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Ensign-Bickford Industries

High-tech conglomerate in space, biotech, defense

Software Engineer

Full-Time
$90k - $135k/yr
Mid
Bachelor's
Portland, ME, USA
In Person
Software EngineeringDesktop Application Development

About the job

Requirements
  • Strong experience building and supporting production C++ applications.
  • Strong Qt experience with Qt Widgets or Qt Quick, UI tooling, and model/view patterns.
  • Strong Windows native development and build experience, including the MSVC toolchain and command-line builds.
  • Experience with JavaScript in production environments.
  • Strong debugging expertise, with the ability to isolate failures across code, libraries, and dependencies.
  • Written and verbal communication with technical and non-technical stakeholders.
  • Experience with Microsoft Office and collaboration tools, including Teams.
  • Ability to create clarity through standard work and documentation.
  • Ability to move from feature engineering to field support while maintaining quality.
  • Commitment to repeatable execution across build, test, and release processes.
  • Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related field preferred.
  • Minimum 3–4 years of experience developing and supporting C++ software in production environments.
  • Ability to lift up to 25 pounds.
  • Ability to work in manufacturing, office, and laboratory environments.
Responsibilities
  • Own the development and maintenance of QuickScan, including new features, refactoring, and defect resolution.
  • Build and release engineering, including toolchain setup, build outputs, and release management.
  • Maintain project dependencies to ensure stable, repeatable builds across development environments.
  • Write and maintain developer documentation, including build/run standard operating procedures and troubleshooting playbooks.
  • Diagnose and resolve production issues reported by manufacturing, field teams, and customers.
  • Follow change management best practices to maintain high product quality through the lifecycle.
  • Collaborate with TotalHub integration partners to support workflows, data transport, and customer user experience.
  • Participate in formal problem-solving and continuous-improvement activities to reduce process waste.
  • Contribute to design and troubleshooting discussions to gather voice-of-customer feedback.
  • Create and maintain development documentation to preserve knowledge across the product lifecycle.
  • Take ownership of communication, including consistent follow-up with internal and external customers.
Desired Qualifications
  • Experience with Agile practices, including planning, sprinting, and reviews; formal problem-solving; and continuous improvement.
  • Experience using modern AI-assisted tools for debugging, documentation, and test acceleration.
  • Experience with cloud integrations, including Amazon Web Services and client-to-cloud data flows.
  • Experience with Elixir and/or React programming or troubleshooting.
  • Additional skills training and certifications are welcome but not required.

About the company

E

Ensign-Bickford Industries

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EBI operates across space and defense, pet food science, and biotechnology, coordinating multiple high-tech units. Each unit develops specialized technologies or products, while a centralized operating system standardizes processes and enables cross-unit collaboration from development to deployment. Its private, multigenerational ownership combined with a centralized platform supports long-term planning across diverse fields. Its goal is sustainable, multi-generation growth by integrating advanced capabilities across its sectors while upholding shared values.

Company Size

51-200

Company Stage

N/A

Total Funding

N/A

Headquarters

Denver, Colorado

Founded

1836

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Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • Artemis II succeeded in April 2026, validating EBAD hardware for future missions.
  • EBAD won a $29.5 million Navy contract in July 2026 through 2031.
  • EBAD earned Hall of Fame recognition in September 2026, strengthening recruiting and customer trust.

What critics are saying

  • EBAD depends heavily on NASA and Defense contracts, concentrating revenue in one buyer set.
  • The July 2026 Navy award was sole-source, exposing pricing power to customer concentration.
  • Any Artemis III delay after 2027 would directly pressure EBAD space growth.

What makes Ensign-Bickford Industries unique

  • EBAD celebrated 190 years in June 2026, signaling deep institutional endurance.
  • EBAD supplied Artemis II separation hardware, proving flight-critical aerospace competence in 2026.
  • EBAD remains a non-traditional defense contractor with precision energetics and mechanisms expertise.

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Benefits

  • Health Insurance
  • 401(k) Retirement Plan
  • 401(k) Company Match
  • Paid Vacation
  • Paid Holidays
  • Performance Bonus

Company News

Portland Press Herald
Jul 7th, 2024
Obituary: Paula Ferguson

EnviroLogix was acquired by Ensign-Bickford Industries in 2010 and the couple retired in 2012.

Chemtech Environmental Limited
Jul 7th, 2022
Ensign-Bickford Industries, Inc. hired Cawood on Jul 7th 21'.

Cawood joined Ensign-Bickford Industries (EBI) last year as part of its Diagnostic Solutions Group.

GovCon Wire
Jan 27th, 2022
Ensign-Bickford Industries, Inc. sold assets to Blue Origin, LLC in the amount of $262M on Jul 1st 21'.

Blue Origin has agreed to acquire advanced robotics manufacturer Honeybee Robotics from technology conglomerate Ensign-Bickford Industries for an undisclosed amount.