How to Apply to Kratos Defense

8 min read Last updated April 20, 2026 10 open positions
Blake Crosley
Blake Crosley Researched using publicly available information, hiring data, and ATS analysis.

Key Takeaways

  • Kratos Defense (NASDAQ: KTOS) hires through Workday at careers.kratosdefense.com — create a complete profile before applying.
  • Most engineering and program roles require US citizenship and a Secret clearance minimum, with TS/SCI common.
  • Lead your resume with clearance status, investigation date, and US citizenship — recruiters scan for these first.
  • Five business segments — Unmanned Systems, Space, Microwave Electronics, Defense Rocket Engine Solutions, and KGS — each with distinct hiring patterns.
  • Sites span San Diego HQ, Mojave CA (Valkyrie production), Camden AR (rocket motors), Cape Canaveral, Huntsville, Colorado Springs, and others.
  • Honest setback: USAF selected Anduril and General Atomics — not Kratos — for CCA Increment 1 in April 2024.
  • Honest tailwinds: Trump administration defense buildup and Pentagon autonomy and munitions push are real.
  • Eric DeMarco has been CEO since 2003 — long-tenured leadership and an open succession question are both real.

About Kratos Defense

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ: KTOS) is a San Diego-headquartered US defense and national security technology company that has spent the past two decades positioning itself as the disruptive, lower-cost alternative to traditional primes like Lockheed Martin, Boeing, RTX, Northrop Grumman, and General Dynamics. The company traces its roots to Wireless Facilities Inc., founded in 1994, and adopted the Kratos name in 2008 after a series of acquisitions and a strategic restructuring under CEO Eric DeMarco, who has led the company since 2003 — an unusually long tenure in the defense industry. With roughly 3,500 employees spread across more than 50 US locations plus offices in the United Kingdom and Australia, Kratos blends hardware-heavy engineering with growing software and autonomy work. Kratos's portfolio is intentionally diversified across several Department of Defense priority areas. Its Unmanned Systems business is the most visible: the XQ-58A Valkyrie loyal wingman drone has flown with the US Air Force, Marine Corps, and Navy, and Kratos pitches it as an affordable autonomous teammate at roughly $300K-$3M per unit versus an $80M-plus F-35. The Firejet (MQM-178), Skeeter (BQM-167), and Subsonic Aerial Target (BQM-177) lines provide threat-representative training targets to the Air Force and Navy, and newer programs like Mako, Athena, and Apollo Defense extend the autonomy roadmap. The Space business builds SmallSat propulsion (Aerojet Rocketdyne heritage), satellite communications terminals, and COMSEC equipment. Microwave Electronics produces gallium nitride amplifiers and RF subsystems used in radar, electronic warfare, and 5G/defense convergence applications. The Defense Rocket Engine Solutions group builds tactical solid rocket motors out of Camden, Arkansas and Florida, competing with L3Harris (which now owns Aerojet Rocketdyne) and Northrop Grumman in select segments. Smaller cyber, intelligence, and modular shipboard systems units round out the mix, alongside the hypersonic Erinyes flight test vehicle for DARPA and the Navy. Be honest about the headwinds. In April 2024 the US Air Force selected Anduril Industries and General Atomics — not Kratos — for the first production increment of the Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program. That was a real setback for Valkyrie's path into a high-volume CCA win, and Anduril in particular has emerged as a better-funded private competitor with deep Pentagon relationships. Kratos responded by acquiring Sierra Technical Services in August 2024 for $245M, adding tactical aircraft manufacturing capacity in Mojave, California. The current Trump administration defense buildup and the Pentagon's autonomy and munitions push are tailwinds, but the competitive landscape — Anduril, General Atomics, AeroVironment, Shield AI, Boeing MQ-28, Northrop Grumman — is crowded and well-capitalized. Eric DeMarco's long tenure also raises a real CEO succession question for any candidate evaluating the next five to ten years.

Application Process

  1. 1
    Search openings at careers

    Search openings at careers.kratosdefense.com (Workday-powered) and filter by business unit (Unmanned Systems, Space, Microwave Electronics, Defense Rocket Engine Solutions, KGS, etc.) and by location.

  2. 2
    Create a Workday candidate profile early

    Create a Workday candidate profile early — Kratos uses kratos.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com, so a profile carries across all Kratos requisitions and most subsidiary postings.

  3. 3
    Identify the business segment and program before applying

    Identify the business segment and program before applying. A Valkyrie role in Sacramento or Mojave is a very different job from a tactical rocket motor role in Camden, Arkansas, even when titles look similar.

  4. 4
    Confirm clearance eligibility before applying to cleared roles

    Confirm clearance eligibility before applying to cleared roles. Most engineering roles require a Secret minimum, and many program offices require TS/SCI; Intelligence Community work may require a polygraph.

  5. 5
    Confirm US citizenship for any cleared or ITAR-restricted role

    Confirm US citizenship for any cleared or ITAR-restricted role — this is a hard requirement and not negotiable through sponsorship.

  6. 6
    Tailor your resume per requisition: mirror the program name, platform, and acron

    Tailor your resume per requisition: mirror the program name, platform, and acronyms (XQ-58A, BQM-167, GaN MMIC, SRM, COMSEC, etc.) the requisition uses.

  7. 7
    Expect a recruiter screen within one to three weeks for active programs; defense

    Expect a recruiter screen within one to three weeks for active programs; defense hiring cycles can stretch longer for cleared roles awaiting investigation reciprocity.

  8. 8
    Prepare for a technical screen with the hiring manager, then a panel with the en

    Prepare for a technical screen with the hiring manager, then a panel with the engineering team — typically two to four rounds total.

  9. 9
    If you hold an active clearance, say so plainly in your resume header and in the

    If you hold an active clearance, say so plainly in your resume header and in the recruiter call — it materially accelerates the process.

  10. 10
    Follow up through the Workday portal rather than email; recruiters at Kratos man

    Follow up through the Workday portal rather than email; recruiters at Kratos manage high requisition loads and triage through the ATS.

Resume Tips for Kratos Defense

recommended

Lead with clearance status and investigation date (e

Lead with clearance status and investigation date (e.g., 'Active Secret, SSBI 2023') in the header — defense recruiters scan for this before reading anything else.

recommended

Mirror the requisition's program names and platform designators verbatim (XQ-58A

Mirror the requisition's program names and platform designators verbatim (XQ-58A Valkyrie, BQM-167 Skeeter, MQM-178 Firejet) so the Workday parser surfaces your application.

recommended

Quantify program impact in dollar value, schedule recovered, or units delivered

Quantify program impact in dollar value, schedule recovered, or units delivered — defense hiring managers care about milestone delivery against firm-fixed-price or cost-plus contract structures.

recommended

Call out specific DOD customers you've supported (USAF, USN, USMC, USSF, DARPA,

Call out specific DOD customers you've supported (USAF, USN, USMC, USSF, DARPA, MDA, NASA) and the program offices when you can name them publicly.

recommended

List relevant standards and process exposure (DO-178C, DO-254, MIL-STD-810, MIL-

List relevant standards and process exposure (DO-178C, DO-254, MIL-STD-810, MIL-STD-461, AS9100, CMMC, NIST 800-171) for engineering and IT roles.

recommended

For autonomy and software roles, be explicit about ROS, MOSA, OMS/UCI, and any o

For autonomy and software roles, be explicit about ROS, MOSA, OMS/UCI, and any open-architecture work — Kratos sells affordability through open architecture.

recommended

For hardware roles, quantify GaN, RF, MMIC, antenna, or propulsion experience wi

For hardware roles, quantify GaN, RF, MMIC, antenna, or propulsion experience with frequency bands, power levels, or specific impulse where appropriate.

recommended

Avoid classified detail — describe scope, scale, and outcome without disclosing

Avoid classified detail — describe scope, scale, and outcome without disclosing specifics. Recruiters read between the lines.

recommended

Use a clean, single-column, ATS-friendly format

Use a clean, single-column, ATS-friendly format. Workday's parser handles plain layouts well and chokes on multi-column or graphic-heavy designs.

recommended

Include US citizenship status explicitly if applying to cleared or ITAR-restrict

Include US citizenship status explicitly if applying to cleared or ITAR-restricted roles.

ATS System: Workday

Kratos Defense uses Workday as its applicant tracking system, hosted at kratos.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com and surfaced through careers.kratosdefense.com. Workday parses resumes into structured profile fields, so formatting and keyword alignment with the requisition matter substantially.

  • Create your Workday profile completely before applying — partial profiles often stall in recruiter queues.
  • Upload a .docx or clean PDF resume; Workday's parser handles standard fonts and single-column layouts best.
  • Manually verify every parsed field after upload. Workday frequently misreads dates and employer names from PDF resumes.
  • Match the requisition's job title and key skills in your profile's skills section, not just in the resume body.
  • Use the same email and phone across all applications so Workday consolidates your candidacy under one profile.
  • Set job alerts inside Workday — Kratos posts new requisitions weekly across multiple business units.
  • Answer all voluntary self-identification questions; incomplete profiles can deprioritize you in recruiter queues.
  • If your application status sits at 'Under Review' for more than three weeks, message the recruiter via the portal rather than reapplying.

Interview Culture

Kratos interview culture leans engineering-heavy and pragmatic — closer to a scrappy mid-cap defense contractor than the formal, multi-month gauntlets common at Lockheed Martin or Northrop Grumman.

Expect a recruiter screen first to confirm clearance status, citizenship, and salary expectations, then a one-hour technical conversation with the hiring manager. Panel rounds typically include two to four engineers from the program, often a mix of ex-military and university-pipeline staff. Questions skew practical: how would you architect this subsystem, what trade studies have you led, how do you debug a flight anomaly, how have you delivered against a firm-fixed-price contract. For autonomy and software roles, expect open-ended system-design discussions about MOSA, OMS/UCI, and how to make autonomy affordable enough for attritable platforms. For rocket motor and propulsion roles, expect deep questions on grain design, case materials, propellant chemistry, and qualification testing. Cultural fit screens are real but informal — Kratos prizes engineers who can move quickly under cost pressure and who tolerate the ambiguity of competing with both better-funded primes and well-capitalized startups like Anduril. Onsite interviews happen at the relevant site (Mojave, Camden, San Diego, Huntsville, Colorado Springs, Cape Canaveral) when feasible, and remote video panels are common for cleared roles where the candidate is geographically distant. Final offers are typically extended within one to two weeks of the final round, though cleared roles awaiting clearance investigation reciprocity can stretch the start date by months.

What Kratos Defense Looks For

  • US citizenship and clearance eligibility (Secret minimum for most engineering roles, TS/SCI for many programs).
  • Hands-on engineering depth — Kratos hires builders, not slide-makers, and program managers are expected to stay technical.
  • Comfort with cost pressure — the company sells affordability, so engineers who optimize for unit economics are valued.
  • Program execution track record against firm-fixed-price or cost-plus government contracts.
  • Domain-specific depth: autonomy and ROS for unmanned systems, GaN and RF for microwave electronics, solid propellant chemistry for rocket motors.
  • Familiarity with MOSA, OMS/UCI, and open-architecture standards for software and autonomy roles.
  • Willingness to relocate to or work from less-glamorous sites — Camden AR, Mojave CA, Huntsville AL — where the actual hardware is built.
  • Strong written communication — proposals, white papers, and customer briefings are core to the job in many roles.
  • Ex-military service is valued but not required; university and industry pipelines are equally represented.
  • Tolerance for the uncertainty that comes with competing against Anduril, General Atomics, and the traditional primes simultaneously.

Frequently Asked Questions

What ATS does Kratos Defense use?
Kratos uses Workday, hosted at kratos.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com and surfaced via careers.kratosdefense.com. Build a complete Workday profile and verify every parsed field after resume upload.
Is US citizenship required to work at Kratos?
US citizenship is required for any cleared role and any ITAR-restricted program, which is the majority of Kratos's engineering openings. A small number of unclassified IT, finance, and corporate roles may accept lawful permanent residents, but cleared engineering roles will not.
What clearance level do I need?
Most engineering roles require a Secret clearance minimum. Many program offices, particularly in unmanned systems, hypersonics, and intelligence work, require TS/SCI. Selected Intelligence Community programs require a polygraph.
Will Kratos sponsor a clearance for me?
Yes for US citizens hired into roles that require one — Kratos will initiate and sponsor the investigation. The process can take six to eighteen months depending on backlog and reciprocity, so an existing active clearance materially accelerates your timeline.
What happened with the CCA program?
In April 2024, the US Air Force selected Anduril Industries and General Atomics for the first production increment of the Collaborative Combat Aircraft program. Kratos was not selected. The XQ-58A Valkyrie continues to fly with USAF, USMC, and USN customers, and Kratos is positioned for future increments, but the Increment 1 loss was a real setback.
Where are Kratos's main hiring locations?
San Diego (HQ), Mojave CA (Sierra Technical Services and Valkyrie production), Camden AR (rocket motors), Cape Canaveral FL, Huntsville AL, Colorado Springs CO, Washington DC, and roughly 50 other US sites plus offices in the UK and Australia.
How long does the Kratos hiring process take?
For uncleared roles or candidates with active clearances, expect three to six weeks from application to offer. For candidates needing a new clearance investigation, the offer can come quickly but the start date may be delayed by six to eighteen months.
What's the culture like compared to Lockheed or Northrop?
Kratos is scrappier, leaner, and more cost-conscious than the traditional primes. Engineers are expected to stay hands-on, program managers stay technical, and decisions move faster. The trade-off is fewer resources per program and tighter timelines.
Who are Kratos's main competitors?
In autonomy and unmanned systems: Anduril Industries, General Atomics, AeroVironment, Shield AI, Boeing MQ-28, and Northrop Grumman. In rocket motors: L3Harris (which owns Aerojet Rocketdyne) and Northrop Grumman (which owns ATK). In space subsystems: Maxar, Viasat, Iridium, and several smaller players.
Does Kratos hire remote workers?
Some software, IT, and corporate roles are remote or hybrid. Most engineering roles — particularly those touching classified material, hardware integration, or production — are on-site at the relevant facility.
What's the deal with Eric DeMarco?
Eric DeMarco has been CEO since 2003, an unusually long tenure in the defense industry. He led the rebrand from Wireless Facilities Inc. to Kratos in 2008 and has driven the affordable-defense strategy throughout. Long tenure brings consistency, but also raises a legitimate succession question for any candidate planning a long career at the company.
Is the Sierra Technical Services acquisition relevant to job seekers?
Yes. The August 2024 acquisition of Sierra Technical Services for $245M added tactical aircraft manufacturing capacity in Mojave CA and is hiring across manufacturing, integration, and flight test roles tied to Valkyrie and follow-on programs.

Open Positions

Kratos Defense currently has 10 open positions.

Check Your Resume Before Applying → View 10 open positions at Kratos Defense

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Sources

  1. Kratos Defense & Security Solutions - Careers —
  2. Kratos Defense & Security Solutions - Investor Relations —
  3. Kratos XQ-58A Valkyrie program page —
  4. U.S. Air Force selects Anduril and General Atomics for CCA Increment 1 —
  5. Kratos completes acquisition of Sierra Technical Services —
  6. Kratos Defense - SEC EDGAR filings —
  7. Kratos Defense Workday careers portal —
  8. Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency - Clearance process —
  9. Kratos Defense Rocket Support segment overview —
  10. Anduril Industries - Company overview —
  11. General Atomics Aeronautical Systems —
  12. Kratos Microwave Electronics business unit —