Senior Applications Developer

Senior Application Developer (NAUT)

About the role

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.

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
• 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
• Perform other duties as assigned

Requirements

• 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.
• 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

Qualifications

• CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS: Required: IAT Level III certification (one of the following): CISSP, CASP+, CCNP Security, CISA, CISSP (or Associate), GCIH, GCFA, or CSSLP
• Desired: 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

Skills

• 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.

Benefits

• Travel stipend may be provided if necessary

Pay

Salary range: $120,000 - $150,000 annually

Schedule

Full-time, Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM