A Software Engineer at Pantheon Data plays a pivotal role in designing, building, and deploying mission-critical systems that bridge the gap between complex software applications, cloud infrastructure, and physical engineering systems. Because Pantheon Data operates across highly specialized domains—ranging from defense and intelligence systems (ISR) to marine mechanical propulsion and electrical power loads—software engineering here is far more than just writing web applications. You will be building resilient, secure, and highly scalable solutions that directly impact national security, infrastructure modernization, and complex federal applications like the CAMITS Application.

The impact of this role is immediate and far-reaching. Whether you are leading a cloud migration initiative, developing secure DevSecOps pipelines, or writing software to interface with marine propulsion systems, your code ensures operational readiness for critical client systems. You will work in a fast-paced environment where software must perform under rigorous real-world conditions, requiring a deep appreciation for system reliability, security compliance, and cross-disciplinary engineering.

This role is ideal for engineers who thrive on solving complex, multi-dimensional problems and are comfortable navigating ambiguity. You will collaborate closely with systems engineers, electrical engineers, and project managers to turn high-level mission requirements into functional, robust software. At Pantheon Data, your contributions don't just sit in a repository; they power the systems that keep vital operations running smoothly.

The questions you will encounter during the hiring process are designed to assess your technical depth, your ability to integrate software with complex systems, and your adaptability in fast-moving projects. These questions are drawn from real candidate experiences and representative engineering scenarios at Pantheon Data.

Cloud Architecture & DevSecOps

This category evaluates your ability to build secure, automated, and scalable cloud environments, which is essential for our modern application deployments and cloud migration initiatives.

• How do you design and implement a secure CI/CD pipeline within a highly regulated environment?
• Can you describe your experience with AWS resource provisioning and how you ensure DevSecOps compliance?

Preparing for an interview at Pantheon Data requires a blend of technical readiness and a strong understanding of systems engineering principles. You should approach your preparation with a focus on how software interacts with broader infrastructure and hardware.

Technical Adaptability – You must demonstrate that you can quickly master new tools, languages, and frameworks. Because projects at Pantheon Data span diverse domains—from AWS cloud infrastructure to low-level systems integration—your ability to learn and adapt is highly valued.

Problem-Solving & Systems Thinking – Interviewers want to see how you approach complex, ambiguous challenges. Be ready to explain your design decisions, how you identify potential points of failure, and how you ensure system reliability and security.

Mission-Oriented Alignment – Having a strong appreciation for the critical nature of the systems you will support is essential. Be prepared to discuss how you maintain high quality standards and rigorous testing protocols when working on applications that cannot afford to fail.

The interview process at Pantheon Data is designed to be highly efficient, direct, and streamlined. Candidates often note that the process moves much faster than typical industry timelines, allowing successful applicants to transition from initial contact to an offer in a matter of days. The company values clear communication and swift decision-making, which is reflected in how they evaluate talent.

The process typically begins with an initial phone call with an HR recruiter to discuss your background, salary expectations, and overall alignment with the role. This is quickly followed by a technical and behavioral phone call with the hiring manager. Because the process is fast-paced, it is crucial to make a strong impression early and come prepared with questions about the specific team and technical stack you will be supporting.

The timeline above outlines the typical progression from your initial application to the final offer stage. Candidates should use this timeline to plan their preparation, ensuring they are fully ready for deep technical and situational questions by the time they speak with the hiring manager. Because the turnaround time between steps can be exceptionally short, proactive preparation is key.

To succeed at Pantheon Data, you must perform well across several key evaluation areas that reflect the multidisciplinary nature of our engineering projects.

Cloud & DevSecOps Engineering

This area evaluates your ability to build, secure, and maintain cloud infrastructure, particularly within AWS environments. You will be assessed on your understanding of modern cloud architectures, automation, and security compliance.

Be ready to go over:

• Infrastructure as Code (IaC) – Using tools like Terraform or CloudFormation to deploy reproducible environments.
• CI/CD Pipelines – Designing automated build, test, and deployment workflows that incorporate security scanning.
• Security Compliance - Implementing IAM policies, encryption at rest and in transit, and meeting federal security standards.
• Advanced concepts (less common) – Multi-region disaster recovery, zero-trust architecture patterns, and Kubernetes orchestration in secure enclaves.

Example questions or scenarios:

• "How would you design a secure AWS architecture for a federal application that requires strict data isolation?"
• "Describe how you would automate the deployment of a patch to a production environment without causing service disruption."

Systems Integration & Architecture

This area focuses on your capacity to design software that interfaces seamlessly with complex databases, external APIs, and hardware systems.

Be ready to go over:

• API Design – Building robust, scalable, and well-documented RESTful or gRPC APIs.
• Data Modeling – Designing schemas that support high-throughput and low-latency data access.
• Hardware-Software Interfaces – Understanding how software interacts with physical systems, sensors, or mechanical controllers.
• Advanced concepts (less common) – Real-time data streaming architectures and message queuing systems for low-bandwidth environments.

Example questions or scenarios:

• "How do you design a system to ingest and process real-time telemetry data from a marine propulsion system?"
• "What architectural patterns would you use to integrate a legacy application with a modern cloud-based microservices suite?"

Navigating Ambiguity & Agile Execution

Given the fast-paced nature of our projects, interviewers will closely evaluate how you perform when requirements are high-level or evolving.

Be ready to go over:

• Requirement Gathering – Asking the right questions to clarify scope and define success criteria.
• Iterative Delivery – Breaking down complex projects into manageable, high-impact milestones.
• Risk Mitigation – Identifying technical risks early and communicating them proactively to stakeholders.

Example questions or scenarios:

• "Describe a time you were assigned a critical task with very vague instructions. How did you proceed?"
• "How do you balance the need for rapid deployment with the necessity of thorough testing and security compliance?"