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Palantir

Backend Software Engineer - Defense

Palantir
onsite mid full-time $135,000 - $200,000/year Palo Alto
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First indexed 25 Apr 2026

Description

A Backend Software Engineer at Palantir builds software at scale to transform how organisations use data. The role involves collaborating closely with technical and non-technical teammates to understand customer problems and build products that solve them. Engineers work autonomously and make decisions independently, within a community that supports and challenges them as they 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 improving 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.

This listing is enriched and indexed by YubHub. To apply, use the employer's original posting: https://jobs.lever.co/palantir/a8174f9c-6f46-46b4-8e15-d1ff9e37c9eb