineersStrong written and verbal communication skills for collaborating across distributed, remote teams and presenting to senior stakeholdersProficiency with AI/LLM development tools (e.g., Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Claude) with a genuine commitment to integrating them into daily engineering workflowsUS citizenship is required. This role may require the ability to obtain and maintain a US government security clearance in the future. Applicants must reside in the United StatesApplicants must meet eligibility requirements for access to export-controlled information as defined by US export control laws, including EAR and ITARStrong personal alignment with the US national security mission and the communities it servesTravel 1-2 weeks per quarterMust be eligible to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearanceActive Secret clearance preferred; TS/SCI is a plusPrevious experience working with or for the US Department of Defense (DoD), defense contractors, or the intelligence communityFamiliarity with defense-specific software environments, including DDIL (Disconnected, Denied, Disrupted, Intermittent, and Limited) network conditionsExperience working fully remotely with distributed, global teamsBackground building secure, compliant software for government or regulated industriesExperience hiring, growing, and retaining exceptional engineering talent in a remote environmentPrior work in open-source projects or platform-level software developmentContributions to Mattermost or similar collaboration/communications platformsBenefitsWork remotely and autonomously within a distributed, global teamTravel 1-2 weeks per quarterMattermost takes a market-based approach to pay and pay may vary depending on your locationThe successful candidate's starting pay will be determined based on job-related skills, experience, qualifications, work location, and market conditionsCompany OverviewMattermost is an open source platform for secure collaboration across the entire software development lifecycle. It was founded in 2016, and is headquartered in Palo Alto, California, USA, with a workforce of 51-200 employees. Its website is https://mattermost.com.