Full Stack Engineer - Innovation & Rapid Prototyping

Kentro • Mclean, VA

7d • Hybrid

About The Position

Kentro is hiring a hands-on Full Stack Engineer for its Innovation team. The engineer will design and prototype cloud-enabled solutions that turn high-level customer challenges into working proofs of value. Strong prototypes may evolve into reference architectures and enterprise solutions for federal customers. The role covers the full stack, from backend services and APIs to the frontend interfaces used to demonstrate solutions, and involves work across AI/LLM tooling, cloud-native services, enterprise platforms, and other technologies as required by each problem. The position emphasizes building and experimentation over code review, while collaborating with infrastructure and platform teams that own IaC foundations, deployment pipelines, and observability tooling. The role is hybrid in McLean, Virginia. The anticipated base salary range is $165,000–$185,000 annually. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents and be willing and able to obtain and maintain Public Trust clearance or higher. Applicants are asked to include a link to something they have built, or a description of proprietary work and their role in it.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or a related field, with at least 7 years of relevant experience.
• Current, hands-on coding experience in modern languages such as Python, JavaScript/TypeScript, Java, Go, C#, or similar, including backend and modern frontend development.
• A track record delivering large-scale, complex system integrations and operational optimizations across multi-vendor environments.
• Strong technical understanding of decoupled architectures, API-first methodologies, and cloud-native infrastructure.
• Ability to design and build scalable applications and services using cloud-native concepts.
• Ability to quickly learn unfamiliar enterprise platforms or technologies and deliver working integrations.
• Foundational understanding of solutions across cloud providers such as Azure, AWS, and GCP, and ability to collaborate with cloud engineering teams.
• Experience building and maintaining platform-to-platform integrations.
• Ability to incorporate architectural and security best practices early in the development lifecycle.
• A record of using technology creatively to create impactful business solutions.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including translating high-level direction into actionable solutions.
• Self-motivated, able to learn continually, and able to complete projects autonomously with little supervision.
• Must be a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident (Green Card holder).
• Must be willing and able to obtain and maintain Public Trust clearance or higher.
• Include a link to a project or product built, an open-source contribution, or a description of proprietary work and the applicant's role in it.

Nice To Haves

• Familiarity with Infrastructure as Code concepts and tools such as Terraform, Ansible, or Azure Resource Manager.
• Experience working within architecture frameworks such as TOGAF or DODAF.
• Experience with database design, CRUD operations, and optimization across multiple database types.

Responsibilities

• Design and prototype full-stack solutions, including backend services, APIs, and frontend interfaces, to turn high-level challenges into working proofs of value and guide solutions toward production readiness.
• Write high-quality, maintainable code and contribute throughout the development lifecycle.
• Explain technical topics through demonstrations, documentation, and discussions with current and prospective customers, virtually and in person.
• Design decoupled, API-first environments using cloud-native services to connect headless backends with diverse frontend consumers.
• Integrate and extend enterprise platforms and cloud ecosystems to deliver connected services.
• Build reference implementations, reusable accelerators, and automation patterns.
• Partner with cross-functional teams to embed innovation practices, mentor engineers, and promote new capabilities across Kentro.
• Collaborate with infrastructure and platform teams to ensure solutions fit the existing cloud and infrastructure landscape.
• Apply architecture and security best practices from the beginning of development.
• Evaluate new software, platforms, and solutions.
• Investigate complex issues, learn new technologies rapidly, and apply them to problems and opportunities.
• Apply AI/ML concepts, data-driven logic, and automation approaches, including LLM APIs, RAG patterns, and AI-assisted development tools.
• Develop end-to-end prototype applications that demonstrate emerging technology in practical, mission-aligned ways.
• Evaluate and recommend tools, frameworks, and platforms that improve developer productivity or support innovative solution patterns.
• Create technical guidance, playbooks, and architectural patterns for developers and platform teams.
• Use Infrastructure as Code concepts and tools as needed to keep prototypes reproducible and collaborate with platform engineers.
• Work within architecture frameworks such as TOGAF or DODAF to plan, document, or model enterprise systems.
• Work with database design, CRUD operations, and optimization across database types.
• Evaluate and champion emerging technologies and define adoption strategies aligned with enterprise architecture, security, and compliance frameworks.
• Develop whitepapers and playbooks that contribute to the company's knowledge base and guide customers on complex technical issues.

Benefits

• Paid time off.
• Healthcare benefits.
• Supplemental benefits.
• 401(k) with employer match.
• Discount perks and rewards.
• Education reimbursement for certifications, degrees, or professional development.
• Flexible opportunities to take courses, complete certifications, or pursue professional growth and networking.
• Company-funded virtual and in-person activities, including happy hours, holiday events, fitness and wellness events, and annual celebrations.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior