Associate Forward Deployed Engineer at Raft in Honolulu, HI

Summary: Raft is a customer-obsessed non-traditional defense tech company dedicated to empowering U.S. military and government agencies with cutting-edge AI/ML and data solutions. The Associate Forward Deployed Engineer will serve as a technical face to users, providing support and troubleshooting for production deployments while building relationships with customers. Responsibilities: - Deploy, maintain, and support containerized applications in Kubernetes environments - Provide technical support for CI/CD pipelines and container orchestration platforms - Diagnose and resolve technical issues across diverse technology stacks by troubleshooting and debugging production systems at the system level, ensuring maximum uptime and performance - Collaborate with backend engineering teams to implement solutions and improvements - Support operational deployments and maintain system reliability in production environments - Interface directly with customer stakeholders in secure environments making strong interpersonal and communication skills essential Required Qualifications: - Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related technical field (completed within the last year, or graduating by summer 2026) - Foundational understanding of software engineering principles and practices gained through coursework, internships, capstone projects, or personal projects - Comfortable using AI tools as a force multiplier, including for debugging, documentation, and rapid prototyping, while maintaining critical evaluation of AI-generated outputs - Foundational understanding of machine learning concepts including supervised/unsupervised learning, model training and evaluation, and common algorithms (regression, classification, clustering) - Exposure to containerization technologies (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes) through coursework, labs, internships, or self-directed learning - Familiarity with CI/CD concepts and tools (e.g., Jenkins, GitLab CI, GitHub Actions) - Demonstrated experience working on a team — whether through collegiate sports, internships, academic group projects, hackathons, open-source contributions, or extracurricular technical teams - Excellent verbal and written communication skills with a natural ability to interface with both technical and non-technical stakeholders - Outgoing, personable demeanor with a genuine interest in customer-facing work - Willingness to relocate to Oahu, Hawaii for full-time onsite work at Schofield Barracks and Hickam AFB - Ability to obtain and maintain a Top Secret security clearance Preferred Qualifications: - Experience in software engineering and DevOps through coursework, internships, capstone projects, or personal projects - Coursework or project experience with Linux environments - Exposure to cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, or GCP) through coursework, personal projects, or certification - Experience working with common AI/ML frameworks and libraries such as PyTorch, TensorFlow, scikit-learn, or Hugging Face - Hands-on experience integrating AI/ML APIs or third-party model services (e.g., OpenAI, Anthropic, AWS Bedrock, Azure AI) into software applications - Familiarity with large language model (LLM) concepts such as prompt engineering, context windows, and retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) - Interest in serving the Department of Defense (DoD) or federal government mission - Familiarity with networking fundamentals, scripting, or automation tools - Involvement in technical clubs, competition teams, or veteran/military-affiliated student organizations Required Skills: Kubernetes, CI/CD, Machine Learning Important Skills: Containerization, AI Tools Benefits: Fully covered healthcare, dental, and vision coverage, 401(k) and company match, Take-as-you-need PTO + 11 paid holidays, Education & training benefits, Generous referral bonuses