Streaming Data Architect - Real-Time IoT Streaming Infrastructure | NATS​/Kafka

Description

Job Location: Remote, prefer the candidate is in proximity to Springfield, VA and greater DC area for access to Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD.

Travel Requirement: Up to 25%

Security Clearance: Active Secret clearance required (interim OK)

Citizenship: US Citizenship required

Sherpa 6 is seeking a highly experienced Streaming Data Architect to design and build real-time streaming infrastructure that moves sensor data from IoT devices in the field into the systems that turn it into decisions. This is a hands-on architecture role: you'll define how high volume, low-latency data moves through a distributed messaging backbone built on NATS, and you'll shape the patterns that keep it reliable even when devices are operating in constrained or disconnected conditions.

The ideal candidate has deep experience with modern streaming architectures and hands-on expertise with high-volume messaging tools such as Kafka, NATS, or similar distributed systems, and is excited to apply that expertise to mission-driven, sensor-heavy environments rather than a typical commercial data stack.

• Architect, design, and implement high performance streaming data platforms using NATS for IoT sensor data ingestion, processing, and distribution.
• Define and maintain message schemas, subject taxonomies, and overall data governance patterns for real-time event-driven systems.
• Develop scalable distributed streaming pipelines capable of handling high-throughput, low-latency, and bursty sensor data.
• Collaborate closely with engineering teams to define data models, communication protocols, and ingestion strategies across diverse IoT devices.
• Evaluate, select, and implement best-in-class frameworks, tooling, and architectural patterns for streaming analytics and durable messaging.
• Optimize streaming architecture for reliability, fault-tolerance, and operations in heterogeneous or constrained environments.
• Integrate streaming components seamlessly with cloud systems, microservices, and downstream analytics or storage platforms.

• 8–10 years of experience in data engineering, distributed systems, or related fields with significant focus on real-time or streaming architectures.
• Hands-on experience with enterprise-scale streaming/messaging technologies (Kafka, NATS, Pulsar, or equivalent).
• Proven experience designing, building, and operating distributed streaming platforms for IoT or telemetry-driven workloads.
• Strong background in defining message schemas, subject hierarchies/taxonomies, and structured approaches to event data organization.
• Deep understanding of streaming data patterns, event-driven architecture, and high-volume messaging systems.
• Solid grounding in cloud-native architectures (AWS, Azure, or GCP).

• Direct experience building production systems with NATS (Jet Stream, NATS Server, client libraries, subject design).
• Experience with IoT sensor data, telemetry systems, or device communication protocols.
• Experience with UDP-based communications (e.g., QUIC), especially in latency-sensitive environments.
• Experience in tactical or DDIL (Denied, Disrupted, Intermittent, Limited) operational environments.
• Proficiency with Go for back-end or streaming service development.
• Familiarity with edge computing patterns and bridging device-to-cloud data flows.

• Strong communication and collaboration skills.
• Ability to explain complex distributed system concepts clearly and guide teams on architectural best practices.
• A focus on performance, reliability, and continuous improvement.

At Sherpa 6 we love to solve problems and provide the best solutions for our customers. Our approach to a problem is to find a user-focused and design-driven solution that is simple yet functional and effective. We are a group of enthusiastic forward-thinkers who are excited to build amazing solutions with bleeding-edge technology. We hire people who are forward thinkers, passionate about what they do, love to collaborate and want to constantly learn.

We enjoy what we do and we’re not afraid to put the extra effort in to accomplish the mission; call us Sherpas. As a Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business, we know what it means to serve. We have made it our mission to be the leaders in solutions that protect and give our Warfighters the edge they need when put into harm's way.

Successful completion of a background screening/check/investigation will/may be required as a condition of hire.

Sherpa 6 will make reasonable accommodations in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act 1990.

Sherpa 6 does not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, sex, religion age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, height, weight, or marital status in employment or the provision of services and is an equal access/opportunity/affirmative action employer.

We offer a competitive benefits package, covering the cost of…