Freelance Software Developer C++ / DevOps - Network Control Software

Project overview

Hello everyone,

For one of our clients in the defense sector, we are looking for an experienced Software Developer (m/f/d) with a focus on C++ and DevOps for the development of network control software in the area of secure, mission-critical communication.

The focus is on the development, implementation, and operation of central network control that manages, prioritizes, and secures communication connections against attacks.

The software will be used in a Kubernetes-based cloud environment as well as on distributed embedded systems.

Responsibilities

Development and further development of network control software with modern C++ (C++17/20)

Implementation and optimization of system-level network functions under Linux

Development and integration of backend services and microservices

Setup, further development, and operation of Kubernetes-based applications

Creation and optimization of automated CI/CD pipelines

Containerization of applications with Docker/OCI

Implementation and execution of automated tests

Implementation of technical requirements considering security, performance, and resource efficiency

Collaboration with adjacent development and infrastructure teams

Requirements (Must-have)

Several years of practical experience in software development with C++17/20

Sound knowledge in network technology (TCP/IP, IPv4/IPv6, Routing, VLAN, IPsec, GRE, VXLAN)

Practical experience with Kubernetes (Deployments, Helm, Operators, Custom Resources, CNI, NetworkPolicies)

Experience with Docker/OCI and container technologies

Sound knowledge in CI/CD, ideally GitLab CI

Experience with build systems like CMake and automated tests

Good knowledge in Linux system programming (Sockets, Netlink, Processes, Threads)

Structured, requirements-based development with traceable test coverage

Willingness for security screening according to SÜG (Ü2, possibly Ü3)

Very good German and good English skills

Desirable Knowledge (Nice-to-have)

Go (Golang) and Python

Software Defined Networking (SDN), OpenFlow, P4, eBPF/XDP

Routing protocols like BGP and OSPF as well as mesh networks

Infrastructure as Code (Terraform, OpenTofu, Ansible)

OpenStack and sovereign public cloud environments

Service Mesh (Istio, Linkerd, Cilium) and mTLS

GitOps with Argo CD or Flux

Monitoring and Observability with Prometheus, Grafana or OpenTelemetry

Embedded development, RTOS and resource-constrained systems

Experience with security-critical or regulated development projects

Project experience in defense, aviation, or critical infrastructure

If interested, I look forward to your feedback including your CV and your hourly rate, and if suitable, we will gladly arrange an appointment to discuss the details.

Best regards,

Florian Gaudchau

Project details

November / December 2026

6 months (extension very likely)

Bremen / Hybrid

On-site: 3 days per week (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday)

Monday and Friday

• Start: 2026-12
• Duration: 6 Monate
• Remote: hybrid
• Location: Bremen, Deutschland, DE
• Languages: German