Front-End Developer/ 508 Compliance Specialist
Shield Consulting Solutions, Inc. · Annapolis Junction, MD · 2 wk ago
Information TechnologyFull-time
Active TS/SCI with Polygraph clearance required. Telework: up to 3 days per week.
About the role
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.
Requirements
- 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.
Desired Experience
- 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.
Benefits
- 25 days PTO
- 11 paid holidays
- 100% employer-paid healthcare for employees and dependents – available day 1
- 8% 401(k) employer match – immediate vesting