Software Engineer

Belay Technologies has been voted Baltimore Business Journal's (BBJ) Best Places to Work 2019, runner up in 2020 and a finalist in 2021!Belay Technologies is seeking a System Engineer to join our intel team. We have an immediate need for a Front-End Developer with a strong concentration in Section 508 accessibility compliance to ensure the RAD system's interfaces are fully usable by individuals with disabilities. The ideal candidate combines solid front-end engineering skills with deep, hands-on expertise in accessibility testing and remediation, including proficiency with screen reader technology. This role involves close collaboration with a cross-functional Agile team of software developers, system engineers, and product owners to build and validate accessible, compliant, and high-quality user interfaces.Responsibilities:

• Accessible Front-End Development: Design, develop, and maintain front-end components and user interfaces that conform to Section 508 and WCAG 2.1/2.2 AA standards.
• 508 Testing & Remediation: Perform comprehensive accessibility testing using JAWS and other screen readers, identifying and remediating issues related to keyboard navigation, focus management, ARIA implementation, color contrast, and semantic HTML structure.
• Audit & Documentation: Conduct manual and automated accessibility audits, document findings, and produce test reports as needed to support agency compliance requirements.
• Collaboration: Partner with UX/UI designers, developers, and product owners early in the design process to bake accessibility in by design rather than retrofit it, and provide guidance on accessible design patterns.
• Integration & Delivery: Work with QA and DevOps to integrate automated accessibility testing tools (e.g., axe-core, Pa11y, Lighthouse) into the CI/CD pipeline for continuous compliance monitoring.
• Collaboration & Ceremonies: Participate actively in Agile ceremonies (sprint planning, demos) and communicate accessibility requirements and tradeoffs to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Required Technical Skills:

• Proven experience developing front-end applications using modern JavaScript frameworks (Vue preferred).
• Hands-on expertise testing with JAWS screen reader, with working familiarity of other assistive technologies.
• Strong knowledge of Section 508 standards, WCAG 2.1/2.2 (Levels A/AA), and ARIA authoring practices.
• Experience with semantic HTML, accessible form design, keyboard navigation patterns, and focus management.
• Proficiency with accessibility testing/auditing tools (e.g., axe DevTools, WAVE, Pa11y, Lighthouse).
• Experience with version control systems (Git) and Agile collaboration tools such as Jira and Confluence.

Candidates should have the following qualifications: 

• TS/SCI Clearance with polygraph
• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university. Four (4) years of additional SWE or related experience may be substituted for a Bachelor’s degree. Master’s degree can be substituted for two (2) years’ experience.
• Shall have at least three (3) years’ experience in software development/engineering, including requirements analysis, software development, installation, integration, evaluation, enhancement, maintenance, testing, or problem diagnosis/resolution.
• Shall have at least three (3) years of experience as a Software engineer developing software developing software with high level languages such as Java, C, C++, JavaScript.
• Shall have at least three (3) years’ experience developing software for Microsoft Windows or UNIX/Linux/Centos family of operating systems.
• Shall have experience on the design and development of at least one Object Oriented system.
• Shall be familiar with the concepts involved in “wrapping” legacy systems or components as Web Services within a SOA framework.
• Shall have experience developing solutions integrating or extending FOSS/COTS products.
• Shall have at least two (2) years’ experience in software integration and software testing at least one of newly developed, existing, modified, FOSS, COTS, or GOTS software, to include developing and implementing test plans or related test scripts.
• Shall understand technical writing and have familiarity with technical documents in support of a software development project.

Candidates are desired to have the following skills:

• Experience producing VPATs/Accessibility Conformance Reports for federal agency review.
• Familiarity with integrating automated accessibility checks into CI/CD pipelines (e.g., GitLab CI/CD).
• Experience with Cypress or similar tools for automated UI/accessibility test scripting.
• Familiarity with Cloud-based architecture and deployment (Amazon Web Services).
• Familiarity with domain knowledge surrounding government agency reporting and dissemination policies
• Shall have familiarity with one or more of the skills and technologies listed in Table1.TS/SCI Clearance with polygraph

Perks and Benefits:

• 8 weeks paid leave - 4 weeks of personal leave, 3 Yay! days, take off on your birthday,11 paid holidays and optional leave up to 6 days through Belay's volunteer program
• 10% matching in 401(k) contributions vested on day one
• $5,000 annual training/tuition
• Student Loan Repayment Program
• 100% company-funded HSA
• Rich medical coverage (100% coinsurance)
• Dental coverage including orthodontia
• Up to $420,000 in life insurance, premiums 100% company funded
• Amazon Prime, gym reimbursement, monthly lunches, games and prizes
• Pet adoption program, generous referral bonus program, fun events, and more!

At Belay, we are committed to creating an environment where you can thrive both professionally and personally.  We believe in transparency and fairness in compensation. Several factors influence final salary including, but not limited to, geographic location, Federal Government contract labor categories and contract wage rates, relevant prior work experience, education, specific skills and competencies and certifications. Belay offers a competitive total compensation package that includes benefits and perks, a flexible work-life balance, and career development.Salary Range: $168,000 to $200,000Belay Technologies is a certified Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business located in Columbia, Maryland (Baltimore/Washington area). Belay Technologies specializes in systems automation and full stack development. Belay Technologies provides leading technology and engineering solutions to the DoD, as well as state-of-the-art commercial products. We hire software engineers, web designers, test engineers, systems engineers, systems administrators, database engineers and other tech services. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, physical or mental disability, genetic factors, military/veteran status or other characteristics protected by law.

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