Key Takeaways
- Striveworks is a high-growth defense AI company (Deloitte Fast 500 in 2023 and 2024) with a $70 million government contract and Series B funding, making it one of the most well-positioned AI startups in the national security space.
- The Chariot platform is the company's core product — understanding its MLOps capabilities, cloud-to-edge deployment model, and multi-domain intelligence features will set you apart in interviews.
- Security clearances are a significant differentiator: multiple senior roles explicitly require active Secret clearance, and holding or being eligible for clearance dramatically expands your candidacy.
- The company offers remote, hybrid, and on-site options from its Austin, Texas headquarters, though some reviewers note that remote employees need to be proactive about staying connected to the team.
- With only ~67 employees, Striveworks operates with startup intensity where individual contributions have outsized impact — this is not a large-company environment where you can hide in a team.
- Glassdoor ratings are exceptionally strong: 4.8/5 for culture, 4.7/5 for career opportunities, 4.5/5 for work-life balance, and 93% of employees recommend working there.
- The interview process is moderate difficulty (3/5) and typically takes 18-23 days, with a Codility assessment for technical roles followed by in-person or video interviews.
- Striveworks competes alongside Anduril, Palantir, and Microsoft on the Army's NGC2 program — framing your experience in terms of defense AI, operational reliability, and mission-critical systems resonates strongly.
- Benefits include equity compensation, health insurance, 401(k), parental leave, performance bonuses, relocation assistance, and regular team events — competitive for an Austin-based startup of this size.
About Striveworks
Striveworks is an Austin, Texas-based AI operations company founded in 2018 that builds the Chariot platform, a proprietary MLOps system designed to operationalize artificial intelligence and machine learning models for the United States defense and intelligence communities. With approximately 67 employees across two offices, Striveworks occupies a critical niche at the intersection of cutting-edge AI technology and national security, enabling government agencies to detect, decide, and act faster than adversaries through AI-powered analysis.
The company's flagship product, Chariot Core, provides end-to-end machine learning operations capabilities including automated model building, one-click deployment, adaptive learning, and continuous performance monitoring. Chariot supports deployment across cloud-to-edge environments, meaning models can operate in disconnected, compute-constrained, and contested settings — a requirement for battlefield and border security applications. The platform handles complex data types including satellite geospatial imagery, edge-sensor video feeds, and electronic intelligence (ELINT), enabling multi-domain awareness across land, air, and sea theaters.
Striveworks has earned significant government trust. The company participates in the U.S. Army's multi-billion-dollar Next Generation Command and Control (NGC2) initiative alongside defense technology leaders Anduril, Palantir, and Microsoft. In April 2026, Striveworks was awarded a $70 million multi-year enterprise agreement with the U.S. government to scale AI deployments across defense agencies. The company also supports Joint Task Force–Southern Border operations and autonomous maritime systems programs.
On the growth front, Striveworks completed a Series B funding round led by Washington Harbour Partners in March 2026, was named to the Deloitte Technology Fast 500 list in both 2023 and 2024 as one of North America's fastest-growing technology companies, and received the Built In Best Places to Work award for four consecutive years through 2025. The company was also highlighted as an exemplar in the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence Final Report, underscoring its strategic importance to American AI competitiveness.
Striveworks was cofounded by James Rebesco (CEO), Anthony Manganiello, and Eric O. Korman. Under Rebesco's leadership, the company has grown from a small team of data scientists into a recognized defense AI partner trusted with some of the most sensitive national security programs in the United States. The leadership team emphasizes a culture of scientific rigor, mission focus, and operational excellence — principles that permeate the hiring process and day-to-day work environment. As Rebesco stated during the Series B announcement, 'National security demands speed — the ability to detect, decide, and act before your adversary does. AI makes that speed achievable.' This urgency defines Striveworks' approach to both product development and talent acquisition.
Application Process
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1
Visit the Striveworks careers page hosted on Greenhouse (job-boards
Visit the Striveworks careers page hosted on Greenhouse (job-boards.greenhouse.io/striveworks) and browse open positions across Engineering, Data Science, Machine Learning, and Company Resources departments.
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2
Submit your application through Greenhouse with your resume, cover letter, and a
Submit your application through Greenhouse with your resume, cover letter, and any relevant portfolio materials. Tailor your resume to highlight experience with MLOps, defense or government work, and security clearances if applicable.
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3
Complete an initial screening call, typically a 30-minute Zoom conversation with
Complete an initial screening call, typically a 30-minute Zoom conversation with a hiring manager who will discuss your background, interest in the mission, and alignment with Striveworks' culture and values.
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4
Take a technical assessment via Codility (for engineering and ML roles) that eva
Take a technical assessment via Codility (for engineering and ML roles) that evaluates your coding proficiency, problem-solving approach, and domain-relevant skills. The difficulty is rated moderate (3 out of 5 by candidates).
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5
Participate in a deeper technical interview round, which may be conducted in-per
Participate in a deeper technical interview round, which may be conducted in-person at the Austin office or via video. Expect system design discussions, ML pipeline architecture questions, and scenario-based problems relevant to defense AI applications.
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6
Complete a culture-fit and values-alignment interview with team leads and cross-
Complete a culture-fit and values-alignment interview with team leads and cross-functional stakeholders. Striveworks places high emphasis on mission commitment, collaborative mindset, and intellectual curiosity.
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7
Receive a decision typically within 18-23 days from initial application
Receive a decision typically within 18-23 days from initial application. Successful candidates receive offers that include base salary, equity, health benefits, 401(k), and relocation assistance if applicable.
Resume Tips for Striveworks
recommended
Lead with a professional summary that explicitly connects your experience to AI/
Lead with a professional summary that explicitly connects your experience to AI/ML operationalization, defense technology, or national security applications — Striveworks evaluates mission alignment from the first scan of your resume.
recommended
Highlight any active security clearance (Secret, Top Secret, or TS/SCI) prominen
Highlight any active security clearance (Secret, Top Secret, or TS/SCI) prominently near the top of your resume, as several Striveworks roles require active clearances and this is a key filtering criterion in their Greenhouse pipeline.
recommended
Quantify your MLOps and infrastructure impact with specific metrics: models depl
Quantify your MLOps and infrastructure impact with specific metrics: models deployed to production, reduction in deployment time, system uptime percentages, data pipeline throughput, or cost savings from automation.
recommended
Emphasize experience with cloud-to-edge deployment, containerization (Docker, Ku
Emphasize experience with cloud-to-edge deployment, containerization (Docker, Kubernetes), and operating in air-gapped or disconnected environments — these are core capabilities of the Chariot platform.
recommended
Include specific ML frameworks and tools relevant to Striveworks' stack: PyTorch
Include specific ML frameworks and tools relevant to Striveworks' stack: PyTorch, computer vision libraries, geospatial data processing tools, and CI/CD pipelines for model training and serving.
recommended
Demonstrate experience with model governance, lineage tracking, and performance
Demonstrate experience with model governance, lineage tracking, and performance monitoring — Chariot's value proposition centers on trustworthy, auditable AI in regulated industries.
recommended
If you lack direct defense experience, highlight analogous work in highly regula
If you lack direct defense experience, highlight analogous work in highly regulated industries (healthcare, finance, energy) where compliance, data governance, and operational reliability were paramount.
recommended
Keep formatting clean and ATS-compatible for Greenhouse: use standard section he
Keep formatting clean and ATS-compatible for Greenhouse: use standard section headers (Experience, Education, Skills), avoid tables or columns, and save as PDF to preserve layout integrity.
ATS System: Greenhouse
Striveworks uses Greenhouse, one of the most widely adopted applicant tracking systems in the technology industry. Greenhouse provides structured hiring workflows with scorecards, interview kits, and standardized evaluation criteria. Applications are submitted through their hosted job board and tracked through configurable pipeline stages from initial review through offer.
- Submit your resume as a PDF to preserve formatting through Greenhouse's parsing engine.
- Use standard section headers (Experience, Education, Skills, Summary) that Greenhouse's parser reliably extracts and maps to candidate profile fields.
- Avoid tables, multi-column layouts, headers/footers, and embedded images — Greenhouse's parser handles single-column, linear resume formats most accurately.
- Include keywords from the job description naturally throughout your resume, as Greenhouse supports keyword-based filtering and search by recruiters.
- Fill out all optional fields in the Greenhouse application form, including LinkedIn URL and portfolio links, as these provide additional signal to reviewers.
- If you are referred by a current employee, ensure the referral is logged in Greenhouse before you apply — referred candidates typically receive priority review in the pipeline.
Interview Culture
Striveworks interviews reflect the company's identity as a mission-driven defense technology startup that values both technical depth and cultural alignment.
The process is designed to be rigorous but respectful — multiple Glassdoor reviewers describe interviewers as welcoming, noting that when candidates struggle with technical problems, the team provides clarification, hints, and encouragement rather than pressure. This approach mirrors the company's broader culture of psychological safety and learning from failure.
The technical assessment phase evaluates not just coding ability but your capacity to think about ML systems holistically. Expect questions about model lifecycle management, deployment strategies for constrained environments, and how you would architect solutions that maintain reliability when network connectivity is intermittent or adversarial conditions are present. For data science and ML engineering roles, be prepared to discuss model evaluation methodologies, dataset versioning, and how you would handle model drift in production systems processing satellite imagery or sensor data.
Cultural interviews at Striveworks go beyond generic behavioral questions. The team wants to understand your relationship with the defense mission — not that you need prior military or government experience, but that you genuinely care about national security outcomes and understand the weight of building AI systems that inform life-or-death decisions. Reviewers on Glassdoor consistently highlight that Striveworks maintains a "science and mission driven" culture where results matter more than hierarchy, and where employees are trusted with significant responsibility from day one.
The overall interview experience is rated positively by 60% of candidates on Glassdoor, with the process averaging 18 days for engineering roles and 23 days overall. The company's 4.8 out of 5 culture rating and 93% employee recommendation rate on Glassdoor suggest that what candidates experience during interviews accurately reflects the day-to-day reality of working at Striveworks. The atmosphere is collaborative rather than adversarial, with interviewers genuinely trying to assess mutual fit rather than gatekeep.
What Striveworks Looks For
- Deep technical expertise in machine learning operations, data engineering, or software engineering with demonstrated ability to ship production ML systems, not just research prototypes.
- Mission orientation and genuine interest in defense and national security applications — Striveworks needs people who understand the stakes of building AI for the warfighter and intelligence community.
- Experience operating in or willingness to obtain U.S. security clearances (Secret or Top Secret), as the company's government contracts require cleared personnel for many programs.
- Comfort with ambiguity and startup velocity — with approximately 67 employees, Striveworks expects engineers to wear multiple hats, make architectural decisions, and contribute across the stack.
- Strong fundamentals in cloud infrastructure, containerization, and deployment automation, particularly in environments with connectivity constraints or edge computing requirements.
- Collaborative mindset with a bias toward scientific rigor — the company values learning from failure, evidence-based decision-making, and transparent communication across teams.
- Proficiency with Python, PyTorch, Kubernetes, and modern DevOps tooling, combined with an understanding of computer vision, geospatial analysis, or natural language processing domains.
- Self-direction and ownership mentality — Glassdoor reviews consistently emphasize that Striveworks trusts employees with significant autonomy and expects them to be core contributors to product direction.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Striveworks and what does the company do?
Striveworks is an Austin, Texas-based AI operations company founded in 2018 that builds the Chariot platform, a proprietary MLOps system for operationalizing AI and ML models. The company primarily serves U.S. defense and intelligence agencies, helping them deploy trustworthy, adaptive AI systems for missions including multi-domain awareness, automatic target recognition, and force protection. Striveworks participates in the U.S. Army's NGC2 initiative alongside Anduril, Palantir, and Microsoft, and was awarded a $70 million government contract in April 2026.
Does Striveworks require a security clearance to work there?
Not all positions require a security clearance, but many do. Several senior engineering and ML roles explicitly require an active Secret clearance, and some may require Top Secret. Positions that interact directly with classified government programs will require appropriate clearance. If you are clearance-eligible but not yet cleared, Striveworks may sponsor your clearance process depending on the role.
What is the Striveworks interview process like?
The typical process includes an initial Zoom screening call with a hiring manager, a Codility technical assessment for engineering and ML roles, followed by deeper technical and cultural interviews that may be in-person or virtual. The process averages 18 days for engineering roles and 23 days overall. Candidates rate the difficulty as moderate (3 out of 5) and the experience as generally positive, with interviewers described as welcoming and supportive.
Does Striveworks offer remote work?
Yes, most engineering and ML roles offer remote or hybrid options, with the option to work on-site at the Austin, Texas headquarters. However, some roles — particularly those involving classified work — may require periodic on-site presence. Remote employees should be prepared to proactively maintain visibility and connection with the team.
What ATS does Striveworks use for job applications?
Striveworks uses Greenhouse as its applicant tracking system. All applications are submitted through their Greenhouse-hosted job board at job-boards.greenhouse.io/striveworks. Use a clean, ATS-friendly resume format with standard section headers, avoid complex tables or graphics, and submit as PDF.
What technical skills does Striveworks look for in engineers?
Striveworks seeks proficiency in Python, PyTorch, Kubernetes, Docker, and modern DevOps tooling. Domain expertise in computer vision, geospatial analysis, NLP, or ELINT processing is highly valued. Experience with ML model lifecycle management, cloud-to-edge deployment, air-gapped environments, and model governance aligns directly with the Chariot platform's capabilities.
How large is Striveworks and is the company growing?
Striveworks has approximately 67 employees across two offices as of early 2026. The company is actively growing following its Series B funding led by Washington Harbour Partners and a $70 million government contract announced in April 2026. It was named to the Deloitte Technology Fast 500 in 2023 and 2024, signaling rapid revenue growth. The Series B capital is specifically earmarked for expanding engineering and R&D teams, so candidates applying now are joining during a significant growth phase with opportunities to shape the company's technical direction.
What benefits does Striveworks offer?
Striveworks offers competitive startup benefits including company equity, comprehensive health insurance, 401(k) retirement plan, paid time off, parental leave, performance bonuses, relocation assistance, and regular team events and outings. The company has been recognized as a Built In Best Places to Work for four consecutive years through 2025.
Who are Striveworks' main competitors and partners?
Striveworks operates alongside major defense technology companies including Anduril, Palantir, and Microsoft on programs like the U.S. Army's NGC2 initiative. In the MLOps space, competitors include Scale AI, Weights & Biases, and other platforms focused on ML model deployment. Striveworks differentiates through its focus on defense-grade governance, cloud-to-edge capabilities, and multi-domain intelligence fusion.
What is the company culture like at Striveworks?
Striveworks is consistently rated as having an exceptional culture, with a 4.8 out of 5 Glassdoor rating for culture and values and 93% of employees recommending the company. The environment is described as science-driven and mission-focused, with psychological safety, trust-based autonomy, and a strong emphasis on learning from failure. Employees note clear job expectations, supportive management, and meaningful career development opportunities. Multiple reviewers describe Striveworks as a place where engineers are challenged and trusted from day one to be core contributors to both products and company direction, with projects driven by scientific method and results rather than rigid hierarchy.
Open Positions
Striveworks currently has 14 open positions.
