Senior Backend Developer Python Jobs in Ashburn, VA

Vantor is forging the new frontier of spatial intelligence, helping decision makers and operators navigate what’s happening now and shape what’s coming next.  Vantor is a place for problem solvers, changemakers, and go-getters—where people are working together to help our customers see the world differently, and in doing so, be seen differently. Come be part of a mission, not just a job, where you can: Shape your own future, build the next big thing, and change the world.

Export Control/ITAR: Certain roles may be subject to U.S. export control laws, requiring U.S. person status as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3).

Please review the job details below.

This position requires an active U.S. Government Security Clearance at the TS/SCI level with CI polygraph.

We are a sleek and modern software development team building mission-critical applications with real-world impact for the Intelligence Community.   

We are seeking an experienced   Senior   Backend   Developer/ Engineer to join our  hybrid  agile team   and   help build  and scale our   data  platform  and pipelines  to support   I ntelligence Community   AI efforts .    

Responsibilities:

• Design, build, and  ow n backend services and platform components for  a modern   data architecture   and pipelines.  

• Make high-impact technical decisions around architecture, data modeling and system integration    

• Build integrations with internal and external data sources, APIs, and event streams  

• Partner with data engineering, analytics, and  product managers   to define scalable data models and platform capabilities  

• Improve reliability, observability, and performance of data workflows and backend services  

• Implement best practices for testing, monitoring, logging, and deployment  

• Contribute to architecture decisions around storage, orchestration, metadata management, and access patterns  

• Help establish engineering standards for code quality, documentation, CI/CD, and operational excellence  

• Troubleshoot and debug production systems   

• This is a hybrid role that will require a mix of work from home and onsite work at the customer’s office in Reston, VA.  

Minimum Qualifications:

• 10 + years of professional software engineering experience, with strong backend development skills  

• Strong proficiency  in  Python  

• Experience building backend systems, APIs, or distributed services in production environments  

• PostgreSQL   and  Elasticsearch   proficiency  

• Familiarity with  AWS , especially  S3, RDS, and  other data centric services  

• Current/active TS/SCI with a current CI polygraph or be willing and able to obtain a CI polygraph.  

• Bachelor's degree in a related field, e.g. Computer Science, Systems Engineering or equivalent experience  

• Understanding of software engineering fundamentals including testing, version control, CI/CD, and system design  

• Tenacious troubleshooting, problem solving   and  error fixing  mentality  

• Strong  communication and collaboration skills, ability to work, collaborate and thrive on a small technical team.  

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience working with data platforms, data pipelines, ETL/ELT workflows, or large-scale data processing systems  

• Gitlab and Gitlab CI experience  

• Openshift   and Helm   experience  

• Docker and containerization experience  

• DoD 8570 IAT II and Privileged User Access requirements met (Security+, CySA+, CCNA Security, GICSP, GSEC, SSCP)  

Pay Transparency: To support pay transparency, Vantor includes salary ranges in all U.S. job postings. Starting pay for this role will fall within the listed range and will be based on factors such as experience, qualifications, skills, location, and market conditions. Candidates who meet the minimum requirements for the role should not expect to receive compensation at the top of the range. The listed range reflects the expected pay for this position, and final offers will be determined based on each candidate’s experience, expertise, and alignment with the role.

For all other states, we use geographic cost of labor as an input to develop market-driven ranges for our roles, and as such, each location where we hire may have a different range.

Benefits: Vantor offers a competitive total rewards package that goes beyond the standard, including a robust 401(k) with company match, mental health resources, and unique perks like student loan repayment assistance, adoption reimbursement and pet insurance to support all aspects of your life. You can find more information on our benefits at: 

The application window is three days from the date the job is posted and will remain posted until a qualified candidate has been identified for hire.  If the job is reposted regardless of reason, it will remain posted three days from the date the job is reposted and will remain reposted until a qualified candidate has been identified for hire. 

The date of posting can be found on Vantor's Career page at the top of each job posting.

To apply, submit your application via Vantor's Career page.

EEO Policy: Vantor is an equal opportunity employer committed to an inclusive workplace. We believe in fostering an environment where all team members feel respected, valued, and encouraged to share their ideas. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, protected veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law.