Senior Software Engineer

US-Remote | US-MD-Fort Meade

By Light Professional IT Services LLC readies warfighters and federal agencies with technology and systems engineered to connect, protect, and prepare individuals and teams for whatever comes next. Headquartered in McLean, VA, By Light supports defense, civilian, and commercial IT customers worldwide.

We are seeking an experienced Software Engineer to support USCYBERCOM J9 and the Persistent Cyber Training Environment (PCTE) / RangeOS mission.

This role is best suited for a strong software engineer who enjoys building backend services and REST APIs, working with Kubernetes and cloud-based infrastructure, and troubleshooting complex distributed systems. The ideal candidate will bring depth in one or more programming languages and be comfortable learning additional technologies as needed.

Experience with every technology listed below is not required. We are looking for strong engineering fundamentals, technical curiosity, solid debugging skills, and the ability to learn and contribute in a collaborative development environment.

• Design, develop, test, and maintain backend services, microservices, and REST APIs supporting cyber training and range capabilities.
• Develop software using modern programming languages such as Type Script, Go, Python, or similar technologies.
• Build and support applications deployed within Kubernetes-based environments.
• Integrate software with virtualized and cloud infrastructure, including environments using AWS or comparable cloud platforms.
• Develop and maintain infrastructure using Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) technologies such as Terraform, Ansible, Pulumi, or similar tools.
• Troubleshoot and debug application, infrastructure, integration, and deployment issues across distributed environments.
• Develop and maintain automated unit, integration, and end-to-end tests to support reliable software delivery.
• Collaborate with software engineering, Dev Ops/Dev Sec Ops , infrastructure, networking, and cyber teams throughout the development lifecycle.
• Contribute to capabilities supporting PCTE, RangeOS, and related Joint Cyber Warfighting Architecture (JCWA) initiatives.
• Participate in technical planning, design discussions, code reviews, and continuous improvement efforts.
• Provide technical or project leadership when appropriate based on experience.

Experience in one or more of the following areas is highly valued but is not required in every category:

• Type Script and/or Go (Golang) development.
• Designing and implementing REST APIs and distributed backend services.
• Kubernetes, including application deployment, configuration, troubleshooting, or platform integration.
• Virtualization technologies such as KVM, VMware, Hyper-V, or similar platforms.
• Cloud platforms such as AWS, Azure, GCP, or comparable environments.
• Infrastructure-as-Code tools such as Terraform, Ansible, Pulumi, Cloud Formation, or similar technologies.
• Modern frontend technologies such as React, Angular, Vue, Type Script, HTML, or CSS.
• Automated testing frameworks and test-driven development practices.
• Networking concepts, protocols, configuration, or troubleshooting.
• Dev Ops or Dev Sec Ops  practices, including CI/CD pipelines and automated deployment.
• Designing, deploying, supporting, or maintaining cyber ranges, training environments, or virtualized lab environments.
• Technical leadership, project leadership, mentoring, or ownership of software capabilities.
• Experience supporting PCTE, RangeOS, LevelUP, Unified Platform (UP), JCWA, or related DoD cyber programs.
• Familiarity with USCYBERCOM missions, cyber training environments, or operational workflows.
• Experience with Kubernetes APIs, client-go, custom controllers, or Kubernetes operators.

• 5+ years of professional software development experience.
• Strong experience building backend applications, services, or REST APIs.
• Strong proficiency in at least one or two programming languages. Experience with Type Script and/or Go is preferred, but engineers with strong experience in other languages who are willing to learn are encouraged to apply.
• Experience working with Kubernetes or similar container orchestration technologies.
• Experience with containerized applications using technologies such as Docker.
• Strong debugging, troubleshooting, and problem-solving skills.
• Experience working collaboratively within modern software development, Agile, Dev…