Software Engineering Manager, Data Platform

Vannevar is a defense technology company building AI to deter our adversaries. In the 21st century, conflict moves at algorithmic speed and foresight equals firepower. Our agentic AI is purpose-built to compete with China—from cross-Strait conflict to gray zone coercion. Trained on the most mission-relevant datasets in defense, our technology models adversary behavior, simulates campaigns, and recommends the best course of action to decision makers. Our AI systems are some of the most trusted in the industry and actively used on the front lines of the Indo-Pacific to keep the peace and save lives.

Exceptional technology starts with exceptional people. Vannevar is a small agile team combining world-class engineers with veteran strategists who bring deep expertise in defense and tradecraft. We’re building a company defined by mission impact, user empathy, and disciplined growth. In just three years, we grew from $3M to $80M in ARR, achieved early profitability, and reached unicorn status—proving that disruption doesn’t require an ego, and staying power doesn’t mean standing still.

About the role

We're looking for a talented Software Engineering Manager to lead our data platform engineering team, specializing in data pipelines, data warehousing, and APIs that support developers building tools for the US DoD. 
 
You'll be tasked with leading a growing team responsible for structuring a diverse collection of multimodal datasets and providing various access patterns for internal developers including multi-media semantic search, entity search, and relational data primitives. This team plays a crucial role in powering most of Vannevar’s mature products, while also supporting new product initiatives. You will enable internal developers to move faster by solving common problems, reducing duplication of systems, and building the foundation that makes our products successful. 

What you’ll do

• Data Platform Development: Design and build scalable, reliable data pipelines, warehouses, and search capabilities for supporting internal developers. 
• Technology Improvement: Identify opportunities for improving developer experience and time-to-market for product engineers building with core datasets. 
• Collaboration: Work closely with engineers, DevOps, and product engineering teams, leveraging your communication skills to ensure effective teamwork. 
• Team Building: Develop and lead a strong cross-functional team that forms strong partnerships with developers across the organization. 

What we look for  

• 3+ years of experience in leading platform engineering teams  
• 5+ years of experience as a backend, data, or search engineer. 
• Strong technical expertise in building ETL pipelines, data warehousing and designing APIs. 
• Ability to deliver scalable and reliable platform solutions over a diverse collection of data types.  
• High ethical standards for handling sensitive data, ensuring adherence to data privacy rules and compliance standards. 
• Willingness to