Pay Transparency at Ditto

Ditto uses a location-based compensation model. This means pay ranges for the same role may vary depending on where you live, based on cost of living and market data.The ranges you see on our job postings represent the full span of target compensation across all markets where we hire. Within that range, actual offers are determined by a candidate’s skills and experience. This ensures we remain competitive with local markets while also maintaining internal consistency and fairness in real spending power across locations.

About Ditto:

Ditto is redefining how data moves at the edge. Our mission is to make it seamless for developers to build resilient, real-time applications, regardless of network conditions. Whether you're in a stadium, airplane, or remote military base, Ditto's peer-to-peer sync engine ensures devices stay connected and data stays consistent, even without internet. With more than $145 million in funding and trusted by organizations like Chick-fil-A, Delta Airlines, and the U.S. military, Ditto powers mission-critical experiences across aviation, retail, travel, hospitality, defense, and more. As a globally distributed, fast-growing startup, we’re committed to building a diverse and inclusive team that reflects the wide range of perspectives needed to solve the world’s hardest connectivity problems.

About the Position

As a Forward Deployed Engineer (FDE), you are the technical tip of the spear. FDEs are elite, versatile engineers who work shoulder-to-shoulder with our most critical users to solve complex challenges in real time. Your primary mission is to radically decrease the time-to-value of our software by integrating it directly into the user's operational environment.

Because you see firsthand how our technology performs in the wild, you will also act as a crucial conduit, feeding technical insights and feature requirements back to our core product engineering team. This role requires a highly adaptable problem-solver who is comfortable moving fast, navigating ambiguity, and figuring things out quickly in high-stakes environments.

Key Responsibilities

• Architect Tactical Network Infrastructure: Design, deploy, and maintain the network transport layer that connects our software across SOCOM's operational environments, from garrison to the tactical edge, including configuration of routers, switches, and subnetting for segmented, multi-enclave networks.

• Integrate and Optimize Tactical Radio Networks: Configure and troubleshoot data flows across tactical radio systems (e.g., AN/PRC-117G, AN/PRC-163, MPU5), ensuring reliable IP transport over constrained, intermittent, and low-bandwidth RF links.

• Implement Multi-Bridging and Cross-Network Routing: Engineer multi-bridge configurations that enable data to traverse heterogeneous network segments — including tactical radios, local Wi-Fi, LTE, and SATCOM — with optimized routing, QoS, and payload compression for bandwidth-constrained environments.

• Solve Problems in Real-Time: Act as the first line of technical defense for network-layer issues, rapidly diagnosing and resolving connectivity failures, routing loops, radio interoperability problems, and throughput degradation as they arise.

• Bridge the Gap: Translate the unique, edge-case operational realities you observe (e.g., waveform-specific throughput limitations, MANET topology instability, multi-enclave routing conflicts) into actionable technical requirements for the core product development team.

What You'll Need

• Clearance Requirement: Must hold an active Secret clearance (Due to federal security clearance requirements, U.S. Citizenship is strictly required for this role).

• 5+ years of experience in network engineering, tactical communications, or IT infrastructure in military or high-security environments. This includes hands-on experience designing, deploying, and troubleshooting IP networks in live production or operational settings.

• 2+ years of technical experience with tactical radio systems and their IP networking capabilities, including configuring waveforms, managing MANET topologies, and troubleshooting RF-to-IP data paths.

• Strong proficiency in network fundamentals including subnetting, VLANs, static and dynamic routing (OSPF, BGP), NAT, firewall ACLs, and packet-level troubleshooting with tools like Wireshark, tcpdump, and traceroute.

• A highly adaptable, problem-solving mindset, with the ability to navigate ambiguity, move fast, and balance immediate operational fixes with long-term technical fidelity.

• Strong communication skills, both written and verbal. As the crucial bridge between the operational edge and our core development team, you must be able to translate complex, edge-case technical realities and user workflows into clear, actionable requirements for product engineers.

Nice to Haves

• Experience with multi-bridge networking solutions (e.g., Persistent Systems MPU5 Wave Relay, TrellisWare, or similar mesh networking platforms) and cross-network gateway configurations.

• Familiarity with SATCOM and beyond-line-of-sight (BLOS) data transport, including optimizing data flows over high-latency, bandwidth-constrained satellite links.

• Network certifications such as CCNA, CCNP, CompTIA Network+, or equivalent military networking training (e.g., 25-series MOS equivalencies).

• Experience with software-defined networking (SDN) or network automation (e.g., Ansible, Terraform for network device configuration).

• Prior experience operating at the SOF tactical edge, including planning and executing network architectures for field exercises, deployments, or operational missions.

• Previous experience working directly with SOCOM, JSOC, or Component Command customers, with an understanding of how tactical network design supports mission command workflows.

• Familiarity with HAIPE/Type-1 encryptors (e.g., KG-175, TACLANE) and their integration into tactical network architectures.

Clearance: Secret

The Benefits of Building with Us

We offer competitive salaries and meaningful equity. We believe everyone on the team should have a stake in what we’re building. Benefits vary by region to make sure you're covered in the ways that matter most. In the US, that includes health, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance, plus a 401(k) and flexible spending accounts.

Regardless of where you live, everyone at Ditto can utilize flexible time off. And while we work remotely, our Atlanta and San Francisco offices are open if you ever want a place to work or meet up with teammates.

Apply Anyway

At Ditto, we know game-changers don’t always come wrapped in a “perfect” resume. Years of experience? Every single bullet point checked? Meh. That’s not what drives us.

What does matter?

• Grit.

• Curiosity.

• Adaptability.

• And a genuine spark for what we’re building.

So if you’re fired up about our mission but not sure you tick every box - hit that apply button anyway. Use your application to show us how you’ll make an impact here.

We’re always on the lookout for exceptional humans who want to grow, stretch, and build something meaningful with us.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Ditto is proud to be an equal-opportunity employer. We do not discriminate in hiring or any employment decision based on race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), marital status, ancestry, physical or mental disability, genetic information, veteran status, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. Ditto is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans in our job application procedures. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, please let us know.

Compensation Range: $223K - $259K