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 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

• 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.

• 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.

• 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

• fro…