Software Engineer (Full Stack Focus)

Fort Meade, MD

Software Engineer – Full Stack

** An active TS//SCI clearance with polygraph is required for this role **

👋🏼 Hey!

Bitwise is a leading provider of mission-focused intelligence solutions that advance national security for the Intelligence Community and Department of Defense. We're a small and growing company, so you can expect to hop in on the ground floor with us and be a consequential member of the team. You'll be more than a contract performer for us — you'll also be asked for ideas to improve our company and improve your career, and you'll contribute to our team culture. We value growth and community above almost all else, so we gather regularly for game nights, happy hours, tech talks, and plenty more. We think you'll like it here!

Remember, Bitwise is not a cult. 🖖🏼

🎯 What We Look For

Bitwise hires talented engineers who are driven by purpose and who value a culture of technical excellence, growth, and overall wellness. We deliver new and innovative intelligence solutions to our customers at the very forefront of our country's national security missions. And we do it every single day. Our work matters, and so will you.

We ask that every new hire be able to:

Contribute meaningful thought leadership — if not right away, over time
Interact with our customers and earn their confidence in your abilities
Be detailed, even if that means taking a little more time to get it right
Contribute their ideas and ideals to improve all aspects of our company
Allow us to invest in their education so we both grow together
Know and live our core values every single day

💡 About this Role

This is a rare opportunity to do full-stack development work that genuinely matters — on a small, high-performing team that has earned some of the IC's most prestigious recognition for mission impact. You'll be joining a Custom Media Operations team at the cutting edge of AI/ML-powered capabilities, building the web applications that connect powerful tools to the people who need them most.

On this team, you won't be handed a ticket queue and told to stay in your lane. You'll own products from first conversation to full production deployment — scoping, building, testing, shipping, and iterating based on real user feedback. You'll work shoulder-to-shoulder with AI/ML engineers and senior stakeholders, translating complex operational challenges into clean, capable technical solutions. If you're the kind of engineer who thrives with autonomy, gets energized by emerging technology, and wants to see your work make a direct difference, this role was written for you.

In this role, you will:

Build and maintain full-stack web applications in close collaboration with business leaders and AI/ML engineers supporting custom media operations
Partner with AI/ML engineers, senior stakeholders, and end users to deeply understand complex operational challenges and translate them into robust technical solutions
Rapidly prototype and pilot cutting-edge capabilities that keep pace with customers' evolving mission needs
Collaborate directly with end users to define and refine ideal interaction paths, reducing friction in mission-critical workflows
Stay current on the latest developments in the AI/ML landscape and actively seek opportunities to operationalize them

📋 Requirements

8 years of relevant experience, or 4 years of experience plus a B.S. in a technical discipline
Proven ability to take a project from initial concept and scoping through iterative development, rigorous testing, and final deployment
Highly self-directed, with experience decomposing work into features and tasks with minimal oversight
Experience conducting direct user research, iterating on capabilities based on feedback, and solving real-world operational pain points
Extensive experience building applications in JavaScript, including Node.js, TypeScript, and UI frameworks and libraries such as React and Material UI
Experience with Linux, particularly Ubuntu and Amazon Linux
Experience with Docker
Working knowledge of NoSQL databases, specifically MongoDB
Experience managing CI/CD build pipelines within GitLab
Active TS//SCI clearance with polygraph

🌟 Preferred Skills

Experience with Java/Spring Boot and Python/Flask
AWS Certified CloudOps Engineer, or general experience managing software infrastructure in AWS
Certified Kubernetes Application Developer, or general experience managing applications running on Kubernetes
Experience with multimedia and 3D modeling tools such as Cinema4D, Blender, Unreal Engine, GIMP, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, or similar
Basic literacy in AI and familiarity with the ML process
Experience using code-assist tools such as OpenCode, GitHub Copilot, or similar

🏝️ Benefits at Bitwise

Top salaries because we're top performers
Pick your PTO — Everyone values time and money differently, so we give you the flexibility to choose between 3 and 5 weeks of PTO with a corresponding adjustment to your pay. Your choice, your balance.
All 11 federal holidays, paid!
Up to 2 snow days, paid!
We'll quadruple (4x!) the first 6% you contribute to your 401(k), giving you up to a 24% company match. Contributing less than 6%? Unclaimed matches come right back to you as extra income, giving you a guaranteed 24% that goes to your retirement, to your paycheck, or both. C'mon now! 🚀
100% employer-paid medical, dental, vision, life, and disability insurances. That's a lot. Already covered on health insurance? No problem — we'll trade you this benefit for a boost to your salary instead.
$5,250 annual education assistance for training, certifications, tuition, and even student loan repayments.
Spot bonuses for obtained certifications, customer recognition, and just about anything else that makes us go "Hot damn!". We hope to say that many times about you. 🔥

💰 Salary Range

$230,000 – $271,000

This range includes our flex income and depends upon your annual work hours.

Salary is determined on an individual basis following the interview process and considering various factors such as years of experience, skills, education, and certifications.

🛎️ What to Expect After Applying

You'll get an email from us right away to acknowledge your application. After that, we'll:

Send over additional company materials for you to review
Schedule a video call to talk about you, our company, and your place in it
Craft a delightful offer package for you and record a video walkthrough
Work closely with you through onboarding. We'll keep it joyful and easy.

ℹ️ Disclaimers

Bitwise is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected status. All employment decisions are based on qualifications, merit, and business needs.

Compensation for this position, including all compensation options, will be determined on an individual basis following the interview process.

If you require accommodations at any stage of the application or interview process, please reach out to us.