Backend Software Engineer - Defense · Palantir

Sat, 25 Apr 2026 20:36:32 GMT
Engineering

Palantir · Washington, D.C. · $135,000 - $200,000/year · onsite

A Backend Software Engineer at Palantir builds software at scale to transform how organisations use data. Collaborate closely with technical and non-technical teammates to understand customer problems and build products that solve them. Work autonomously and make decisions independently, within a community that supports and challenges you as you grow and develop.

Some examples of product work you could work on are:

Build for high-scale, collaborative, geospatial workflows (Gaia)

Design sophisticated frameworks to enable complex workflows across applications in a single workspace

Develop the next generation of real-time collaborative tooling and data-analysis solutions (Secure Collaboration)

Core Responsibilities:

Architecting, developing, and maintaining high-performance, scalable backend services that underpin our operational data and AI systems

Maintaining high coding standards through the development of guidelines, active participation in code reviews, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement and knowledge sharing among your team

Building robust APIs for use by front-end developers and interfacing external systems, and collaborating with front-end developers to integrate user-facing elements with server-side logic

Designing efficient data structures and algorithms to manage large-scale and high throughput data

Optimizing applications for speed and scalability through performance analysis

Actively improve user workflows by collaborating with cross-functional teams, ensuring seamless experiences across product boundaries and a cohesive user experience

Technologies We Use:

Different backend languages, including Java, Rust, Python and Go

Distributed systems technologies such as Kafka, Cassandra, Elasticsearch and Spark

Docker and Kubernetes for containerization and orchestration

Industry-standard build tooling, including Gradle and GitHub

What We Value:

A deep understanding of server-side logic, efficient data handling, and distributed systems

Strong focus on creating user-oriented workflows and solutions, crossing product boundaries to deliver cohesive and solid user workflows that ensure a seamless and intuitive user experience

Experience building high-quality software in a fast-paced CI/CD development environment

Ability to work collaboratively in teams of technical and non-technical individuals and understand how technical decisions impact the people who will use what you're building

Skill and comfort working in a constantly evolving environment with dynamic objectives and iteration with users

What We Require:

Experience in designing and developing features and improvements, as well as supporting and maintaining, live backend systems

In-depth understanding of data structures, system architecture, API development for microservices frameworks, distributed systems and other backend-related concepts and best practices

Engineering background in Computer Science, Mathematics, Software Engineering, Physics or similar field

Strong coding skills with demonstrated proficiency in programming languages, such as Java, C++, Python, Rust, or similar languages

Strong written and verbal communication skills and ability to iterate quickly with teammates, incorporating feedback and holding a high bar for quality

Eligibility and willingness to obtain a US Security clearance

Additional Information: The estimated salary range for this position is estimated to be $135,000 - $200,000/year. Total compensation for this position may also include Restricted Stock units, sign-on bonus and other potential future incentives.