1099 consultant · ~120–600 hrs per funded award · $45–$105/hr · Remote (U.S.)

Tactical Edge Distributed Systems Engineer

Help us build data systems that keep working at the tactical edge, where links drop, bandwidth is thin and nodes have to sync up again on their own.

About Precision Federal

Precision Federal is a small business building AI, data and software systems for government agencies. The company’s founder loves God, and the company is built on Christian faith: every number we publish is real, every claim we make is verifiable, and the work is done with excellence as service to God. Faith is welcome here and openly shared.

How this role works

You join the bench. You apply with your weekly hours and start time. We set your hourly rate from your résumé, and we may name you on proposals that match this role. If we don't win, you owe nothing.
A contract is awarded. The award funds the team named in the proposal. Your engagement begins at the hourly rate we agreed on.
You work remote, paid from the contract. ~120–600 hrs per funded award — and if no award ever funds, you owe nothing and lose nothing.

What you'll do

Design and build data pipelines and services that run on small Kubernetes clusters at the edge and keep working when disconnected
Engineer data-fabric synchronization so nodes can work alone, then reconcile cleanly when links come back
Tell us where an architecture breaks under denied, degraded, intermittent or limited (DDIL) networks, and how to fix it
Test our designs against realistic bandwidth, latency and outage conditions before they reach the Government

Required qualifications

Hands-on experience building distributed systems or edge data platforms in a delivery role
Working knowledge of Kubernetes (including lightweight distributions such as K3s or MicroK8s) and containerized deployment
Experience with data synchronization, replication or conflict resolution across intermittently connected nodes
U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident (U.S. person)
Willing to be named on a federal proposal with a one-page resume, and to sign a short letter of commitment

Preferred qualifications

Tactical networking experience with DDIL or DIL environments, such as radio, SATCOM or mesh networks
Message and sync tooling such as Kafka, NATS, MQTT, Zenoh, CRDTs or delay-tolerant networking
Air-gapped or disconnected Kubernetes operations, GitOps and offline image registries
Military, DoD or defense contractor experience with fielded edge or tactical systems
Active security clearance

Compensation & structure

1099 consulting engagement. $45–$105 per hour; we set your rate from your résumé and experience. Hours are funded by federal contract awards — this seat is scoped at roughly 120–600 hours per funded award, fully remote. Work and pay begin only if the contract is awarded — no award, no hours, no obligation.

Join the bench — Tactical Edge Distributed Systems Engineer

Every application is read. It takes about 5 minutes.

This is a bench, not a job offer. Work starts when we win a contract that needs you.
We may name you on proposals. If that contract is awarded, you do the role at the rate and hours we agree on.
Paid hourly as a 1099 contractor; full-time roles may be W-2. If your background fits, we will email you.

First name *

Last name *

Email *

Phone *

Work authorization *

LinkedIn or portfolio link

What state do you live in? *

Resume (PDF or Word) *

Questions

Answer from your own experience. A few sentences each is plenty; be specific and tell us what you did yourself.

Precision Federal was founded on Christian values. Our faith in God shapes how we work: many of us openly share our personal faith, share our lives together, and pray for one another. We’re building a close-knit community where we truly care about each other. Taking part is always voluntary, and people of every faith and background are welcome. As we get to know you, you’re always welcome to share your own faith with us.

1. Cover letter. In your own words, tell us about yourself: what guides you (for many of us here, that’s our faith in God), your background, and why this role interests you. *

2. Describe the edge or distributed-systems project most like this role: the environment and network conditions, how data was stored and synchronized across nodes, a failure or edge case you designed around, your role, and the result. *

Availability

Pay for this role: $45–$105 an hour, set by your experience.

Hours per week you could give on an awarded contract (all part-time, up to 30) *

If you are named and we win, will you be able to start within a few weeks? *

May we name you on proposals for this role, and if we win, will you do the work at the rate we agree on? *

I agree to the Applicant Terms. *

Questions? careers@precisionfederal.com · See all open roles