Java Software Developer (Senior)

Job Title: Java Software Developer (Senior)

Location: Remote

Citizenship: Must be a US Citizen of Permanent Resident

Security Clearance: USDA Public Trust

The Java Software Developer (Senior) is a senior-level position responsible for architecting, designing, developing, and maintaining enterprise-scale Java applications supporting the USDA IT ecosystem. This role requires deep expertise in Java EE technologies, Spring Framework, RESTful services, and SQL Server/Oracle database design, with demonstrated ability to lead development teams, mentor junior developers, and drive modernization and AWS cloud migration initiatives. The position operates with significant autonomy, provides Tier 3 technical support, and serves as a subject matter expert on assigned application domains including water and climate information systems.

Required Qualifications

Experience

• Twelve (12) or more years of professional software development experience with Java and Java EE technologies.
• Five (5) or more years of experience with Java web application development using Spring Framework/Spring Boot, Hibernate/JPA, and RESTful services.
• Five (5) or more years of experience with SQL Server and/or Oracle database development, including complex queries, stored procedures, and data transformation logic.
• Three (3) or more years of experience supporting federal IT programs or government agency environments.
• Demonstrated experience with AWS cloud services (EC2, RDS, EKS/ECS, Lambda, S3) or active participation in cloud migration projects.
• Experience leading development teams, mentoring developers, and conducting code/peer reviews.
• Experience with CI/CD pipelines (Jenkins, AWS CodeBuild/CodePipeline, or equivalent) and Git-based source control.
• Experience with build automation tools (Gradle, Maven, Ant).

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.
• Master’s degree in a relevant technical or business field is preferred.

Technical Skills

• Java, Java EE (EJB, JPA, CDI, JSF, Servlets)
• Spring Framework, Spring Boot, Hibernate/JPA, RESTful and SOAP web services
• React, TypeScript, JavaScript, JSF/PrimeFaces, jQuery
• SQL Server (T-SQL, stored procedures, views, complex queries); Oracle
• WildFly/JBoss application server configuration and administration
• Apache HTTP Server configuration, SiteMinder/eAuthauthentication
• AWS services: EC2, RDS, EKS/ECS Fargate, Lambda, S3, CloudFormation
• CI/CD tooling: Jenkins, AWS CodeBuild,CodeDeploy, CodePipeline
• Build tools: Gradle, Maven, Ant
• Source control: Git, GitHub Enterprise, Bitbucket, GitLab
• Containerization: Docker, Kubernetes (EKS/ECS)
• Database versioning: Liquibase
• Monitoring: Amazon CloudWatch, Splunk, ELK stack
• Security scanning: SonarQube, Fortify SCA/WebInspect
• Linux/RHEL server environments
• Agile/Scrum/SAFe methodologies; Jira, Confluence

Preferred Qualifications

• Certified Java Programmer (Oracle/Sun) or equivalent Java certification.
• SAFe certification (SAFe Practitioner or equivalent).
• AWS certifications (Cloud Practitioner, Solutions Architect, Developer, or equivalent).
• Experience with USDA NRCS or FPAC systems and applications, particularly water and climate information systems (WCIS), SNOTEL, or related domains.
• Experience with real-time data ingestion from telemetry systems (GOES satellite, Iridium,OpenDCS).
• Experience with NIST SP 800–53, FISMA, FedRAMP compliance frameworks.
• Experience with Section 508 accessibility testing and remediation.
• Experience with geospatial data services, GIS integrations, and FPACGeoBrancharchitecture.
• Experience with Terraform or CloudFormation for infrastructure as code.
• ITIL certification or demonstrated experience with ITIL service management processes.
• Experience with Kanban workflow management alongside Scrum delivery.
• Experience with Python for scripting and automation.
• Experience with Node.js, ESB, or enterprise messaging/integration patterns.

Security Requirements

• Must be a US Citizen or Permanent Resident able to obtain and maintain a USDA security background investigation (FBI fingerprint check and eQIP).
• Must comply with all NIST, USDA, and HSPD–12 security training and reporting requirements.
• Must complete mandatory training: Information Security Awareness (annually) and Section 508 (within 45 days of assignment).

Key Responsibilities

Application Development and Modernization

• Architect, design, and lead the development of Java-based web applications, RESTful APIs, and backend services using Java EE, Spring Boot/Spring Framework, Hibernate/JPA, and related technologies.
• Drive modernization of legacy Java applications, including server upgrades (WildFly, Apache), framework migrations (Spring, Gradle), and re-architecture for AWS cloud deployment.
• Design and implement RESTful web services for internal and external data consumers; refactor legacy SOAP services to REST where directed.
• Lead containerization and re-platforming efforts to prepare Java applications for deployment on AWS (EC2, EKS/ECS Fargate, Lambda).
• Design and implement database solutions using SQL Server and Oracle, including complex queries, stored procedures, views, and data transformation logic.
• Develop scheduled tasks, background services, and automated data pipelines for ingestion, transformation, and validation of real-time data feeds (e.g., GOES satellite, Iridium telemetry, external agency data).
• Build and maintain frontend components using React, TypeScript, JSF,PrimeFaces, or equivalent frameworks.
• Develop and maintain application-level health checks, operability indicators, and automated monitoring endpoints for enterprise monitoring integration.
• Improve code quality through SonarQube scan compliance, raising code coverage thresholds, and proactively identifying vulnerabilities and security hotspots.

Operations and Maintenance

• Provide Tier 3 technical support for production applications, including deep technical analysis, root cause investigation, and defect resolution.
• Triage and classify application-level defects; develop, test, and deploy corrective fixes for application code, batch jobs, and database defects without introducing new vulnerabilities or technical debt.
• Develop and execute emergency workarounds or hotfixes to maintain continuity of operations, following approved change control processes.
• Apply required updates and patches to supported applications and components, including Java runtime,WildFlyapplication server, Spring Framework, and dependent libraries.
• Refactor and optimize application code and database structures to improve performance and maintainability.
• Develop and maintain application-specific disaster recovery runbooks, including validated restore procedures, dependency mapping, and configuration baselines.
• Define and document Recovery Time Objective (RTO) and Recovery Point Objective (RPO) targets for supported applications; align recovery procedures accordingly, subject to Government approval.
• Participate in planned and unplanned DR/COOP exercises and events; test failover and restore procedures at agreed intervals and capture results in after-action reports.

Release and Deployment Management

• Coordinate release activities for assigned applications and report status to the Government Program Manager.
• Ensure all releases pass automated testing, security scans, performance validation, and FPAC SonarQube thresholds prior to production deployment.
• Deploy through FPAC-approved CI/CD pipelines (Jenkins, AWS CodeBuild/CodeDeploy/CodePipeline) without bypassing automated quality gates.
• Create and maintain Gradle/Maven build scripts; configure automated builds and deployments in Jenkins.
• Develop and maintain automated deployment scripts; implement and test rollback procedures prior to production releases.
• Maintain comprehensive dependency maps and coordinate release schedules to manage interdependencies and minimize risk.

AWS Cloud Migration Support

• Lead or support the migration of production applications from on-premises Government servers or DISC data center to AWS, including re-architecture, cutover coordination, environment validation, and post-migration issue resolution.
• Implement application-level changes required to maintain operability during and after cloud migration, including configuration for AWS-hosted services (RDS, EC2, EKS, Lambda, S3).
• Validate application functionality in AWS environments; troubleshoot and resolve migration-related issues.
• Complete complex configuration of application servers (WildFly, Apache), authentication systems (SiteMinder/eAuth), and operating system environments (RHEL) in support of infrastructure upgrades and migrations.

Security and Compliance

• Implement secure coding practices in alignment with NIST SP 800–53, USDA secure coding standards, FPAC SDLC, FISMA, and Zero Trust principles.
• Ensure supported applications meet Section 508 accessibility requirements and maintain compliance with the Privacy Act, FedRAMP, and Supply Chain Risk Management (SCRM) requirements.
• Ensure all work products, services, fixes, and deliverables meet or exceed the Acceptable Quality Levels (AQLs) defined in the applicable contract attachments, regardless of size, urgency, or method of execution.
• Remediate security vulnerabilities within defined SLAs (e.g., 14 days for critical/high) using Government-approved tools and processes.
• Support security assessments, penetration testing, and compliance audits by providing technical artifacts and remediation plans.
• Remove deprecated or non-compliant authorization dependencies and role references as part of sustainment activities to support least-privilege access, Zero Trust principles, and continuous ATO compliance.

Data Management

• Align supported applications with the Government’s data architecture and governance practices, including registration of schemas, interfaces, and metadata in AWS DataZone.
• Maintain data lineage and stewardship information for supported applications; report changes that affect downstream systems.
• Manage schema changes using Liquibase and Government-approved versioning tools; synchronize changes across environments.
• Implement service-layer data access patterns and eliminate direct cross-database queries and business logic in stored procedures where directed.
• Support data migration activities, including ETL/ELT pipeline development and integration with FPAC’s centralized AWS Data Lake strategy (Databricks).
• Design and implement data ingestion pipelines for real-time and batch data from external agencies and telemetry systems.

Technical Leadership and Mentoring

• Mentor and provide technical guidance to junior and mid-level developers on the team.
• Lead code reviews, architecture discussions, and design sessions for assigned application domains.
• Serve as subject matter expert on assigned application domains, providing guidance on application architecture, workflows, and environment configuration.
• Communicate and enforce enterprise standards and best practices across delivery teams through documented governance, review, and approval processes.
• Participate in risk identification and mitigation activities; contribute to the risk and issue logmaintainedin the Government-designated tool, including modernization dependencies, technical debt remediation, and compliance gaps.
• Support ITIL-aligned incident, problem, and change management processes consistent with FPAC standards.
• Provide knowledge transfer sessions to Government personnel and incoming vendors during transitions.
• Maintain troubleshooting playbooks, runbooks, and knowledge articles in Government-designated repositories.
• Establish and maintain an on-call support rotation, escalation paths, and coordination procedures with Government stakeholders.
• Lead or participate in interviews when recruiting new team members.

Modernization Assessment

• Contribute to the comprehensive inventory of supported systems and components, including technology stack, dependencies, and operational status.
• Evaluate modernization options (refactor, re-platform, replace, retire) using structured scoring models based on technical debt, compliance risk, cost to maintain, and business impact.
• Leverage AI-enabled platforms (e.g., Rhino.ai or equivalent) for legacy system analysis, business logic extraction, and code remediation as authorized by the Government.
• Propose strategies to decouple tightly coupled web services and monolithic databases that hinder modernization and scalability.

Work Location and Schedule

• Remote work is approved. Contractor personnel must have access to the internet and Government network and be available during core hours (9:00 AM to 3:00 PM EST).
• Normal duty hours are 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM EST, Monday through Friday, excluding federal holidays.
• After-hours and weekend work may be required to support production releases.