Backend Software Engineer - Maps & Routing

About Rune

We're not a traditional defense contractor. We're a small, fast-moving team that combines deep operational experience in and with the DoD with the software discipline of the best product companies, and we apply that combination to a customer set that desperately needs it. We stay close to our users by embedding directly with military units during exercises and rotations, and we ship constantly based on what we learn.

About the Role
At Rune Technologies, we are building the logistics technology backbone that the U.S. and allied militaries need to dominate in large-scale combat operations. As a Backend Software Engineer at Rune, you will be part of a high-impact team working at the intersection of advanced logistics algorithms, modern AI-enabled software, and complex system integrations, all in support of the warfighter at the tactical edge.

You'll join us in our mission to bring 21st-century software to the sustainment domain: modernizing inventory management, transportation optimization, and route planning with state-of-the-art user experiences. You'll work closely with a team of experienced engineers, product designers, and operational experts who care deeply about delivering real-world impact.

As our Backend Software Engineer for Maps & Routing, you will own the routing layer of TyrOS end to end. This means taking full responsibility for our ground routing infrastructure, built on Valhalla, and independently designing and implementing new capabilities on top of it. This is not a geospatial visualization role. We are looking for someone who has worked on routing engines themselves: the graph structures, cost functions, and edge-case logic that determine how a vehicle actually gets from A to B, especially when the environment is degraded, contested, or constantly changing.

What You'll Do

• Own the design, development, and ongoing maintenance of Rune's routing layer, built on Valhalla, as the sole engineer responsible for this system.
• Extend the existing routing foundation with new capabilities, including multi-modal transport routing, time-dependent cost modeling, and integration with operational data sources such as weather, terrain, and road availability.
• Collaborate with the broader platform team to expose routing functionality through clean APIs and integrate it into TyrOS workflows.
• Participate in technical design discussions and code reviews, contributing to a culture of engineering rigor and mission focus.
• Triage and debug routing issues in production, ensuring reliability and rapid iteration in support of operational needs.
• Work closely with engineers, product managers, and military stakeholders to ensure the routing layer meets real-world sustainment requirements at the tactical edge.

Qualifications

• 4–6 years of experience in software engineering, with a demonstrated focus on routing, navigation, or transportation systems
• Direct hands-on experience building or extending a routing engine (Valhalla, OSRM, Graphhopper, or equivalent)
• Proficiency in C++ or Rust as a primary language; familiarity with Go is a plus.
• Comfort owning a technical layer - you can design, implement, debug, and iterate independently.
• Strong sense of ownership and a bias for action.

Desired Qualifications

• Direct experience with Valhalla
• Experience with multi-modal transport routing (ground, air, maritime) beyond single-mode use cases.
• Prior work at a logistics, mapping, or supply chain technology company
• Experience deploying software to production environments, including cloud (AWS, Kubernetes) and edge infrastructure.
• Familiarity with OpenStreetMap data pipelines, PostGIS, or tile server infrastructure (e.g., Martin).

Benefits

Rune offers top-tier benefits for full-time employees to include a full suite of insurance options at no cost for employees and low-cost to spouses and dependents. Highly competitive equity grants are also included in the majority of full time offers and are considered part of Rune's total compensation package. Benefits include:

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plans; premiums 100% covered by Rune for all employees; exceptionally low premiums for spouses and dependents
• Basic life insurance and disability 100% covered for all employees by Rune; option to purchase additional life insurance available
• ‘Take the time off that you need, when you need it’ paid time off, not accrual based
• Generous company holiday calendar including a holiday shutdown in December
• Supportive leave of absence program including time off for military service, medical events, and parental leave
• Full 401(k) retirement plan for all full-time eligible employees
• Company-funded commuter benefits
• Free access to on-site gym at office