Software Engineer, Public Sector Application
Job description
About Ditto:
Ditto is redefining how data moves at the edge. Our mission is to make it seamless for developers to build resilient, real-time applications, regardless of network conditions. Whether you're in a stadium, airplane, or remote military base, Ditto's peer-to-peer sync engine ensures devices stay connected and data stays consistent, even without internet. With more than $145 million in funding and trusted by organizations like Chick-fil-A, Delta Airlines, and the U.S. military, Ditto powers mission-critical experiences across aviation, retail, travel, hospitality, defense, and more. As a globally distributed, fast-growing startup, we're committed to building a diverse and inclusive team that reflects the wide range of perspectives needed to solve the world's hardest connectivity problems.
ABOUT THE POSITION
As a Software Engineer, you'll design, build, and ship software that integrates our platform's data synchronization capabilities directly into the tools and environments where our users work. You'll own meaningful features end-to-end - from architecture and implementation through deployment - with a particular focus on mobile and integration work that meets users where they are.
You'll also serve as a key feedback loop into our core product engineering team, translating what you learn from real-world usage into clear technical insights and product requirements. This role is well-suited to a highly adaptable problem-solver who is comfortable moving fast, navigating ambiguity, and figuring things out quickly to deliver reliable software.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
- Develop and Extend ATAK Plugins: Lead the design, development, and field deployment of custom ATAK (Android Team Awareness Kit) plugins that integrate our platform's data synchronization capabilities directly into the warfighter's primary situational awareness tool.
- Build Android-Native Integrations: Architect and develop performant Android applications and services that run on tactical end-user devices, ensuring reliable operation in disconnected, intermittent, and low-bandwidth (DIL) environments.
- Design Integration Architectures: Own the end-to-end integration design between our platform and the broader TAK ecosystem, defining data contracts, API boundaries, and synchronization patterns that enable seamless interoperability with third-party systems and services.
- Solve Problems in Real-Time: Act as the first line of technical defense, rapidly diagnosing and resolving application, integration, and data-flow issues as they arise on end-user devices in live operational environments.
WHAT YOU'LL NEED
- Clearance Eligible Requirement: Must be eligible to obtain a Secret clearance (Due to federal security clearance requirements, U.S. Citizenship is strictly required for this role).
- 5+ years of experience in software engineering, including hands-on experience building, shipping, and maintaining production applications. You should be comfortable working across the full stack but possess deep strength in at least one area.
- 2+ years of technical experience with Android application development, including familiarity with the Android SDK, Kotlin and/or Java, and the practical challenges of building reliable software for diverse mobile hardware.
- Prior experience with ATAK plugin development or deep familiarity with the TAK ecosystem, including CoT messaging, TAK Server integration, and the plugin architecture.
- Strong integration design skills, including the ability to define clean API contracts, design data synchronization patterns, and architect loosely coupled systems that interoperate reliably across organizational and technical boundaries.
- A highly adaptable, problem-solving mindset, with the ability to navigate ambiguity, move fast, and balance immediate operational fixes with long-term technical fidelity.
- Strong communication skills, both written and verbal. As the crucial bridge between the operational edge and our core development team, you must be able to translate complex, edge-case technical realities and user workflows into clear, actionable requirements for product engineers.
NICE TO HAVES
- Prior experience with CRDTs (Conflict-free Replicated Data Types) or local-first software architectures to manage complex data synchronization without a central server.
- Experience with cross-platform mobile development frameworks or strategies for maintaining parity between Android and other platform targets.
- Familiarity with tactical networking concepts, including how mobile devices operate over constrained, mesh, or MANET radio networks.
- Experience with SQLite, Realm, or other embedded databases and offline-first data persistence strategies for mobile applications.
- Direct experience operating at the tactical edge, including deploying and supporting software on end-user devices in field exercises or operational environments.
- Previous experience working directly with SOCOM, DoD,