Principal Data Platform Engineer

About Onebrief

Onebrief is a revolutionary platform for military staff workflows and operational planning. The software is designed to enable smarter, real-time decisions. With unparalleled collaboration features, AI-enhanced tools, and customizable workflows, Onebrief makes staffs superhuman. The expanding roster of customers includes COCOMs and Service Components worldwide.

Founded in 2019 by a group of experienced planners, today, Onebrief’s workforce of 120+ spans veterans from all forces and global organizations, and technologists from leading-edge software giants. Onebrief’s growth is exemplary, having raised $53M+ and counting from leading venture investors.

About You

You are a technical leader who can guide Onebrief’s overall data strategy. Your are mission-driven and have experience in Defense Tech. You have business acumen and are comfortable owning a problem from discovery through delivery. Most importantly, you like to get stuff done!

What you will achieve

As our first Principal Data Platform Engineer, you will be instrumental in designing and implementing a scalable, secure, and high-performance data platform. This role sits within the Infrastructure & Security org, not the Product Engineering org, and focuses on enabling secure data workflows in classified, cloud, and field-deployed environments. It offers the opportunity to define and operationalize the data platform strategy within our InfraSec team, with a focus on supporting secure, scalable deployments in classified and edge environments.

This is a hands-on role. You will work at the macro level, designing and improving our architecture and data pipelines. You’ll also advise InfraSec, Product, and field teams on technical requirements for data integrations and deployments, especially those supporting government customers operating in secure environments where connectivity may be intermittent or limited.

Qualifications

Professional Experience:

• 8+ years in software, data, or platform engineering roles, with a focus on building and operating secure data infrastructure

• Experience leading technical projects and mentoring engineers

• Client-facing experience supporting deployments, integrations, or technical deliverables in government or defense contexts

• Ability and willingness to travel up to 30% to support field deployments, secure facilities, and stakeholder engagement

Technical Proficiency:

• Proficiency in SQL, Python, and TypeScript

• Expertise in PostgreSQL and cloud-hosted relational databases (e.g., AWS RDS)

• Experience with data streaming (e.g., Kafka), orchestration (e.g., Apache Airflow), and visualization tools (e.g., Apache Superset)

• Familiarity with ETL/ELT pipelines and distributed data systems

• Hands-on with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, or GCP) and Infrastructure as Code (e.g., Terraform)

• Comfort working with systems deployed in low-connectivity or classified environments

Certifications & Clearance:

• Active DoD Top Secret clearance with SCI eligibility (required)

• Security+ or equivalent DoD 8570.01-approved certification (preferred)

• Ability to obtain and maintain special program access

How You Work:

• Communicates clearly across technical and non-technical teams

• Comfortable navigating ambiguity and owning problems end-to-end

• Plans ahead, thinks in systems, and understands how infrastructure choices impact the mission

• Thrives in high-trust, mission-driven environments where autonomy and accountability go hand-in-hand