Senior Applications Developer

Overview

SENIOR APPLICATION DEVELOPER (NAUT):

Bowhead seeks a Senior Application Developer to support our customer on the Nautical contract in the Arlington, VA area. This position serves as a technical leader in the modernization of legacy DoD systems, providing advanced expertise in cloud-native development, architecture design, and team leadership.

This position is located near a metro station and a travel stipend may be provided if necessary.

Responsibilities

• Lead the architectural design and development of complex cloud-native applications and systems for DoD modernization initiatives
• Drive technical decision-making for legacy application migration strategies and modernization approaches
• Mentor and provide technical guidance to junior and mid-level developers on best practices and advanced techniques
• Design and implement scalable, secure, and resilient cloud architectures using industry best practices
• Lead code reviews and establish coding standards, development processes, and quality assurance procedures
• Collaborate with system architects and technical leads to define overall system architecture and integration strategies
• Implement advanced DevOps practices including infrastructure as code, automated deployment pipelines, and monitoring solutions
• Design and develop complex microservices architectures with proper service mesh implementation
• Lead performance optimization efforts for cloud applications including load testing and capacity planning
• Coordinate with government stakeholders to understand requirements and ensure technical solutions meet mission needs
• Evaluate and recommend new technologies, frameworks, and tools to improve development efficiency and system performance
• Lead incident response efforts for production issues and implement preventive measures
• Design and implement comprehensive security controls throughout the application development lifecycle
• Participate in technical reviews, design sessions, and architectural decision meetings
• Manage technical debt and legacy system dependencies during migration projects
• Develop and maintain technical documentation including architecture diagrams, design documents, and operational procedures
• Coordinate with cross-functional teams including security, operations, and quality assurance
• Lead proof-of-concept development and technical feasibility studies
• Ensure compliance with DOD Directive 8140 and applicable cybersecurity frameworks
• Interface with the customer and external stakeholders in working groups, technical exchange meetings, and other forums
• Chair/co-chair meetings and working groups on behalf of government representatives as directed
• Resolve technical problems, allocate resources, and monitor development team performance to meet contract requirements
• Provide daily technical leadership and guidance to development team members
• Provide planned replacement information at least 15 calendar days prior to replacement
• Provide information within 24 hours of an unplanned replacement
• Perform other duties as assigned

Qualifications

• Bachelor''s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Technology, Cybersecurity, Data Science, Information Systems, or related technical field from an ABET accredited or CAE designated institution; Master''s degree preferred. Ten (10) years of progressive experience in software development with significant cloud application experience may be substituted in lieu of degree
• Minimum of 8+ years of progressive experience in software development with significant cloud application experience
• Expert-level proficiency in multiple programming languages and development frameworks (C++ / Java)
• Extensive experience with cloud platforms and advanced cloud services (compute, storage, networking, security)
• Deep understanding of distributed systems, microservices architecture, and cloud-native design patterns
• Proven leadership experience mentoring technical teams and managing complex development projects
• Advanced knowledge of containerization, orchestration, and service mesh technologies
• Experience with infrastructure as code tools (Terraform, CloudFormation, ARM templates)
• Strong understanding of DevOps practices, CI/CD pipelines, and automated testing strategies
• Expertise in application security, secure coding practices, and compliance frameworks
• Excellent communication skills with ability to present complex technical concepts to various audiences

CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:

Required: IAT Level III certification (one of the following): CISSP, CASP+, CCNP Security, CISA, CISSP (or Associate), GCIH, GCFA, or CSSLPDesired: Multiple cloud platform certifications at professional level (AWS Solutions Architect Professional, Azure Solutions Architect Expert, or Google Cloud Professional Cloud Architect), Kubernetes CKA/CKAD, Docker Certified Associate, specialized security certifications

Physical Demands:

• Must be able to lift 25 pounds on occasion.
• Must be able to stand and walk for prolonged period amounts of time.
• Must be able to twist, bend, and squat periodically.

Target salary range is between $165,000 - $230,000 commensurate with experience.

Please note that the salary information is a general guideline only. Bowhead considers factors such as (but not limited to) scope and responsibilities of the position, candidate's work experience, education/training, key skills, internal peer equity, as well as, market and business considerations when extending an offer.

SECURITY CLEARANCE REQUIREMENTS: Must be able to maintain a security clearance at the Top Secret level with SCI eligibility and maintain SAP eligibility. Due to work requirements, this position will not entertain work from home capabilities. US Citizenship is a requirement for this contract.

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